As climate challenges intensify, understanding water security is critical for today’s youth.
Watershed Matters is a new Wildsight Education program that engages Grades 10–12 students in the complexities of watershed management and governance, all within the context of a changing climate.
Through case studies, hands-on fieldwork, data analysis, and an immersive water governance role-play activity, students experience real-world challenges in maintaining water quality and managing resources. By the program’s end, they will be equipped with practical skills for water monitoring and conservation, fostering an appreciation for sustainable watershed management.
Watershed Matters was developed through a collaboration between Wildsight and Living Lakes Canada — a partner organization dedicated to the protection, restoration, and stewardship of freshwater ecosystems in Canada. The program has already been piloted in several classrooms with great success, and now Wildsight seeks funding to expand its reach to classrooms across the Columbia Basin.
As one teacher shared, “The field trip portion was hands-on and gave students the chance to apply scientific fieldwork techniques, something that isn’t always easy in a classroom setting.” Another remarked, “The lessons challenged my students to navigate complex questions about water management, providing real insight into watershed science.”
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Wildsight thanks the Columbia Valley Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies, Living Lakes Canada, the North American Association for Environmental Education, the Province of British Columbia (BC Gaming), and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for their support of this program.
