Westmount Science Camp Focus on Sustainability

Westmount Science Camp Visit

The SusEd team has been busy developing activities, and on July 13, 2013, we got to try some of them out with the Westmount Science Camp. Our theme for the day was how important fresh water is, and how we can use water more sustainably in our daily lives.

We started off with the older group, who visited the Water is Life! exhibit at the Redpath Museum and answered questions about water use. For example, did you know that the average Canadian uses 329 L of water every day? And that’s just at home; we use far more if we factor in industry, businesses, and institutions. The campers then visited the Quebec Biodiversity exhibit to learn about aquatic animals that need clean freshwater habitats for their survival. We finished off with a race between two teams to see who could fill a 20-L pail first. This pail represents the amount of water some people around the world have per day for all of their uses: cleaning, bathing, cooking, drinking, etc. It brought home just how precious water is for each and every one of us.

In the afternoon, we explored water pollution with the younger campers, in an activity based on Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Be A Stormwater Superhero program. The kids put together a storm drain system using simple pipes and connectors, and then poured coloured “pollutants” down the pipes into a collection pail representing the St. Lawrence River. Needless to say, the fake dog poop was the hit of the afternoon! We all learned how important it is to keep pollutants from our roads and drains, and to keep our drinking water source as clean as possible.

Thanks to the Westmount Science Camp for a great visit!