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ISSN: 0840-8114

PathwaysTHE ONTARIO JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR EDUCATIONSummer 2006, 18(4)

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PathwaysThe Council of Outdoor Educators of

Ontario Board of Directors

President: Shane Kramer

Past President: Grant Linney

Vice President: Erin Sharpe

Treasurer: Laura Ferguson

Secretary: Steve McElroy

Director At Large: Kyle Clark

Director At Large: Doug Jacques

Director At Large: Daena Greig

Central Region: Steve Helston

Eastern Region: Zabe MacEachren

Western Region: Mike Elrick

Northern Region: Heather Flack

Membership: Ron Williamson

Our mailing address:The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario1185 Eglinton Avenue EastToronto, ON M3C 3C6

Our website address:www.coeo.org

COEO

Formed in 1972, The Council of OutdoorEducators of Ontario (COEO) is a non-profit,volunteer-based organization that promotes safe,quality outdoor education experiences for peopleof all ages. This is achieved through publishing thePathways journal, running an annual conferenceand regional workshops, maintaining a website,and working with kindred organizations as well asgovernment agencies.

Contributions Welcome

Pathways is always looking for contributions. Ifyou are interested in making a submission, ofeither a written or illustrative nature, we would behappy to hear from you. For a copy of oursubmission guidelines, please contact RandeeHolmes, Managing Editor.

If you are interested in being a guest editor of anissue of Pathways, please request a copy of ourguidelines for guest editors from Randee Holmes,Managing Editor.

If you have any questions regarding Pathways,please direct them to Bob Henderson, Chair of thePathways Editorial Board. If you’d like moreinformation about COEO and joining theorganization, please refer to the inside back coverof this issue or contact a Board of Directorsmember.

Our advertising policy:Pathways accepts advertisements for products andservices that may be of interest to our readers. Toreceive an advertising information package, pleasecontact Bob Henderson, Chair of the PathwaysEditorial Board. We maintain the right to refuseany advertisement we feel is not in keeping withour mandate and our readers’ interests.

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FeaturesSustainable Development: The Status Quo Masquerading asEnvironmental Progress .................................................................. 4

Bruce PardySustainability and Spirituality: A Call to Outdoor Educators ......... 7

Miranda CurrieSustaining Recreational Fisheries .................................................. 11

Wade LeonardCaptioning our Centrefold ............................................................ 18

Angela Burns and Zabe MacEachren

ColumnsEditors’ Log Book ...………...…………................…………..…..…… 2

Angela Burns and Zabe MacEachrenPresident’s View .......……...……..…….............…………..……....…. 3

Shane KramerIn the Field .......................……...…………........…….……..…….…. 15

Walter SepicIn the Field .......................……...…………........…….……..…….…. 21

Angela BurnsKeepers of the Trail .........……...…….....…........…………..……...... 24

Kim WallaceProspect Point .........……...…………........…………..……...........…. 27

Erin CroweExplorations ...........................……...…………...........…………..….. 28

Elise HoughtonReading the Trail .........……...…….....…........…………..……....…. 30

Joanne ProkopIntersections .......................……...………........…….……..…….…. 32

Beth DasnoOpening the Door ............……...…………........…………..…….…. 34

Mercede RogersThe Gathering .......................……...………........…….……..………. 36

PathwaysPathways Editorial Board

Chair: Bob HendersonDept. of Kinesiology,McMaster University

Scott Caspell

Allan Foster

Peter Goddard

Ian Hendry

Zabe MacEachren

Erin Sharpe

Friends of PathwaysClare Magee, Barrie Martin,

Barb McKean and Mark Whitcombe

Managing Editor: Randee Holmes

ISSN: 0840-8114Pathways is printed on recycled paper.

Pathways is published four times a year for The Council of OutdoorEducators of Ontario (COEO) and distributed to COEO members.Membership fees include a subscription to Pathways, as well asadmittance to workshops, courses and conferences. A membershipapplication form is included on the inside back cover of this issue ofPathways.

Opinions expressed in Pathways are those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect those of the Pathways Editorial Board or COEO.Advertising included in Pathways should not be interpreted as anendorsement by COEO of the products or services represented. Allrights reserved.

Articles in Pathways may be reproduced only with permission.Requests must be made in writing and should be directed to BobHenderson, Chair, Pathways Editorial Board.

THE ONTARIO JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR EDUCATIONSummer 2006, 18(4)

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ditors’ Log BookE

Sketch Pad — OEE student journals frequently incorporate illustrations and reveal thehidden talent of individuals. Artists for this issue found the time within their final busy daysof teacher education to grace these pages with wonderful images. Special thanks go toK8 McLennan, Tara Casey and Brian Reid for sharing their talents with Pathways readers.

This summer issue of Pathways is dedicated toexploring sustainability and how it relates tous as educators. Many entries were submittedby outdoor and experiential education (OEE)teacher candidates at Queen’s University in theFaculty of Education and from associateteachers, classroom presenters and others whohave in some way influenced our thinking onthis topic.

The first article is by Bruce Pardy, anenvironmental law professor who outlines thecomplexity of the term sustainabledevelopment. Bruce offers educators valuableadvice on ways to effectively use classroomassimilation activities. OEE students listenedto Bruce at a campfire by Gould Lake. The nextfeature moves away from the parameter oflaws and policy to the other end of knowledgespectrum. Miranda Currie addresses theconnection between faith and sustainabilitywith a discussion about spirituality education.Our third feature article is a personal accountof one man’s experience in helping to developsustainable fisheries. Wade Leonard outlineshow his business is evolving into educationalopportunities for students and educators.

We have two spotlights on individualprograms that emphasize sustainability intheir curriculum. The first addresses a publiceducation program, and the second a collegeprogram. Our centrefold picture we hope youwill be proud to post in your office or outdoorcentre! We left the sky blank so that so youcan have as much fun as we did creating anideal caption for the image.

Also included is an inspiring story about twoeducators who have dedicated their retirementyears to living a life of minimal impact and asustainable lifestyle. At the Environmental

Education and Communication fall conference,Elise Houghton spoke on the extent to whichthe Ontario curriculum addresses sustainability.Her word count statistics clearly demonstratedwhat the government values. We approachedher to write for Pathways to share her findingswith a wider audience.

Joanne Prokop, a high school student, sharesher thoughts on Bruce Pardy’s Animal FarmRevisited: An Environmental Allegory. ErinCrowe invites us to think about sustainabilityevery time you reach for your Gorp bag.

As the UNESCO Decade for Sustainability hasrecently begun, the Dean of Education atQueens’ University, Rosa Bruno-Jofré, invitedElizabeth May from the Sierra Club of Canadato speak to students about teaching towardssustainability in the classroom. Beth Dasnoshares her notes on Ms May’s presentation.

It may be hard to find hope in these times ofincreasing global environmental awareness.Many might think that environmentalsustainability is perhaps an unobtainablecultural shift. Our final submission istherefore a creative piece by Mercede Rogersabout how to make the impossible possible.

Dealing with the realities of climate changeand many other environmental issues canfrequently result in feeling overwhelmed withlittle reason for optimism. We hope that thisissue provides a little bit of clarity for you onthe issues and provides a boost ofencouragement to continue to persevere inyour niche of outdoor education.

Angela Burns, OEE 2005/06 student, andZabe MacEachren, OEE Coordinator, PhD,

Queen’s University

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resident’s ViewP

DATE

June 3, 2006

September 16, 2006

TIME

9:30 am – 4:30 pm

9:30 am – 4:30 pm

LOCATION

TBA

TBA

Another summer is before us and we are allmaking plans to enjoy it. I hope everyone hasa wonderful summer filled with the best thisseason can provide. I also hope that many ofyou will give thought to the coming fall. Thefall is the beginning of a new year for COEOand a new year always brings some change.My challenge to you is to find a way to be apart of it.

Lots of people look forward to the fallconference when COEO members gathertogether for fellowship and sharing of ideas.We renew old friendships and start new ones.Many people share with me how much theyget out of the conferences and Pathways. Theyvalue the connections they provide to thelarger whole of the outdoor educationcommunity. This is wonderful but there ismore to COEO than just the conferences andPathways. There are lots of activities we areinvolved in to promote outdoor education.

We partner with other organizations regardingshared causes. We advocate in support ofsociety (school boards, the government andthe general public) recognizing the value ofoutdoor education in an effort to ensure asmany people as possible can have suchexperiences. We seek to help othersunderstand what we already know. Ourprograms strive to create better people and abetter world through new understandings. I’mvery proud of what our small organization hasbeen able to do.

We are in good shape as an organization. Ourmembership is in a position of growth. Ourconnection to kindred organizations is strongand we want to continue building these

relationships. We are moving forward andseeing the benefits of our actions in manyways.

Some people have given a lot to COEO formany years in many ways. They may haveorganized conferences and workshops, beeninvolved with Pathways or served on the Boardof Directors. They may have been a voice inthe dialogue figuring out what we are all about.

As summer winds down and the fall begins,some people who have been very active thepast few years will be looking for a break. Theywill have done their share in creating thesuccess that COEO is now enjoying. We willneed new people with new energies to keepour momentum going.

If you are a longtime COEO member who hasseen a lot of change in our field we need yourperspective. If you are new to COEO, perhapsjust starting out in your career in outdooreducation, we need your drive and vision. Wewill need you so that COEO can continue tothrive. Whether you are down in Windsor, upin Thunder Bay or North Bay, over in theOttawa Valley or sitting in the middle ofToronto, COEO needs dedicated people whowish to see outdoor education thrivethroughout the province. If you think youhave something to offer to COEO, or wonderwhat your contribution could be, I encourageyou to take some time to contact me oranother member of the board and find a rolefor yourself. It’s OUR organization and willonly continue to be as good as we are allprepared to make it.

Shane Kramer

Board of Directors Meetings

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Consider an imaginary place where physicalviolence is the norm. People go around hittingeach other over the head with sticks. They doit often. They do it to intimidate, to settlescores, and to punish those they do not like.The use of force is widespread. The strong andpowerful use it to their advantage over thesmall and weak, who are terrorized andunable to defend themselves.

Imagine that in this place there is no law thatprohibits the use of force. Hitting others overthe head with sticks is not prohibited. Finally,there is a proposal to change the law. Thissuggestion is met with agreement from some,but with much resistance from others, forpredictable reasons: (1) strong people areempowered by the use of force; (2) changingthe law would mark a departure from the waypeople are used to having things; and (3)saying that change is necessary amounts tocriticism of a way of life and those who have aplace in it.

Imagine the efforts that might be made againstthe creation of an effective law prohibiting theuse of force. Violent means might be used toresist, of course, but consider this question inthe legislative sense. There are at least twostrategies that those opposed to change couldadopt to frustrate the effectiveness of a newrule against violence. The first would be to tryto make the new rule vague and contextual.They might say that any rule against the use offorce should not be absolute, but flexible.Prohibit force, yes, they would say, but do it ina way that does not offend community valuesand takes context into account. They mightpropose the following rule:

No one may use force against anotherunless the situation makes it acceptable.

Or alternatively,

No one may use force against another ifthe nature or extent of the beating offendsthe sensibilities of the community.

These rules allow the use of force to continue.That is because their prohibition is basedupon community standards, or in otherwords, upon what people generally do. At thetime the new law is developed, what peoplegenerally do is beat each other up with sticks.In order for the law to be effective, it mustdescribe a rule that departs from existingcommunity standards. Indeed, that is thepurpose of creating the new law. (If it did notdepart from what people generally do, therewould be no need for a new law.)

The second approach that those resistant tochange might take is to attempt to make thenew law specific and complicated. Instead of agenerally applicable rule that prohibits the useof force, they might propose an extensive listof particular rules for particular situations,such as the following:

1. No one is to beat another with a stickin the parking lot of an arena after ahockey game.

2. No one is to use a stick with force inorder to get a better place in acashier’s line.

3. No one is to beat a sibling with astick on the sibling’s birthday.

And so on. The result of a long list ofparticular instances where the use of force isprohibited is to permit the use of force in allother circumstances. It is okay to beat othersafter a baseball game. One may use force toget a better seat on the bus. You can take aclub to your brother if it is not his birthday.

eatureFSustainable Development: The Status QuoMasquerading as Environmental Progressby Bruce Pardy

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Either of these alternatives—the vague rulebased on social acceptability or the list ofspecific rules—would successfully prevent ageneral prohibition against the use of force. Arule far more effective at preventing violence,of course, is

No one may apply force against anotherwithout the other’s consent.

To this rule might be added carefully definedexceptions such as provocation, self-defence,and medical necessity. The rule would beeffective because it is simple and generallyapplicable. Occasionally, scenarios will arisethat do not fall cleanly inside or outside therule, but for the vast majority of situations, therule provides a clear signal about what is legaland what is not.

This imaginary scenario introduced at thebeginning does not reflect current laws andattitudes towards physical violence.Unfortunately, it does reflect present laws andapproaches to environmental issues. Insteadof an environmental rule or principle thatclearly describes what is legal and what is not,both versions of rule avoidance describedabove can be found: vague notions ofenvironmentally “appropriate” behaviourbased upon social acceptability, and extensivelists of specific prohibitions for specificsituations. Neither kind of rule is any moreeffective in defining an environmental bottomline than in defining assault and battery;neither establishes concepts upon whichenvironmental protection can be based. Inshort, environmental law suffers from aplethora of good intentions and a paucity ofconcrete principles. The best, and worst,example of environmental “non-principles” issustainable development.

In 1987, in its report Our Common Future, theWorld Commission on Environment andDevelopment recommended sustainabledevelopment as a strategy to combat theworld’s accelerating environmental problemsand the growing divide between rich and poor

countries. Sustainable development wasdefined as “development that meets the needsof the present without compromising theability of future generations to meet their ownneeds.”

Since then, sustainable development hasbecome one of the dominant concepts ininternational environmental law.Unfortunately, sustainable development hasnot established a predictable idea about wherethe line is to be drawn between conflictinginterests. It incorporates environmental,social, and economic concerns, but it does notprioritize them, or define their relationship. Ifharvesting an area of forest creates 100 jobsand adds $10 million to the local economybut destroys the forest, is that sustainable? Ifreplanting trees to replace the ones that are cutwill replenish the supply of trees but foreverchange the forest ecosystem, is thatsustainable? If the only choices are to cutdown the forest or shut down the company,which of those choices does “sustainable

Sustainable Development

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Sustainable Development

development” require? Instead of articulatinga priority or defining a hierarchy, it merelydescribes ideals—a protected environment, adeveloped economy, and an equitable socialstructure. However, it does not prescribe a wayto resolve conflicting priorities so as to reachthose ends.

Sustainable development resists definition.Indeed, it is the best example of theambiguous concepts that have becomeembedded in environmental discourse, not inspite of their vagueness, but because of it.Sustainable development allows hardquestions to be avoided instead of confronted.Rather than leading to a new approach,sustainable development reinforces theuncertain, ineffective, and un-revolutionarynature of environmental law.

Teaching about Sustainability andSustainable Development

Environmental philosophy is long on grandthoughts, such as sustainable development,and short on concrete principles. In order for aprinciple to really work as an instrument ofenvironmental protection, it needs to be ableto resolve actual disputes between real people.Students should be challenged to take theenvironmentally appropriate inclinations thatthey express (“We should respect the Earth’slimits,” “Human beings should act with respecttowards other organisms,” “Sustainabledevelopment is the key to a clean and equitablefuture,” and so on) and apply them to factscenarios to find out what they really mean.

Effective scenarios, and the ones that are themost realistic, are situations that involveirreconcilable conflicts between competingnotions of the way the world should work. Forexample, teachers can formulate hypotheticalsituations that place the interests of localpopulations against the health of the resourceon which the local economy depends, like theforestry scenario described in the sectionabove. Environmental conflicts often involvestruggles between two sets of rights. If oneperson wishes to build a three-storey home on

his own plot of land, but his neighbourobjects because of the “environmental effects,”is the neighbour really concerned about theenvironment, or about preserving theattributes of her own property, such as apleasant view? Under what circumstancesshould neighbours be able to interfere withprivate activities on private land? Othereffective scenarios place environmental goalsin realistic context and require students tomake hard choices and be precise about thedecisions that they think are appropriate. Forexample, sometimes environmental goals arein conflict with other broad social objectivessuch as economic development in poorregions, nationally and globally. If raising thestandard of living of the world’s poor createsdemand for resources that is three, five, orseven times higher than it is now, should thestandard of living of the world’s poor beraised? (This could well be the result, as thedemand that the developed world places onglobal resources is substantially greater perperson than it is in the developing world.)What if doing so threatens to push humancivilization over the “environmental cliff”?Environmental protection and social equityare commonly characterized ascomplementary goals, but they often are not.Reality can be a challenging and interestingplace when students are attempting toformulate philosophies and approaches toachieve environmental progress.

In summary, environmental educationsometimes requires scepticism and toughquestions. Unexamined environmentalplatitudes are not nearly as valuable tostudents as the understanding that resultsfrom honest examination of whatsustainability really means.

Bruce Pardy is an associate professor in the Facultyof Law at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.This piece is partially adapted from his 2005article, “In Search of the Holy Grail ofEnvironmental Law: A Rule to Solve the Problem,”International Journal of SustainableDevelopment Law and Policy 1 (1), 29–57.

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eatureFSustainability and Spirituality: A Call to OutdoorEducatorsby Miranda Currie

Introduction

As educators we touch the lives of youngpeople everyday. We attempt to sparkimaginations and satisfy curiosities. We makea committed effort to guide the minds, bodiesand spirits of each child, down their ownunique path. As outdoor educators, wefacilitate opportunities that allow the mysteryof nature to touch the hearts of young peoplewhenever possible. In the outdoors, weproblem solve real life situations, explore ourphysical environment and allow the wonder ofthe landscape to permeate our being. However,with this opportunity comes responsibility. Asoutdoor educators, we have an obligation toteach towards ecological sustainability bynurturing a sense of stewardship for the planetupon which we live.

Our practices in education, sustainability andspirituality are, at their philosophical core,holistic. Spirituality is a very important andbeneficial aspect of a holistic approach toeducation and sustainability. So, why asoutdoor educators do we often hesitate toinclude elements of spirituality in outdoorprograms? What are the barriers to includingaspects of spirituality in outdoor programmingand how can we overcome them?

Sustainability: What Is It and Why Is ItImportant?

The term sustainability is somewhat of anambiguous term. Due to this ambiguity therecan be many interpretations depending on theindustry represented. Population, climate change,ecological diversity and energy use are all issuesof sustainability, but what is sustainability?

In 1987, Gro Harlem Brundtland, then thePrime Minister of Norway, commissioned astudy, entitled Our Common Future, that

defined sustainability as “development thatmeets the needs of the present, withoutcompromising the needs of future generationsto meet their own needs” (BrundtlandCommission, 1987, p. 8). This definition hasbecome widely accepted and used bygovernments, corporations and the generalpublic as the solution to our current ecologicalcrisis. We must become sustainable in order tosurvive!

The best definitions of sustainability includenot only environmental considerations, butalso social and economic factors. In the past,economic factors have tended to trump manyother aspects of a decision-making process,including environmental and socialimplications. Now we are beginning to ask theimportant questions such as “what willhappen to people as well as the environment ifwe take this course of action?”

The concept of sustainability is intrinsicallyholistic in nature. Our Earth is a vast andcomplex system of interconnections, so greatand complex that our human brains are notcapable of comprehending it in its entirety.Sustainability deals with the whole planet! Asoutdoor educators we attempt to bring thewonder of the vastness and interconnection ofour planet to students we serve by creating asense of stewardship and caring for the Earth.In turn, this sense of stewardship provides thefoundation for the conservation of ecologicalbalance, by avoiding the depletion of naturalresources.

Spirituality: What Is It and Why Is ItImportant?

From cosmic new age to dogmatic preaching,there are many perspectives on spirituality.Frequently, religion and spirituality areperceived as synonymous terms when, in fact,

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Sustainability and Spirituality

they are quite different. Accordingto John Dewey, the father of

experiential education andthe author of A CommonFaith (1989), the term“religion” signifies a special

body of beliefs andpractices havingsome kind ofinstitutionalorganization.Furthermore, theterm religion is oftenassociated with the

negativeconnotations of

indoctrination.

Religion as asystem of faith and beliefs may be seen asconfining because of its inherent institutionalorganization and principles, yet it is thesesame principles and organizational structurethat provide the foundation of a caringcommunity that nurtures growth in itsmembers. In contrast, spirituality often carriesa connotation of openness to new ideas andways of thinking of oneself in relation to thesurrounding world, without beinginstitutionalized, yet may not hold the sametype of social community support inherent inreligion. Ideally, as outdoor educators we wantto promote openness to new ideas and ourconnection to the natural world, while stillproviding a caring community in which to grow.

For the purposes of this article, spirituality(which may encompass religion) is that whichpertains to the spirit or soul of a person as theseat of moral nature. It is how we decide whatis important to us as humans. A sense ofspirituality “may include an insightfulrelationship with oneself and others, a strongpersonal value system, and meaningfulpurpose in life” (Gookin, 2003, p. 31). Thereis a tendency for people with a positive senseof spirituality to have increased self-esteem,self-efficacy, self-comfort and self-reliance. Aspiritually strong person feels empowered inlife’s purpose and can thus act in a calmerstate of mind (Gookin, 2003).

What Is the Connection BetweenSustainability and Spirituality? Why Is OneImportant to the Other?

Sustainability and spirituality are bothintrinsically holistic in nature; both areconcerned with the interconnection of theuniverse and how we as humans interact inthat connection. Traditionally, sustainability isthought of as having to do with the ecologicalinteractions of the planet, but as mentionedearlier it is also concerned with the socialimpacts as well as economic implications forthe future. When we explore our own sense ofspirituality we often contemplate the universeand our purpose in it. We make decisions forthe betterment of ourselves and the worldaround us.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “We are able tofill the needs of the whole world, but not thewants of one small village.” Anil K. Rajvanshifrom the Nimbar Agricultural Research Institutein Maharashtra, India supports the notion thata positive sense of spirituality gives a certainperspective on life that can aid in sustainabledevelopment. When we strive to live a morespiritual life, one more in tune with the worldaround us, priorities tend to change fromhappiness through the acquisition of materialpossessions to happiness attained from mentalpeace. This decrease in material consumption(especially in North America) is necessary forsustainability. A positive sense of spiritualityalso gives us a compassionate view towardsnature. This compassion limits exploitationand helps foster a sense of stewardshiptowards nature. Humans are responsible fortaking care of nature, and in turn nature willprovide what is needed to survive. Again, thisspiritual sentiment echoes the definition ofsustainable practice.

Often, as outdoor educators, we find ourselvesenjoying the beauty of the surroundings inwhich we teach. No comparison can be made tothe joy we may feel in witnessing a beautifullandscape or the changing of the seasons. It isno secret that humans recover rapidly fromstress when they are exposed to pleasing naturalenvironments. When we allow students to

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Sustainability and Spirituality

experience this same deep sense of appreciationfor their natural surroundings, a sense ofconservation for the future is also instilled.

In many religions of the world, respect fornature is held in high regard and thephilosophy of simple living and high thinkingis taught. Many great thinkers of our time havelived simple lives; Einstein and Gandhi areboth wonderful examples. Rajvanshi suggeststhat a combination of high technology andspiritual growth will promote a new paradigmof sustainable development. Herman Greeneand Thomas Berry have both written aboutentering into what has been coined an Ecozoicera, where sustainable technology and a neweco-spirituality will be necessary to reverse theecological crisis we are currently facing. Apositive sense of spirituality urges humankindto treat one another with respect, as weourselves would like to be treated. Thissentiment is also reflected in many religions ofthe world. It helps us live in harmony with oneanother and work toward a common goal—the conservation of the Earth’s resources.

What are the Barriers to IncludingSpirituality as Part of a Holistic Approachto Outdoor Education?

Spirituality is an important part of a holisticapproach to education and promotes theconcept of sustainability. Why, then, do weoften hesitate to include spiritual elements inprogramming? As educators can we morallyimpose our spiritual beliefs upon studentswithin the context of public education? BobHenderson (1999) argues that, “at its mostfundamental, educating students with moralgoals seems like telling them how to live” (p.234).

Educators must however consider that, likeany new skill, students need guidance infinding their own spirituality. Teaching withemphasis on the fact that spirituality does notneed to be narrow or rule bound, but that itcan focus on “what it is good to be” asopposed to “what is right to do” (Henderson,1999) helps to eliminate an imposing view.

A general sense of positive spiritualityencompasses values such as caring, honesty,responsibility and respect, which can beapplied in the context of education,sustainability and spirituality. Spiritualityrecognizes that there is something greater thanourselves out there, however what that‘something greater’ is, is a matter of personalbelief. Thus, respect of diversity must play akey role when discussing issues of spirituality.Beginning with a student-centred approachhelps to avoid the pitfalls of preaching andindoctrinating as well as provides the group anopportunity to benefit from the knowledgeand experience of peers (McGowan, 1997).

How Can We Include Elements ofSpirituality in Outdoor EducationPrograms?

Spiritual education arises from everyday eventsthat provide spirituality for people, but morecan be done. Outdoor educators need toadvocate and provide opportunities to nurturethe human spirit (Henderson, 1996). Asoutdoor leaders we allow students theopportunity to experience issues of spiritualityas they relate to our common world, andparticularly to nature. Studies have shown thatphysical tasks may also play a critical role in aspiritual experience (Gatto, 1999). Outdooreducation regularly provides students with aphysical challenge that may lead to spiritualgrowth. Some of these physical tasks includepurposeful work to achieve self-knowledgeand self-respect, genuine independentdecisions, and tasks involving self-disciplineand developing a sense of duty throughmeaningful service to others (Gatto, 1999).

There are many additional elements ofoutdoor education that are also conducive tospiritual growth. They include but are notlimited to• new surroundings that contrast with home• opportunities for quiet and solitude• opportunities to model positive values

and behaviours• opportunities to be confronted with

oneself

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Sustainability and Spirituality

• opportunities for closeness with otherpeople in cooperative endeavours

• opportunities to observe and initiatepositive gender role models

• opportunities for creative personalinvolvement and ownership of groupprocess and outcomes

• encounters with predictability anduncertainty

• opportunity to experience nature:something bigger than oneself

• comparing and contrasting presetexperience with past experience

• staff promoting the program as spiritual(and defining what that means)

(McGowan, 2000).

Many resources concerning the inclusion ofspirituality in outdoor education are availablevia the Internet. One worthy of mention is aresource booklet entitled The Green Rule,developed by an organization called Faith &the Common Good. This resource helpsstudents discover the sacredness of creationwithin the world’s faith traditions. The contentof this booklet (which is downloadable free-of-charge) includes examples from numerousreligions concerning how a positive sense ofspirituality calls us to live in harmony with theEarth.

Through simple thought processes, such asencouraging students to think about how theirfood got to the table in front of them, orcontemplating connection in nature, we canbegin to incorporate spiritual elements intooutdoor education programming.

Conclusion

Sustainability is the solution to our currentecological crisis. A positive sense of spiritualitycan aid in a decrease of material possessionsand resource consumption, while increasingcare and compassion towards nature, both ofwhich are necessary for the survival of planetEarth. As outdoor educators we have a specialprivilege and responsibility to instill a sense ofwonder and stewardship for the Earth byengaging the mind, body and spirit of every

child we teach. Including spirituality as part ofa holistic approach to outdoor education hasproven beneficial to students’ emotional wellbeing as well as attitudes towards theenvironment. Through the inclusion ofthoughtful student-centred reflection, physicalchallenge and opportunities for quiet andsolitude, educators help create hopefulness fora new ecological era.

References

Berry, T. (1996). The ecozoic era. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2006, from http://www.lightparty.com/Visionary/EcozoicEra

Bickerton, H., & Henderson, B. (1999). Is itpossible to justify a “value-laden” positionfor ecologically based adventure education?In T. G. Potter & S. D. Waedinger (Eds.),Controversial issues in adventure education(pp. 229–235). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.

Dewey, J. (1989). The later works: Essays,reviews, miscellaneous and a common faith.Carbondale, IL: University Press.

Gookin, J. (2003). Nurturing spirituality. In J.Gookin (Ed.), Wilderness educator notebook(pp. 13–21). Lander, WY: National OutdoorLeadership School.

Greene, H. (1997). A call for the ecozoic.Retreived January 12, 2006, from http://www.earthlight.org/challenge28

Henderson, K. (1996). Women and theoutdoors: Towards spiritual empowerment.In K. Warren (Ed.), Women’s voices inexperiential education (pp. 193–201).Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.

McGowan, M. L. (2000). The think tank onoutdoor adventure education and spiritualdevelopment. Horizons (UK), Spring, 15–19.

Rajvanshi, A. K. (2002). Spirituality can helpin sustainable development. Times of IndiaSpeaking Tree. Retreived January 24, 2006,from http://education.vsnl.com/nimbkar/suspri.html

Miranda Currie is from Thunder Bay, Ontarioand has been studying at Queen’s University inthe Faculty of Education’s Outdoor andExperiential Education program.

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When I was young I spent my summers at myparents’ fishing camp on Bob’s Lake, wherethe walleye was central to our activities. Likemany Canadians, we spent countless hourscooking, catching and conversing about thisspecies of fish. Today walleye are an integralpart of my business and a potentialcentrepiece for sustainable education.

Background on Fisheries

There are tens of thousands of lakes inOntario and no two lakes are the same; theyhave different fish communities, differenthistories, different influences, and differenthuman-induced pressures. Ensuring thesustainability and protection of fish stocks inrecreational fishing areas (fisheries) isextremely complex, with many differentinterests at stake.

The role of protecting Ontario’s fisheriesbelongs to the Ontario Ministry of NaturalResources. This agency has the responsibilityto ensure the survival of fish communities andpopulations for intrinsic reasons. They are alsoresponsible for ensuring that futuregenerations of anglers benefit from fisheries.Protection is ensured through fisheriesregulations, enforcement and education.

Because there are two million anglers inOntario, fisheries need to be protected fromthe possibility of over harvest. Thegovernment has decided in many cases thatthe best way to restrict harvest is throughlimiting the number and size of fish thatanglers can take. Anglers are complying withthe various regulations by adopting catch-and-release methods of fishing. Whether youapprove or disapprove of catch-and-releasefishing, the reality is that many fisheries wouldsimply collapse without this managementstrategy. There aren’t enough fish to supply all

Sustaining Recreational Fisheriesby Wade Leonard

of the anglers in Ontario. If stocks collapsedthere would be no biodiversity left in the lakesto protect. This would result in closing lakesoff to anglers while stocks rebuild. Banningrecreational fishing (the goal of some groups)would simply be impossible. There are250,000 lakes in Ontario and governmentcutbacks are prohibiting conservation officersfrom effectively monitoring fisheries.

There is another strategy available for fisheriesmanagement and that is through the stockingof young fish. This seemingly straightforwardidea of putting more fish in the lakes veryquickly becomes complicated with issues ofdisease transfer, genetic fitness, fitness of thefish at the time of stocking, and user groupconflicts.

One of the most-used criticisms againststocking is related to concern that the stockedfish will cause genetic harm to the native fishalready in the fishery. In some cases (such aswith walleye) this concern is unfounded. Two-thirds of the walleye stocks in Eastern Ontario’sinland waters originated from stocking.Furthermore, many of the water bodiesconsidered contentious for walleye stockingwere created with the construction of dams inthe early 1900s. A philosophical debate oftenensues on this point, the crux of the argumentbeing whether artificially created fisheries inartificially created water bodies can haveinherent genetic integrity and, if so, whetherthat genetic integrity needs to be protected.

There are certainly positive benefits ofstocking, and cases where the allegeddetrimental effects aren’t as apparent. Stockingserves to protect naturally occurring butthreatened fish populations. It is used bynatural resource mangers to create fishingopportunities and divert fishing pressure awayfrom more sensitive natural fish stocks. Thus it

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helps to both indirectly protect biodiversityand provide fishing opportunities. Stockingisn’t the answer for every fishery, but it is atool for natural resource mangers to help tosustain fish populations.

Walleye are the most sought after sport fish inOntario with anglers traveling thousands ofmiles for the chance to catch one of thetastiest freshwater fish. Unfortunately, theirgreat taste has also made walleye a fish that,once caught, is destined for the frying pan.Overfishing is just one of the threats facingwalleye populations; habitat change, globalwarming, the introduction of exotic species,fish community changes and many otherfactors all impact its populations.

Saving a Fishery from Collapse

When the population of walleye declined inBob’s Lake during the 1980s the declineseemed to be very dramatic and long lasting. Itappeared as though the walleye weredisappearing from the lake. Anglers werecomplaining they had never seen the fishing asbad, and fishing lodge owners were losingbusiness. It had become apparent to manythat something dramatic had to be done torebuild the walleye population.

Some fisheries biologists felt that walleye inBob’s Lake had a low level of recruitment (alow number ofyoung fishreplacingthe fishbeingcaught). In1987, myfather andgrandfatherbegan raisingwalleye in ponds onour family farm withthe blessing of theOntario Ministry ofNatural Resources. Other efforts

aimed at rebuilding walleye populations bystocking had until this point been met withonly marginal success. As luck would have itwe stumbled on a method of rearing walleyethat yielded exceptional survival rates once thefish were released into the lake. We found thekey to raising the larger fish had to do withour ability to feed the walleye minnowsduring their entire time growing in ournursery ponds. As a result the walleye grewbigger than anyone could have predicted. Westocked them into the lake and two years lateranglers were catching them by the score. Ourprogram seemed to be an instant success.

We realized quickly that angler education wasneeded to protect the newly created fishery.We felt that anglers were catching too many ofthe small recently stocked fish. Since therewere no government regulations to protectwalleye of any size in our particular lakessomething else would need to be done. Myfather set about asking anglers to release thesmall fish and give them a chance so thatfishing would improve in the future. The wordspread through the angling community; fishwere caught and released instead of beingcaught and cooked.

My father and I have built a business based onthe early success of our fish rearing experience.Running the business has been hard work;there have been a lot of good times and somethings we’d rather forget. Overall, operatingthe hatchery has been a wonderful learningexperience. I have made many observations

relating to humans’ relationship withfish and with aquatic

ecosystems. I have

Sustaining Recreational Fisheries

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Sustaining Recreational Fisheries

noticed how keenly interested most peopleand especially children are in fish.

The life cycle and daily habits of walleyedictate the rhythm of our activities. The yearlytrips to the walleye spawning grounds togather eggs for our hatchery have become afamily tradition. Fish spawning time is animportant event for many people, especiallyFirst Nations peoples. I have had many greatopportunities to do my work while being inthe river with native spear fishermen. Throughbeing involved in egg collection, I havedeveloped a sense of the incredibleimportance of fisheries in the lives of FirstNations people.

I have seen the wonder in the eyes of both theyoung and the old in seeing the fish spawnout in the river. People from many differentbackgrounds are drawn to the rivers to witnessthis annual event and for many it is the onlychance they will get to see the fish for theentire year. Spawning time has become one ofmy favourite times of year. After you’ve beenat the spawn for a few years you can smell thefish in the river and it gets in your blood.

Hatchery Operations

After the fish and/or eggs are brought back tothe hatchery from the rivers another amazingtransformation takes place. The eggs that werecollected and subsequently placed in thehatchery jars turn into larval fish in a period ofjust days. Since the fish eggs are completelytransparent the entire process of developmentcan be observed under a simple field scope.The backbone, the circulatory system, the gillsand the eyes are all readily visible and thestages of development can be easily viewed byeven the most novice observer. We have hadmany school groups, local residents, andscientists from our local university at thehatchery, and they are always amazed at theprocess. Every time I see the developmentprocess I can’t help but feel a little bit humbledand awed at viewing life in its most precariousof times.

While the young walleye are developing, weprepare the ponds in anticipation of plantingthe walleye. Fermented organic fertilizers suchas soybean meal are added to increase theamount of plankton in the pond for thewalleye to feed on. The bacteria in thefermented feeds act as a food source for thetiny Daphnia (a form of zooplankton). Thezooplankton population grows dramatically inthe short amount of time leading to thewalleye hatch.

The walleye continue feeding on the Daphnia,other kinds of plankton, and smallinvertebrates until the age of about 45 days. Atthis time they are about 2–3 cm long and haveusually eaten all of the food in the pond. Thewalleye are then moved to other grow-outponds where they will feed on minnows, orthey are transferred to grow-out tanks andtaught how to eat a prepared diet. By early fallthe walleye have grown to about 20 cm longand weigh about 100 grams. The fish areharvested when the temperature of the waterhas cooled sufficiently.

From this stage walleye are taken to any one ofthe lakes that we have sale orders for and theyare released. While we produce far fewer fishthan many of the provincial hatcheries, thefish survive at a much higher rate. The highsurvival rate is due to the fact that the fish areso big when they are released into the lakes.Typically, the only way small fish die is bybeing eaten by larger fish; they don’t usuallystarve to death and they don’t usually get sick.

We have been selling walleye for stockinglakes since 1994. The year we started LeonardWalleye Culture and Research the governmentadded walleye to the list of species that wereeligible to culture and sell. That year weobtained the first licence ever issued in theprovince of Ontario to culture and sellwalleye. We also stocked the first privatelyreared walleye to fisheries. We had to wait twoyears before the first reports started to tricklein from our customers regarding the stockbeing caught, but after those reports our

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Sustaining Recreational Fisheries

reputation for producing quality fish began togrow. Orders for our fish increased and withina few years we were selling to the provincialgovernment.

Business looked really good for about fiveyears until the government cancelled its ordersand our fish production began to sufferthrough some exceptionally hot summers.Production fell and customers were upsetwhen orders weren’t delivered. We tried tooffset loses through the addition of a baitbusiness but it wasn’t enough to fill the gapleft by the loss in walleye business. This year Ihave had to go back to school to make up thefinancial gap.

Future Plans: Fisheries Education

I plan to keep the business going and I amadding an educational component to the fishfarm. From the experience of running mybusiness I have come to the conclusion thatmost of the topics related to the field ofaquatic ecosystems are misunderstood by the

public. Many people lack the basicunderstanding of the environmental

requirements of fish, other aquaticorganisms, and aquatic environments

in general. I think that the best hopefor improving society’s

understanding of environmentalissues is by the education of

today’s students. To that end, thefirst of what I hope will be

many classes arrived at the fishfarm in May 2006 for a day

of pond study. Byperforming water qualityand biomass assessmentsstudents will gain someinsight into how aquaticenvironments function.

A larger issue than fisherysustainability is the

sustainability of the naturalenvironment. These pressing concerns arelooming ever more important to all of us at atime when the general public has never beenmore removed from understanding subjectssuch as food production. I plan to change thedirection of the fish farm by developing asustainable educational centre for fisheries,fish farming and other integrated agriculturaloperations. I am convinced that the best wayto educate people on environmental issuesand solutions to future food productionproblems is to show them a working model, ademonstration of what can be done. I picturethe farm becoming a centre where studentsand the public can come and spend a dayinvolved in the hands-on activities and farmchores; they will learn lessons from the Earth.With luck and good planning I will be able tokeep my core walleye business going and helpto educate the next generation on some ofwhat I feel are very important topics.

Wade Leonard is from Hartington, Ontario and isa student at Queen’s University in the Faculty ofEducation, in the Outdoor and ExperientialEducation program.

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The grade five science unit on energyconservation from the Ontario curriculum istaught differently at the Ryan Centre, an outdooreducation centre, than in a typical school.

Upon arrival at the Ryan Centre, students arewelcomed warmly as they remove heavyclothing, look around with wide eyes andcomment on the displays. Once seated, theyare given a visual tour of the centre includingthe 106 mounted birds, three museum tables,mystery box, hands-on centre, andvermicomposter. There is also a referencelibrary, photo album, guest book and adultcomfort station. After their questions areanswered and their snack finished, thestudents are encouraged to walk around andexplore their surroundings.

When their curiosity is mostly satisfied andthey are ready to focus, the unit of study startsright out of the curriculum guide with adiscussion of the differences betweenrenewable and non-renewable sources ofenergy, the pros and cons of each, fossil fuels,greenhouse gases, smog, respiratory ailments,climate change, global warming and relatedissues. Students are then asked for suggestionson ways to conserve energy at home, school,and the workplace, related to the familyvehicle, and so on. The energy from this livelyexchange is then steered toward renewableforms of energy where wind, water, solar,hydrogen, biomass, fuel cells, and other energysources are discussed.

The students are then told they will take partin solar energy research. Working in teams,they will conduct an experiment to determinewhich colour of metal collector plate will givethe most heat when exposed to sunlight.Activity sheets, pencils, clipboards, solarthermal boxes and thermometers are doled outand the students all exit the centre via the west

n the FieldITeaching Sustainability at the Ryan Centreby Walter Sepic

door with the glass side of the solar boxesfacing north. Solar viewing lenses areemployed here (#14 welding lenses) allowingthe students to safely see the source of nearlyall the energy on Earth—our sun. (Many oohsand aahs here.)

After temperature acclimatization, the box lidsare closed and the starting temperature isrecorded. On a signal, all the boxes are turnedtoward the sun. One team member’s soleresponsibility is to keep the box aimed so as toavoid any shadows on the collector plate.Another member reads the thermometer every60 seconds and the third records the value ona graph. After fifteen minutes, a line is plottedand the difference between starting andfinishing temperatures is calculated.

The students then are allowed to open theboxes and feel the hot collector plates. Inwinter, this is very enjoyable. (More oohs andaahs.) A quick collection of the data from thestudent scientists gives the average temperaturegains for the four colours: red, green, blackand grey. All assume, of course, that black will“win,” but frequently the students aresurprised, since after a few years, the score istied, with each colour having three victories.

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Next, the students are introduced to a largephoto-voltaic panel—35 cm by 120 cm—thatgenerates 22 volts at peak sunlight. Thispowers a 45 cm electric fan that cools thestudents on warm days. The panel is placedoutside in the sun, kicking the fan into highspeed, blowing a good breeze on the students.On cloudy days, the students are surprisedthat the fan still turns.

Lunch time arrives quickly. After a washroombreak, the students sit down to eat, where theyreceive a brief explanation of passive solararchitecture. Those who brought a garbage freelunch have their names placed on a list fromwhich several winners will be chosen toreceive small prizes such as tree seeds, heritageissues of National Geographic, wetlandscolouring posters or back issues of Skynewsastronomy magazine.

After lunch, it’s trading time.Students who brought naturalartifacts may trade with the outdooreducation teacher from the “tradebox.” This program has helped themuseum grow to cover more thanthree tables. Other students have a20-minute recess.

A parabolic solar reflector is the nextstop on the solar energy tour.Affectionately called the “solar hotdog cooker,” its plywood framesupports a curved Lexan mirror that

focuses the sun’s rays onto a narrow spacenear the centre where a stiff wire can hold fivehot dogs. Students are allowed to place theirhands along the narrow space to feel the sun’sconcentrated energy.

Last on the tour is the ‘piece de resistance’—the solar wall. The Ryan Centre’s entire southwall is covered by corrugated dark brownmetal, filled with tiny perforations. When theair space behind the wall reaches four degreeshigher than the temperature inside, adifferential thermostat directs electricity froma roof-mounted PV panel to three electric fans,drawing the warm air into the building. Thisnot only warms the building, but also bringsin fresh air, pressurizes the building againstcold infiltration, and moves the warm air fromthe ceiling to the lower areas. Students areencouraged to get a close look at the wall;while they are indoors, the wall often activatesduring lessons.

The unit of study concludes with a hands-ondemonstration of a variable pitch multi-function windmill. A one-metre-squareplywood base holds the assembly, whichconsists of a steel shaft supported by bushings.At one end is a hub that holds four woodenblades. These blades come in three lengths: 30,45 and 60 cm for winds of different speeds.The students help install the blades. They arefastened with wing nuts and can be set at any

In the Field

tin foil

skewerhotdog

popbottle

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In the Field

angle. The shaft also holds a step pulley,a saw blade, a wooden foam-backedwheel and a flexible cable on its otherend. The saw blade is used to cutcardboard, and the foam-backed wheelturns a bicycle generator, whichilluminates a light bulb. The step pulleyholds a cord that passes through a pulleyon the end of a metre-long wooden arm,or crane. A weight is lifted off the groundas the cord winds around the pulley. Theflexible cable on the end of the shaft hasa three-jaw chuck and drill bit. Thestudents are allowed to drill holes in thewooden base while the shaft turns. Thus,the windmill is an excellent visualdemonstration. It can saw, generateelectricity, lift weights and drill holes.The students are told that its applicationsare limited only by human imagination.

Their trip ends with a review of the day(including a reminder to help their familiesconserve current energy supplies and push forrenewable energy sources), the revealing of themystery objects and the draw for litterlesslunch prizes. The class then heads for the 3:30pm ferry with wishes for an enjoyable rideback to the mainland.

It is hoped that the students’ discussions,hands-on experiences, and observations offunctioning models give them a clear

understanding of practical conservationmeasures as well as the current use of, and thepotential for, renewable sources of energy fora sustainable future.

Walter Sepic is the champion teacher behind theformation and directing of the Ryan Centre. TheRyan Centre is a portable classroom in thebackyard of Sacred Heart School on Wolfe Islandnear Kingston. The centre is unique in its islandlocation. Historic Kingston, its waterways, nearbyislands and the ferry ride have added to its

educational potential. Energyconservation is one of forty unitsoffered. All materials used to fabricatethe models were purchased with a grantfrom the Shell Environmental Fund.

Editors’ Note: It is hoped that theAlgonquin District Catholic SchoolBoard will change its present plan tocut staff support for this centre afterJune 2006, and will ensure continuedsupport for Walter’s efforts to teachsustainability and outdoor education inthe following school year.

pulley

adjustableand

removableblades

belt wheelsattach to

pulley withstring

string saw blade

electriclight

Attach to aboard that canbe moved to atable outside.Operate byhand or withwind power.

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Captioning our Centrefold

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Captioning our Centrefold

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In the fall of 2005 the Queen’s Universityoutdoor and experiential education (OEE)students traveled north of Kingston to GouldLake to investigate a rumour about whetheryou could pull a waterskier behind a canoe.One student from the OEE class owns awaterskiing business and had mentioned thatwhen she teaches children the boat travels veryslowly. When asked if it was as slow as acanoe, she thought it might well be. Later wealso heard that in the past a few camps hadattempted to pull young children onwaterskiis with a canoe. Although we broughta light and athletic grade seven student with usthat day, we were also curious to see if wecould have success with an adult.

The photo on the previous pages is proof thatsometimes scepticism can be overcome orchallenged. At first we had a lot of fun tryingto come up with a caption for the photo. Thenwe realized that if we left the photo blank, wecould share the fun and you could use it as aposter with students to create your ownsuitable captions. Below we have shared someof our favourite ideas.

1. Does your school/centre/lake have a gangproblem? A new cultural phenomenon istaking hold of north-woods country. If youanswer ‘yes’ to many of the followingquestions, you may have an infiltration of aVoyageur Posse.

Do the people in question sport gang colourslike a sash or ceinture fléchée? Are theythrowing out gang signs and symbols(sometimes by banging paddles on gunwalesand shouting loud incoherent songs andrhymes)? Are they tearing up and down yourlakes and tagging their new gang territory withtheir canoe wakes? Are you wondering whatthey are on, what kind of fuel is supportingtheir waterskiing and wakeboardingaddictions? Do you suspect a hidden agenda

of promoting the burgeoning sub-culture ofsustainability? Don’t be alarmed; these possesare relatively harmless and they may let youjoin them with minimal eco-initiation.

2. How to keep your outdoor educationprogram afloat!

3. Primitive forms of eco-challenge.

4. Is this rope stretching?

5. Is this sustainable? (for the paddlers!)

6. Full steam ahead for sustainability. Leavethe industrial revolution with its carbonemissions behind.

7. How fun is sustainable living?

8. How much fun is sustainable recreation?

9. Should Canada propose this as an Olympicsport?

10. Where there is a will there is a way!

11. Who needs horsepower when you haveperson-power?

12. If the Voyageurs could see us now!

12. Who said we couldn’t get her (it) up?

13. The cost of a boat for waterskiing:$90,000. The cost of gas: $1.10/litre. The costof sustainable waterskiing: Priceless!

Angela Burns and Zabe MacEachren both paddledhard at various times to support this sustainableform of water skiing. Zabe admits she let herstudents, full of youthful energy, make most of theattempts for success while she played theresearcher’s role by watching from the dockrecording data with a camera.

Captioning Our Centrefoldby Angela Burns and Zabe MacEachren

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Many of us see the great vision that is asustainable culture. Many of us also see themultitude of ways that we are not taking thebull by the horns and making it happen. Weare waiting. We are waiting for the governmentto keep its promises. We are waiting forcorporations to change their ways and becomeboth economic and environmental leaders.We are waiting for citizens to overcome theirapathy and go a deeper shade of green. It’s attimes like these when we need to hear aboutthose that are taking bold steps and puttingeverything on the line because they believethat they are part of the solution.

Alternative energy technologies are slowlytaking hold in communities across Canadaand around the world. It doesn’t take aneconomist to realize that our current energysources are not going to last and that they aretaking a toll on our planet. If our vision is tohave widespread usage of alternative energysystems, who is going to build them? Who isgoing to fix the systems when they break

down? Where are we going to findknowledgeable people to install them, andretrofit our houses and offices? Like many ofyou, those at St. Lawrence College in Kingston,Ontario has seen the future of sustainableliving, and they’ve answered the call before itwas made.

The Energy Systems Engineering Technician(2-year)/Technologist (3-year) Program is inits first year at St. Lawrence College, with aninitial enrolment of 35 students. Althoughthere are a couple of colleges in Ontario thatoffer similar programs, St. Lawrence is theonly one that primarily focuses on efficiencyand renewable energies. Steve Lapp, theProgram Coordinator, told me that St.Lawrence College “gave [the program] thisname because there is still stigma aroundrenewable energy as a sort of fringe activityand we didn’t want the course to have thatkind of stigma attached to it. We wanted it tobe a mainstream technical component ofcollege program options.”

n the FieldIThe Energy House at St. Lawrence Collegeby Angela Burns

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Humber College and St. Clair College haveannounced similar programs in the last fewmonths. Steve adds that, “the colleges see thechanging social fabric and that [the time] iscoming. Colleges have to be three or four yearsahead of the changes so that there aregraduates ready to service the need. There is alittle bit of envisioning where you imagine asociety where there is market demand, andwhere people know about renewableefficiency more than they do now, but I thinkmost people would agree that that’s coming.It’s just a question of how big and how fast itcomes.”

Steve explained that, as energy prices rise,businesses and the general public are going tohave to do more to cut their costs. They willneed assessments and consulting advice onwhat to do and how to implement thesechanges. The primary market at the moment isin renewable energy equipment forhomeowners who want to save money and gogreen by living off the grid. Another market ispeople who have land with no hydro accesssuch as cottages. “That market right now isserviced mostly by self-taught people,” Stevesays. St. Lawrence graduates will come outwith specific training to do designs andinstallations. They know the products and thetechnology. This program may also be takenby electricians and other professionals whowant to expand the repertoire of services theycan offer.

Because there isn’t a guaranteed market forgraduates, the college and the students aretaking a leap of faith. Steve agrees: “That is areal tribute to the management of the college,that they had the vision to do this, and tookthe risk of spending money, hiring faculty,and building a facility. . . . You don’t knowhow many students you are going to get, howlong they will stay, where or if they will getjobs or what exactly the jobs are because it’s abrand new field. A lot of discussion went intowhere the graduates are going to fit into theworkforce before going ahead with theprogram.”

Why did it happen at St. Lawrence? Stevethinks it’s the right combination of people inthe college at the right time, and that Kingstonis probably the right community in terms ofpolitics. Groups such as the Kingston WolfeIsland Farm and a few businesses in town havecreated momentum around renewable energy.

The Energy Systems Engineering Program isnot only experimental but also experiential.Students spend much of their classroom timein a matched pair of converted portables thatwere donated by local school boards and wererefurbished for the program. The “EnergyHouse” is off the grid and is not only anexample of energy creation, but also a lessonin energy conservation, setting an example tostudents.

Steve gave me a tour of the facility andexplained, “It was really important to thecollege to build this facility where the studentscould live what they were learning, and livewith the technology they were learningabout.” Most classes are spent in the portable.Everything in the portable (with the exceptionof the propane heater) is powered by the sun,

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In the Field

including the projector and all the lights. It ishoped that by this time next year the portableswill be completely off-grid with the help ofgeothermal and wind energies. Most of thetechnology for the classroom was donated bythe Ministry of Energy of Ontario, NaturalResources Canada, or private vendors whoeither donated equipment or offered asubstantial discount.

Creating a classroom was a huge undertaking,and it is constantly evolving. But creating acurriculum was an even greater feat for Steve, amechanical engineer who was originally hiredas a consultant and later hired as thecoordinator for the program: “There is no roadmap for what we are doing. There is nocurriculum, there are no guide books. Evenfinding text books is a challenge. You can getbooks but often they are not appropriate touse for teaching.”

A primary long-term goal of the Energy Houseis to have both elementary and secondaryschools from the Kingston community comefor a day or half-day program to learn about

sustainable technologies. Steve is also hopingto run a week-long summer camp to capitalizeon the amazing resource that is sitting emptyfor a few months of the year. Steve wants toprovide an opportunity for kids to “havehands-on learning about energy and theenvironment.” Steve wants kids to realize thatthe choices people make in their lives have animpact on the environment.

The Energy House and the Energy SystemsEngineering Program are two inspiringexamples of how educators are looking tomake sustainability a mainstay in education. Asustainable future is obtainable when ideasand ideals are carried through by forward-thinking teachers and students.

For more information on the Energy House,visit http://energyhouse.ati.sl.on.ca/index.html

Angela Burns is a student at Queen’s University inthe Faculty of Education, in the Outdoor andExperiential Education program.

Creating your own Bicycle Pedal Power

tire

electricaloutput

generator

bike wheel (fillinner tube withwater if needed)

supportframe

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I was recently in the Mattawa area for astudent teacher placement. My associateteacher invited me and a colleague to meettwo retired school teachers living “off thegrid.” When we arrived, it took us a good threeto four minutes to walk up the driveway.Although it had been cleared of snow, thespring weather mixed with the early morningtemperatures had turned the driveway into a200-metre luge track. At the time, it didn’toccur to me that the driveway had beenshovelled by hand. As we neared the house, Isaw a Honda in the car park. I wondered howoften they drove it or if they used alternativefuel. Parked beside the car were a couple ofwell-used bicycles with attached baskets.

A dog barked from the woods. Another cameto meet us. Nancy and Murray greeted us attheir front door. A slim couple, their physicalappearance reflected their lifestyle: no excess.Both were immediately friendly andwelcoming.

The couple bought the land 11 years ago. Theywanted to save a local watershed area and sobought 400 acres surrounding Boom Creek.Passionate about their protected space, theybegan our tour and explained to us throughtheir home how they walked the talk ofenvironmentally friendly Earth beings.

On the south facing side of the house are 12solar panels on a freestanding structure. Thefreestanding structure allows the couple torotate the panels to face the sun. Murray saysthat having a solar panel flat on the roof isfutile; you can’t clean the snow off in thewinter. At a time of year when solar hours arefew, they want maximum sun absorbing timeand can’t afford to wait while the snow meltsoff the panels. Also visible from this side is awind generator on an old TV tower next to thehouse. In the basement, three 1,350 amp

batteries store about three to four days’ worthof energy generated by these devices. Thebatteries weigh 300 lbs each and cost about$1,100 a piece. A backup generator is close by,stored in an old summer cook shack. Thegenerator is for the cold, sunless months. Thecouple usually doesn’t spend more than $75/year ($25/month x three winter months) ongas for the generator. Not bad for a year’s worthof heating and electricity. Nancy mentionedthat this past winter was the most challengingto date because of the lack of sun for fourmonths (only eight hours in December).

Also on the south side of the house is a woodframe and plastic-walled greenhouse. Close byand still covered in snow is a garden. In Marchsigns of life were beginning to show. The oldoutdoor kitchen with a wood burning stovehad now become their sugar shack. Nancy andMurray were excited about the birds suckingsap from the trees that morning; it was a signof work ahead. Nancy was also keen about agardening co-op that someone in hercommunity had proposed for the upcomingseason. They would be trading their crops withthe neighbours, keeping food local and safefrom unknown pesticides and chemicals.

The wood shed is close to the house, and wewere told that all wood was cut by hand. Nochainsaws at this house. As a retired couple, Iwondered how long they would be able toshovel and chop wood. They showed noimmediate signs of slowing down though.Murray mentioned his concern about woodburning and humbly acknowledged thepollution that this creates. He is thinkingabout alternatives, but for now the wood isused for cooking in the indoor wood burningstove, which keeps the house heated in thewinter. The stove is also close to some pipes andhelps to heat the hot water for showers. Theyuse a solar hot water heater in the summer.

eepers of the TrailKWalking the Talk: Sustainability in Educationby Kim Wallace

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Up on the north side of the house is the waterpump. There is an insulated undergroundtank. It is gravity fed and the couple mustpump the well. Giving the pump about 300pumps every two days helps to keep the tankup and the silt out of the water. The couplesaves rainwater in barrels for their gardens.Murray lets us know that this is one of thesimplest changes that people can make if theywant to help: collect rainwater for the gardenand lawn. “Using fresh water to water the lawnand clean the driveway just doesn’t makesense,” he says. I am moved that the couplealso saves their shower water in buckets, whichthey use to flush the toilet into a septic system.

Inside the front doorway is the fridge. It is aSunFrost from California, which they boughtabout 11 years ago for $3,000. It is a directcurrent (DC) appliance and the condenser isreasonably located at the top of the appliance;the cold air naturally settles rather than usingmore energy to blow the air up through thefridge. Did you ever think about that? Why arefridges built with the condenser at the bottom?

Most of the main floor of the house is set upwith DC appliances and lighting, however thebasement and upstairs do have alternating

current (AC) lights. All are hooked up to thebattery. The chimney is inside the house toadd to the heat value in the winter. The wallsand roof are securely insulated. On that Marchmorning, the couple woke up to a housetemperature of 15°C while it was –14°Coutside. By the time we arrived, after thebreakfast cooking, the house was at acomfortable temperature. The house hastriple-glazed windows on all sides except thesouth where they are double glazed. Thedouble glazed lets the passive solar heat in.The windows are well sealed with foam.

The couple eats locally as much as they can.They have given up pineapple and otherforeign fruits, except for bananas. Sproutsgrow on the counter and they make fruitleather in the summer in a homemadedehydrator made from an old dresser. Theblender used for the puree is operated by ahand-crank. They have an assortment of driedseeds on the table and Nancy offers us adelicious mix of sunflower and pumpkin seedsfrom one of the jars. We talk briefly aboutwhat industries might lose when more peoplebuy locally. The truck driver who comes fromCalifornia has a family to feed too. There areno solutions offered in our discussion, just

suggestions thatperhaps buyinglocally would changethe nature of a truckdriver’s job and he orshe would be able toremain closer tohome and spendmore time with hisor her family. Jobs insociety would adapt.They always have.

Family pictures andchildren’s artworkdecorate the wallsand tell their ownstories. The couplehas the samefurniture from

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marriage 36 years ago giving the house acottage feel—relaxed and comfortable. Anungulate’s jaw rests on a post roof beam. Thecat walks along another. Nancy offers uscookies that she baked in the wood burningstove. They are delicious. We marvel at herskill for baking so perfect a cookie in a wood-fuelled oven.

The basement is cold. Murray has an old TVthat Nancy makes him keep down here. Theyhave a freezer in the basement as well, andstocks of organic and dried food in jars. Likemany other homes, an old exercise bike sits inthe corner, being used as a hanger for variousitems. The washing machine is a small Danby.They use Eco-disks and biodegradable soaps towash the clothes. Nancy prefers the Americanbrand, but is choosing the Canadian brand towalk her talk of buying local.

The couple hadn’t always planned thislifestyle. In fact, they were going to build a bigluxury home. The change came when theirson, who is now a Hindu low-level priest,came home from summer camp at Bark Lakeyears ago. First he educated them about thetoilet jingle, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow,” andthen he suggested that they didn’t need topollute the lakes with the new outboardmotorboat they had recently bought. Slowly,the changes took place and their alternativeenergy research began. They gradually grewfrom what they thought they needed to whatthey have.

The couple explains that their lifestyle is a lotof work. It takes work to maintain it. Theyneed to keep wood stocked, turn the solarpanels toward the sun, pump the water, andclear the 200-metre driveway. (Nancy laughsheartily when she tells us she was away for thelast big winter snowfall). It is easier now thatboth are retired. Murray reveals that althoughsome people might see all this as a sacrifice,“If you like what you are doing, it’s notsacrificing.” Murray goes on to explain how heis awaiting breakthroughs in solar panelefficiency. There have been very few advances

in this technology in terms of efficiency overthe years. He wants to see batteries that needless charging.

I hope to be able to discuss and explore what Ihave learned this morning with students in myfuture. I hope I can excite students to educateothers about the ideas and explore them ontheir own. People like Murray and Nancy helpto sustain our environment and above all, bysharing their knowledge, they help to ensurethe education of future generations.

I find observing the lifestyle of Murray andNancy inspiring. Despite being self-sufficient,they continue to be connected to thecommunity through volunteerism andcommunity projects. They are modest. Theydon’t want attention for their efforts. They justwant to do what they can to help preserve andprotect the Earth that gives them all that theyneed. On the way out along the driveway,Murray lets us know, “It helps to know thereare others out there. It keeps us going.” As wepass the car park, the question is asked.Murray and Nancy don’t use alternative fuelfor the car. They do have a recipe but theydon’t know where they would get the oil.Preparing the fuel would require more energyuse. As an aside, Murray adds that electric carsstill need to be plugged into the grid. Heexplains that they try to ride their bikes whenthey can and use minimal fuel.

My next step will be to send this article and aletter to the Dean of my Bachelor of Educationprogram at Queen’s University requesting thatmore focus be placed on teaching educatorsabout environmental and ecologicalsustainability. I hope others will do the sameand lobby for more leadership in this area.Sustainability goes a long way when weeducate our educators.

Kim Wallace is from Jasper, Alberta and has beenstudying at Queen’s University in the Faculty ofEducation, in the Outdoor and ExperientialEducation program.

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rospect PointPThe Backcountry Bioregional Challengeby Erin Crowe

Table 1: Items in my Gorp bag and the average distance they took to reach me in Toronto, Ontario.

The recent announcement of the Wal-Martgiant launching an organic food line has put anew twist into the concept of sustainability.This move obviously signifies that those whohave been demanding access to organic foodshave been heard and in numbers that havebeen deemed profitable. However, it seemscounter-initiative to buy organic veggies froma corporate giant. Are these organicssustainable and will Wal-Mart be purchasingfrom local growers?

As corporate America increases the ease withwhich we keep our kitchens organic, a newemphasis on bioregionalism needs to beaddressed. To keep from being overwhelmedby this issue, which I often feel, I decided tostart small and address my consumption oneproduct at a time. Upon a recent winter campingtrip with my OEE class in February I took a closerlook at my bag of Gorp. Not one item in it wasfrom Ontario, let alone Canada (see Table 1).

This was especially concerning because of mybackground in cranberry farming. There are twocommercial cranberry farms in Ontario, neitherless than two hours from where we werecamping. In fact there were probably cranberryplants in some of the wetlands we weresnowshoeing over. It saddened me to think thatthe nuts and fruits I was so enjoying andneeding for nourishment probably cost moreenergy to produce and get to me than Ireceived from eating them.

Alas, what are the alternatives to Gorp on thebackcountry trail? A more traditional snackcalled pemmican seemed worthy ofconsideration. Created by the Cree and Métis,the pemmican recipe, which consists mainlyof dried meat and cranberries, has evolvedover thousands of years. This combinationprovides calories in a portable, lightweightand highly compact form made suitable fortravellers. Cranberries and meat are bothreadily available in Ontario, so if you are upfor a bioregional challenge on your nextadventure . . . start to rethink your Gorp!

References

http://aboutpeanuts.com/every.htmlwww.museums.org.za/bio/plants/

anacardiaceae/anacardium_occidentale.htmwww.sun-maid.com/healthyliving/history_of_

raisins_and_dried_fruit.htmlwww.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=food

spice&dbid=33#historyusewww.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=food

spice&dbid=145#historyusewww.creativechocolates.com/

choc_info_index.htmlhttp://collections.ic.gc.ca/notukeu/

pemmican_e1.htm

Erin Crowe is from Bala, Ontario and is a studentat Queen’s University in the Faculty of Education,in the Outdoor and Experiential Education program.

Distance Travelled to Reach Consumer

Average distance from US: 1,213 km

From India: 12,514 km

Average: 3,513 km

Average: 963 km

From Brazil: 8,162 km

Gorp Item

Peanuts

Cashews

Raisins

Cranberries

Chocolate

Location Produced

US: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma,New MexicoElsewhere: Asia, Africa, Australia, North andSouth America, India and China

Brazil, Africa, India

Mediterranean, California, Australia and Chile

Eastern and Western US and Canada

West Africa, Brazil, Ecuador and the Indies(where cocoa trees originate)

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Some Musings on Canada, Climate, Sustainability…. and the Dilemma of Education for a Warming Worldby Elise Houghton

There’s uneasiness on the planet these days.There are scientific reports of melting glaciersand polar ice caps, of bleaching coral reefs,violent storms, and floods. There are bus-stopshelter ads featuring sad-faced polar bears,thin and tired from swimming ever-largerdistances between icebergs. There are stories ofnever-before-seen birds in the Arctic, andmelting permafrost that makes travel difficultfor those habituated to predictable frozen-solid ground across the North.

Equally disquieting, there is news coverage ofthe suppression of scientific climate changereporting. James Hansen, US climate expertand long-time director of NASA’s GoddardInstitute for Space Studies, said that officials atNASA headquarters had ordered public affairsstaff to review his coming lectures, papers,postings on the Goddard website and requestsfor interviews from journalists. But despitemedia controls and personal warnings,Hansen has continued to speak out. Hemaintains that significant emission cuts couldbe achieved with existing technologies; hecautions, however, that without leadership bythe United States, climate change wouldeventually leave the Earth “a different planet.”

“We have to, in the next 10 years . . . begin todecrease the rate of growth of CO2 emissions,”Hansen remarked in an interview with 60Minutes. “And then flatten it out. And beforewe get to the middle of the century, we’ve gotto be on a declining curve. If that doesn’thappen in ten years, then I don’t think we cankeep global warming under one degree Celsiusand that means . . . there’s a great danger ofpassing some of these tipping points.”

Hansen points to government leadership as akey requirement in curbing greenhouse gasemissions. Unfortunately, the gap between theexigencies of climate change findings andgovernment leadership appears to be widening.One of Conservative Prime Minister StephenHarper’s actions early in his mandate was toturn away from the former position on the

Kyoto agreement. Under Kyoto, Canadacommitted to reducing its greenhouse gasemissions six per cent from 1990 levels by 2012;Harper’s Environment Minister Rona Ambrosepronounced this target “unachievable andunrealistic.” Soon after, the Globe & Mailreported that “the new Conservativegovernment has decided to slash spending onEnvironment Canada programs designed tofight global warming by 80 per cent, andwants cuts of 40 per cent in the budgetsdevoted to climate change at other ministries.”

Environmentalists and some businessesexpress concern over these changes. Favouringa voluntary-only approach to cuttinggreenhouse gas emissions, “will commitCanada to a future of rising greenhouse gasemissions and worsening climate change,”cautions the David Suzuki Foundation. Thepublic too is growing more concerned aboutclimate change. A just-released 30-nationGlobeScan poll reveals that nine out of tenCanadians now think climate change is aserious problem (with the number who describeit as “very serious” up to 57 per cent from 40per cent in 2003). GlobeScan’s president, DougMiller indicated that these polls reflected“historic highs” and suggest that sensibleproposals to reduce the problem wouldreceive substantial public support.

It is not difficult to sense that we may beheaded for a reckoning with the unintendedconsequences of our prosperity. Bill Rees, wellknown as one of the authors of Our EcologicalFootprint, invites an examination of what heterms the “inherent unsustainability of H.sapiens.” His choice of phrase invites someserious soul-searching. Are we, even withsignificant scientific consensus and documentedsocietal recognition of a changing climate,unable or unwilling to change our ways? Isour slow reaction to this problem one of lackof knowledge—or lack of leadership?

This leads to the question of public education.Traditionally, public education has played a

xplorationsE

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central role in the creation of culture. Modernpublic education provides for the evolution ofa nation’s “cultural commons” with literacy,numeracy, an empirical scientific worldview, ahistorical and geographical identity, and,ideally, an appreciative taste of the arts andthe humanities—and perhaps even nature—atits core. But a Western public education doesmore than this. In addition to knowledge, itprovides students with the skills and theattitudes needed “to get ahead”: to choose alife’s occupation, earn a living, contribute tothe local and global economies, and advancein earning potential. In this way, studentsbecome the citizens, earners and consumerswhose purchasing power drives the spectaculareconomic growth that has characterized the20th century. From 1900 to 2000 global GrossDomestic Product (the monetary measure ofwealth) increased 19-fold, at an averageannual rate of 3%. The goal of sustainedeconomic growth lies at the heart ofgovernment policy, corporate earnings, andpublic prosperity. It also lies at the heart of theeducational curricula that constitute theeducational policy of growth-oriented nations.

Education without ‘limits’

How then does—or could—the notion ofecological sustainability fit with the goals ofpublic education? In a growth-entrenchedsociety, the notion of biospheric limits tohuman activity constitutes a nearly hereticalstance to no-holds-barred economic activity.The very idea of proposing an educationalphilosophy of material restraint—based onequating terms such as “sufficient,” “limits,”or “less” with the concept of human well-being—is, for now, foreign to our economicand societal goals. We (like many complexsocieties before us) have lost the means ofseeing ecological integrity as equal inimportance to economic sufficiency.An examination of the Ontario curriculummakes a case in point. A word-scan of ourprovincial educational policy documents forScience and Technology (all grades, allcourses), Social Studies and the Humanities(all grades, all courses), and the grade 9–12courses in Business and Native Studies offersthe following overall totals for six key words:Climate Change — 13Biodiversity — 15Sustainability — 54

Sustainable Development — 15Economy, economic, economics — 941Limits (in economic activity) — 0

In education as in life, the concepts ofsustainability, sustainable development,protection of habitat and biodiversity, andlimits make uncomfortable bedfellows with aphilosophy of unfettered, exuberant economicexpansion. Environmental, sustainability andoutdoor education in Canada remain largelythe fruits of years of a labour of love bydedicated individuals who understand theirenormous importance to young people andthe future. As a society, however, we continueto designate environmental and sustainabilityeducation a “non-mandatory” subject.Understanding how to preserve and maintainthe foundation of our lives is not yet consideredan essential mandatory educational focus.Some serious reflection and work on theevolution of a philosophy of limits may be anecessary precursor to the development ofeducational policy that gives next generationsa chance to consider ecological sustainability anoption. Are we up to the task? And if not, arewe willing to contemplate the consequences?

References

Revkin, A. C. (2006, January 29). Climate expertsays NASA tried to silence him. New York Times.

Mittelstaedt, M., & Den Tandt, M. (2006, April13). Ottawa plan hacks green programs. TheGlobe and Mail.

CBS News. (2006, March 19). Rewriting thescience. www.cbsews.com/stories/2006/03/17/60minutes/main1415985.shtml

Butler, D. (2006, April 26). Global concernover climate change ‘at historic highs,’ pollsuggests: 90% of Canadians rate problem as‘serious’. The Ottawa Citizen.

Rees, B., & Wackernagel, M. (1995). Ourecological footprint: Reducing human impact onthe Earth. Gabriola Island, BC: New SocietyPublishers.

The Ontario Curriculum. Ministry of Educationand Training website. www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/

Elise Houghton can be found at many parentmeetings, EEON gatherings or political events thattry to place environmental and sustainabilityeducation at the forefront of educational policy.

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The six principles of environmentalism aresimple, precise, and explicit. They can all besummarized simply: “sustainability good,development bad.” To understand Animal FarmRevisited: An Environmental Allegory to its fullextent, we must first take ourselves back intothe 1945 novel Animal Farm, written byGeorge Orwell.

Like in Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm Revisited:An Environmental Allegory is the story of arevolution, where the farm animals’ goodintentions once again have gone astray. Thesame struggle of morality versus personal gainis present, but instead of a political battle forsurvival, there is an environmental battle forthe sustainability of the ecosystem.

Imagine for just one moment that your moralbeliefs put you into a position of power.Everyone is looking to you for advice. You arethe one that the people look to for leadership.You’re the one whose ideals created thischange. What is next?

Animal Farm Revisited: An EnvironmentalAllegory is a well-written article outlining themind’s progression through the stages ofacceptability. When are those actions nolonger acceptable? When does the end nolonger justify the means? Where do we drawthe line as to what is acceptable and what isn’t?

As the story progresses, the reader sees theinevitability of what will occur. The animalswill eventually get too carried away with theircrusade and lose sight of their original goal.Animal Farm is a famous work that most haveread at least once, if not more. The storyline isfamiliar, which is why the informationpresented sits so well with the audience. It is

Animal Farm Revisited: An Environmental AllegoryPardy, Bruce. (1999). Animal farm revisited: An environmental allegory. VictoriaUniversity of Wellington Law Review 30 (1), 135–158.

Review by Joanne Prokop

only the environmentalist theme that is newto the reader.

The principles of environmentalism are verysimilar to the principles of animalism, in thesense that they were both designed with thebest intentions. Unfortunately Napoleon (oneleader) falls into the same trap the secondtime around as he did in the first novel. Inorder for the animals to remain free, theyneeded someone to make the difficultdecisions, and that responsibility falls ontoNapoleon. The article asks its audience,“When did Napoleon’s decision becomeenvironmentally inappropriate?”

It may have been when he chose not to listento Snowball, and pay the bank loan. Fightingcould very well have been an act ofenvironmentalism, however, is the animals’survival not interlocked with that of theenvironment they are protecting?

If that is the case, then would the next logicalplace to question Napoleon’s environmentalamorality be when the animals cut down theirfirst load of wood to pay the bank? If not,then what about when they propose the damto save energy, and become less reliant oncorporate entities?

Napoleon’s heart is in the right place. Hewants what is best for the farm, however,when reading this article what is mostimportant to remember is that, wheneverything is interdependent, the suffering ofone thing is directly connected with thesuffering of others.

It would be interesting to see what happensbeyond the Animal Farm predetermined

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Bruce Pardy re-wrote George Orwell’s well known story Animal Farm to incorporate a sustainabledevelopment theme and published it in a New Zealand Law Journal. If you send him an e-mail requesting acopy of “Animal Farm Revisited: An Environmental Allegory,” he will send you a .pdf version to print and sharewith your students. You can contact him at pardyb@post.queensu.ca

Reading the Trail

ending. Napoleon made a decision that will beforced to come back to him. The way in whichthis decision comes back to him is a moralthat the story lacks—that hurting theenvironment and your ecosystem is somethingthat you can not run from; it affects every being.

This article is an inspiring story that alsoteaches a valuable lesson. The author captured

Orwell’s style wonderfully, and managed tocreate a piece that would have done him proud.

Joanne Prokop is a Grade 11 student at ApplebyCollege, Oakville, Ontario. When she is not atschool you can find her reading a book or sailingon Lake Ontario with the Canadian NationalSailing Team.

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ntersectionsI

The following points are highlights from a talkElizabeth May, Executive Director of the SierraClub, gave at McArthur Hall, Queen’sUniversity, April 18, 2006.

Introduce a new issue by exploring thehistory of the environmental movementin North America.

May referred to the example of thedevelopment of the Sierra Club. Through JohnMuir’s determined efforts to get city-dwellingSan Franciscans out into the wilds enjoyingnature, he began a small hiking club thatintroduced city folk to the Sierra Nevadamountains. This hiking club formed the rootsof today’s Sierra Club, whose members havebeen working to preserve wildlife and wildspaces for over 100 years.

Issues such as climate change can beoverwhelmingly daunting anddepressing for educators and studentsalike. May suggested a three-stepapproach that can be used to ease theweight of these heavy issues:

1. Start environmental education topicson a positive note by highlightingpast success stories and providingexamples of positive actions taken byregular citizens.

2. Explore solutions throughinterdisciplinary problem solving.Students should be encouraged toexplore environmental issues on across-curricular level, integratingseveral subjects in order to acquire aholistic understanding of the issues.At the high school level, teachersshould work in cooperation withother departments to enable this tohappen.

Elizabeth May Speaks to Sustainability Educationby Beth Dasno

3. Create the space for students to startimplementing solutions! Applysolutions that the students have comeup with on their own at a grassrootslevel. Through dynamic class projects,students can make positive changeson individual, school, family andcommunity levels.

Nurture the idea of “intentionalcitizenship.”

May stressed that we should be using this termto replace “consumer society.”

Choose a definition and stick with it.

May supported the use of The BrundtlandCommission’s (1997) definition ofsustainable development (developed in 1987by the United Nations Commission onEnvironment and Development):“development that meets the needs of thepresent without compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their own needs.”She emphasized the importance ofdetermining what our “needs” are.

Get your students writing letters!

Politicians often have a soft spot, deep downin their souls, for the desires of children andyouth. In addition to boosting their profile,acting on suggestions made by young peoplecan win votes and lead to great communityinitiatives. Letters from young people can be adriving force behind political decisions.

Government, business, law and sciencemust join forces in order to makesustainable development work.

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A shorter period of time should pass between accepting the science andimplementing effective policies than currently occurs.

Educators should utilize the tools in place for public inputregarding environmental issues at all levels of government.

Provincial: Environmental Bill of Rights; Federal: Office of theAuditor General of Canada (Environmental Petitions);NAFTA: Commission for Environmental Cooperation(Citizen’s Submission on Enforcement Matters).

Shortened Biography: Elizabeth May is theExecutive Director of the Sierra Club ofCanada. Since 1989, her work hasincluded successful campaigns to protectvast areas of Canadian wilderness, topromote by-laws against the use ofdangerous pesticides, to take actionon the threat of climate change, andto clean up the Sydney Tar Ponds.She is the author of four books andhas received two honorarydoctorates. She has also receivedthe United Nations EnvironmentProgram Global 500 Awardand in 2005 was named anOfficer of the Order ofCanada. She lives in Ottawawith her daughter, but saysher heart is in Cape Breton.

Revised from the SierraClub of Canadawebsite:www.sierraclub.ca/national/media/item.shtml?x=871,Wednesday,August 31,2005

Beth Dasno graduated fromQueen’s University Outdoor andExperiential Education program inthe spring of 2006.

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pening the DoorO

With almost two weeks of tripping behind uswe had once again fallen into the naturalrhythm of the wilderness and spent each daygrowing and laughing together. On this day,we were moving well when we came to aportage that many of us had had the pleasureof suffering through the previous summer. Itwas the sort of portage that refused to have aclear path: trees sacrificed themselves to blockthe way, the mud saw you coming andattempted to engulf you just as you werestarting to get a hold of things—it was the typeof portage that humbles you. Instantly chatterbegan amongst the group of past memories ofthe 3.5 kilometres of mud, bugs, hills, rocksand everything else that makes the Canadianwilderness so inviting. Needless to say, therewas no shortage of stories to be told.

As some of the group took a look at the map,and others their surroundings, we all becameaware of a small creek flowing into the lakejust beside the portage. So naturally the talkturned to the possibility of dragging the creekin lieu of the portage. Part of the drive to dragcame from one simple word on our map thathad been written across the creek which read“impossible,” and the group saw that as anopportunity to learn something. Were we totrust this old map and its warning to us? Orshould we venture ahead, spirits high andlaughter abounding, and see for ourselves? Stu(my co-leader) and I stood clear of the girls asthey weighed pros and cons and assessed thesituation. The decision was made, so up thecreek we went. Before we set off we discussedthe idea that this was a choice we had madeand now that it was under way we must standby that choice and be accountable forwhatever lay ahead. The girls were pumpedand there was no stopping them.

The next four hours were spent dragging overbranches and under logs, engaging in endlesscarry-overs, and enjoying countless falls andintense laughter. Each challenge brought widergrins to our faces because we knew thatsomething special was happening. Thewilderness is a powerful being that gives us theopportunity to see ourselves in a pure stateand to face challenges with grace and beauty—at least sometimes. Although we were exertingourselves physically, we were talking love,politics, school, life and learning about eachother in that pure state. Four hours later,soaking wet, scratched and bruised, we knewwe had made it through and although weknew that the portage may have taken lesstime, there was no place we would have ratherbeen. We hopped back in the boats and, as Stupulled out the guitar, we looked around at ourmuddy faces and were giddy with the energyof working hard and working together.

That night in the tent, with a cup of hotchocolate and a coy smile, I pulled out theday’s maps and crossed out the “im” so theword beside the small seemingly insignificantblue squiggly line on our topo now read“possible.” I rolled over and showed it to Stuand without saying a thing we knew howawesome it was.

Many lessons were learned that day, but oneof the most prevailing was the need tosometimes try the impossible, take the risksand work hard for something you want. Thepath may not always be easy, and there willalways be another way around, but it’s ourchoices that we must stand behind. That iswhere the excitement lies.

Up the Creekby Mercede Rogers

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Opening the Door

We still talk about that day—even though itwas almost two summers ago—and you can’thelp but notice the excitement in our voices aswe recount attempting the impossible andcoming through the other side.

Mercede Rogers is originally from North Bay andis a student at Queen’s University in the Faculty ofEducation, in the Outdoor and ExperientialEducation program. This story is from a seven-week canoe trip through Northern Ontario andQuebec in 2004.

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he GatheringTCOEO Conference 2006: Outdoor Education with the Community,

in the Community, for the Community“Integrating outdoor/experiential/environmental education in urban communities to

promote a sustainable future.”

Those who were present in 2003 at the COEOannual conference at Paradise Lake mayremember a major think-tank theme, as weput outdoor education in Ontario “through alooking glass.” From the think-tank sessionthe following recommendation was formed:

“If taking people to outdoor centres ‘in thecountry’ is . . .• not financially sustainable by school boards• maintains accessibility barriers for most

urban populations• continues the myth that nature is ‘out there’. . . then let’s get more outdoor educationhappening locally where it can be sustainableand be real in affecting lives.”

Those who were at the 2004 gathering atOnondaga Camp may remember arecommendation to the COEO executive andboard from the floor of the AGM: “To worktoward more cultural inclusion in COEO andin Ontario outdoor education.”

The time is now. COEO as an organizationwill launch two initiatives in 2006/07 topromote outdoor education with, in, and forurban environments. The two initiatives willbe the 2006 COEO conference (September29–October 1) and a winter 2007 theme issueof Pathways co-ordinated by editorial boardmembers Allan Foster and Peter Goddard.

Located near the junction of Highways 407and 427, on the bank of the Humber River (adesignated Canadian heritage river) adjacentto the Humber Arboretum (Humber College)is the Humberwood Community Centre, andthe Indian Line campground—the twoconference base sites.

Program: Beyond the Friday introduction toan “accessible” urban outdoor education/recreation site, Saturday will see us selectingone of six travel packages to explore potential

barriers and actual urban-based outdooreducation. There will also be an on-siteprogram at the Humberwood CommunityCentre site. There will be a day end wrap-upwhere we share our respective experienceswithin the city (Vaughan, Brampton, Toronto,Etobicoke) to the larger conference group.

Sunday will involve the usual COEO AGMand meetings plus a set of concurrent morningconference sessions. Friday and Saturday nightwill see us interacting with and learning fromcommunity members from throughout theGTA, be they storytellers, dancers, communityleaders and/or outdoor educators! We, yourconference committee, promise somethingdifferent, something important to theevolution of outdoor education in Ontarioand relevant to a wider audience of “community”than we are accustomed to. Come and be apart of something long-identified as a neededdirection/theme in Ontario outdoor education.

Conference Objectives:• Work toward more cultural inclusion in

COEO and in Ontario outdoor education.• Provide opportunities for all participants

to gain relevant, practical cultural diversityeducation.

• Provide opportunities to learn practicaland diverse cultural activities (games, songs,stories, etc.) that can be used in learning inthe outdoors.

• Offer workshops relevant to formal(school) and non-formal education settings.

• Promote the value of urban green spaceand urban naturalization.

• Have presence and input from communityleaders and community youth.

Registration information will soon beavailable through a COEO mailing, theCOEO website and the upcoming newsletter.

Your 2006 Conference Committee

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The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario

Membership Application Form(Please Print)

Name (Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss)

Street Address

City/Town Province Postal Code

Telephone ( ) Business ( )

E-mail

Type of Membership

! Regular $50.00 ! Student $35.00 ! Family $60.00! Library $60.00 (Subscription to Pathways only) ""!"Organizational $100.00

Organizational memberships are for businesses, conservation authorities, outdoor education centres,etc. This rate will include one copy of Pathways, a Web link (if requested in writing), a maximum ofthree people at a member’s rate for conferences and workshops, reduced cost of ad space in Pathways,and display space at conferences.

United States orders please add $4.00. International orders please add $12.00.COEO membership is from September 1–August 31 of any given year.

Please send this form with a cheque or money order payable toCouncil of Outdoor Educators of Ontario1185 Eglinton Ave. East, Toronto, ON M3C 3C6

Each member of COEO will be assigned to a region of the provinceaccording to the county in which he or she lives.

Central (CE) Niagara South, Lincoln, Hamilton-Wentworth, Halton, Peel, York, Simcoe,Metro Toronto

Eastern (EA) Victoria, Durham, Peterborough, Northumberland, Hastings, Prince Edward,Renfrew, Lennox and Addington, Frontenac, Leeds, Grenville, Ottawa-Carleton,Lanark, Prescott, Russell, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry

Northern (NO) Parry Sound, Nipissing, Muskoka, Haliburton, North Bay, Patricia, Kenora,Thunder Bay, Algoma, Cochrane, Sudbury, Rainy River, Timiskaming

Western (WE) Essex, Kent, Elgin, Lambton, Middlesex, Huron, Bruce, Grey, Dufferin, Wellington,Waterloo, Perth, Oxford, Brant, Haldimand-Norfolk

PA

TH

WA

YS

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Return to:

The Council of O

utdoor Educators of Ontario

1185 Eglinton Avenue East

Toronto, ON

M3C

3C6