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For Immediate Release

Contact: Doug McFee   604-534-6727 

 

 

Photos show Doug McFee on right giving cheque to (from left) Karen Steensma , David Clements and Christopher Hall of Trinity Western Environmental Studies

 

“The year 2008 has been an exceptional year for the Salmon in the Valley program” says Salmon River Enhancement Society (SRES) director Doug McFee .  “The program has doubled in size and the quality of the program continues to improve” adds McFee. 

 

This year more than 20 Grade 4 classes from Langley and the surrounding area have visited the Trinity Western campus environmental reserve for full day field trips.  On the reserve tributaries of the Salmon River provide a perfect venue to learn about water, salmon and the environment.  “At a time when many children have limited experience and knowledge about the environment, this program is a great way for them to see what is there and to learn what can be done to preserve what we have” states McFee.  

 

The Salmon in the Valley program was started 4 years ago as a partnership between Trinity Western University Environmental department and the Salmon River Enhancement Society.  This year the program partnered with Trinity’s “Science in the Valley” Program to win a $33,000 NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada) research grant to fund both programs over the next three years.  “We are grateful to NSERC” states McFee “as the grant has provided badly needed administration ably provided by Liz Robertson of Trinity.  Liz has done a great job of lining up the classes and putting together all the material needed for the program.” 

 

SRES has provided additional funding for classes in the Salmon River watershed (11 this year) to attend the program.  Classes from outside the watershed have been willing to pay the $10 per student needed to fund the program.  Each student leaves with a certificate thanking them for participating in the program and other educational material supplied by DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), Kinkos, MILLs and SRES. 

 

Christopher Hall of Trinity supervises the program at Trinity.  He says “we try to keep the field trip a fun day for the students with games mixed in with the educational material.”  The children really enjoy the Salmon Wheel of Death and the Mad Scientist (played by Chris).  “We have had great feedback from students, teachers and parents” states Mr. Hall. 

 

Environment students at Trinity lead the field trips.  Dr. David Clements of Trinity was instrumental in developing the program and says “the program has been an excellent way for our environment students to pass on their knowledge to the elementary students and a great work experience for the Trinity students.”

 

The program is looking forward to an even better year in 2009 as a new unit has been developed for grade 5 with one class participating in a pilot field trip this spring.  The new unit adds to the Grade 4 program by providing more information about human impacts on the environment and how those impacts can be avoided.  Classes interested in booking for 2009 should contact Liz Robertson at liz.robertson@twu.ca.  

 

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For Immediate Release 2007

Contact Doug McFee 604-534-6727         (We are arranging a photo of SRES giving a cheque to Trinity which should hopefully be available Friday.)

 

The Salmon River Enhancement Society (SRES) will be celebrating another successful year of partnership with the Environmental Studies Department at Trinity Western University when SRES holds their AGM this Thursday.

 

“We have been very fortunate to work with Trinity Western and with LEPS to develop Salmon in the Valley field trips for Grade 4 and 5 students.” says SRES Director Doug McFee .  “Salmon in the Valley is meant to reconnect students with nature and educate them about streams and the environment” continues McFee.  Several classes have attended field trips funded by SRES and by the Township of Langley as part of the Township’s Waters Week Program which celebrates Rivers Day each fall.

 

Christopher Hall of Trinity Western organizes the field trips and says “The feedback we have received from teachers has been excellent so we are planning to offer an increased number this spring.”  He adds, “We have had a lot of interest from teachers but the uncertainty over funding created by the recent court case over extra curricular programs has held teachers back from committing their classes.  Although we do not think that the field trips fall under these restrictions we are looking for funding to pay for as much of the expenses as possible.” 

 

Teachers interested in the environmental field trips can contact Christopher.Hall@twu.ca.

 

Trinity Western is an ideal location for environmental education as the Salmon River passes through the campus and creeks feeding the river run through an environmental reserve on campus.  Students learn about water, insects, fish and fish habitat during the one day field trips.  “The new Grade 5 program teaches students what affects the environment and streams and what we can do to protect the ecology”, says Doug McFee

 

SRES has also distributed books to elementary and secondary schools in the Salmon River Watershed as another way to help teachers and students with environmental education.  Retired Langley school teachers Mary and Malcolm Bailey helped organize and distribute the books to schools in the last year.  A list of books in the “Salmon River Environmental Library” along with much more information about the Salmon River is available at WWW.salmonriver.org.   . 

 

“We invite anyone who is interested in education programs or any of the other issues affecting the Salmon River to attend our AGM” says McFee.  The meeting will be held Thursday, January 18 at Harmsworth Hall, 7170 232nd Street (across from the Chevron Station at the 232nd Street freeway entrance) starting at 7:30 pm.