World Water Day
World Water Day is March 22! Designated by the United Nations, this annual event is a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Is this your first year planning a campaign for World Water Day? There are many actions you can take as a school community to raise awareness about the importance of stewarding our water systems. We have seen a host of creative school-wide campaigns; here are just a couple of examples:
- St. James Catholic Global Learning Centre (DPCDSB): The EcoTeam did research about the reasons for banning water bottles, learning that landfills cannot support the number of plastic water bottles being thrown out, that bottled water contributes to climate change, and that tap water is cheaper and safer. The students challenged the school to see if they could save 2,500 plastic bottles by the Great Gulp date using their school’s water bottle refill station as an indicator of success.
- Leamington District Secondary School (GECDSB) supported the Essex Region Conservation Authority’s application for a Great Lakes Guardian Grant. Half of their EcoTeam mapped out growth of phragmites since their last visit to Hillman Marsh and found that there have been significant spread in most areas of the wetland. The other half of students wore hip waders and cut the phragmites under water with special shears to effectively “drown” the shoots so they will not be able to exchange gases. The EcoTeam plans to assess the results of their project in the spring and report back to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.
A few more ideas we’ve seen in schools :
- Do a class-by-class water bottle blitz; tally the number of plastic and reusable water bottles used in each classroom and recognize the class with the highest percentage of reusable ones.
- Find maps, then undertake an exploration of your local watershed and find connections between human features, like settlements and transportation routes, and the natural boundaries and routes set out by waterways.
- Explore the impacts of a human-led environmental process, for example erosion or invasive species, on water quality in your local environment. Find out if there are organizations or informal citizen groups working to address these problems – you may be able to collaborate on an environmental stewardship campaign!
Earth Hour
Another campaign to start planning for is Earth Hour, taking place on March 25, 2017. While Earth Hour is generally recognized at 8:30PM local time, most schools choose an hour during the school day so the whole school can take part, for example by having a Lights-Out Assembly or an outdoor lesson.
Earth Hour is a great example of a campaign that schools newer to the certification program can plan: by starting small (lights out for one hour), EcoTeams can get the whole school excited about working together on an environmental cause.
Earth Hour is also an opportunity to build momentum for Earth Week and Earth Month in April. For example, why not make a weekly or even daily Earth Hour in to reduce energy use? Stay tuned for plenty more activity suggestions to do your bit for a healthier planet in our March newsletter.
To watch: Check out this one-minute video showing the global impact of Earth Hour.
Certification Tip: World Water Day and Earth Hour campaigns can be claimed in the Environmental Stewardship section of your EcoSchools application. Related lessons can be claimed in the Curriculum section. For full requirements, please refer to the 2016-17 Certification Guide.
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