PROJECTS

Community Update - May 2009

• Displays, Signage, and Tap reminder stickers: Water Wise sites and signage continue including the placement of permanent “What is a Watershed” display, tip signs, and tap reminder stickers at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, Tourism Discovery Centre, Regional Library, Child Development Ctr, and Thompson Rivers University. Other new signage locations include local restaurants and cafeterias (Columneetza, TRU), appliance, hardware, and grocery stores. Local gyms are also being targeted.
• Businesses: Business Consultations with Boitanio Mall Stores. Tap reminder stickers on all taps (including individual store employee bathrooms). Consultations included mini lessons on how to displace water, as well as how to adjust water levels, and repair leaking flappers. We are also currently working with local Hotels on a water reduction plan for their guest facilities.
• Seasonal: Drought Hardy Xeriscape Signage and Water Wise Plant lists were on display at the Local Garden Centres again this spring and summer, as well as at the Regional Library and City Hall.
• Water Wise Green Cleaning Product list: list published on our CCCS website, and promoted in World Water Day publication. You can now also find Water Wise “stickered” products at local stores including Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, and Jelco. 
• Events and The Arts Scene: The completed life-like Salmon Suits and hand puppets have had a busy schedule, visiting the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Open house, Children’s Festival, Sustainability Fair, Williams Lake Stampede Parade, Aboriginal Day parade and events, Horsefly Salmon Festival, in classrooms and on display for over four weeks as part of the Children’s Salmon Artwork display at the Regional Library. Columneetza Media students again created Water Wise videos this past April and we are excited to see them.
• Media Coverage: At the beginning of the year the Tribune ran our article about water consumption declining in Williams Lake in 2008 by 9.7%. A significant portion of this reduction can be attributed to less watering last summer. We also ran a World Water Day and Earth day publications, and the Salmon Artwork display, media student videos, River Valley field trips, and all generated articles in the local newspapers.

Classroom Update – May 2009

• This winter, we introduced the new ‘Water Wise’ version of the ‘snow’ module at Gavin Lake. This is a 2 hour module that has been running in February as part of the ‘winter school program’ offered at Gavin Lake for several years. The module already included discussion of the chemistry of snowflakes, some information on the importance of snow and a section on avalanche awareness. I modified it to tie in to the classroom Water Wise modules, including a more detailed section on snow as part of the water cycle, the significance of snowpacks in terms of water storage and implications of shrinking snowpacks to watersheds and stream ecology.  As with all Gavin modules, much of the teaching is outside, and included examining fresh snowflakes, finding snow fleas, analyzing snow trenches to assess winter snowfalls and ‘ice-layers’ within the snowpack as well as using a transceiver in a mock avalanche situation.
• The early spring has been spent organizing for the upcoming field trips to the City Water system in May and June. We have 14 senior elementary classes signed up for tours of the water and sewage systems, and many of those will also be spending time in the river valley doing stream assessments and looking at marsh ecosystems. These are classes that have had all four in-class Water Wise modules. We had lots of interest in these trips, and unfortunately had to turn several classes down when we reached the limit of classes the City could accommodate.  As always, the City Staff have been extremely helpful in organizing these trips and have come up with 2 excellent brochures to accompany the tours.  Once again we have paired up with the Scout Island staff for the valley portion of these trips, so that we can benefit from their expertise for the marsh education. When we have a better idea of bus costs for each trip, we are hoping to offer the ‘full-day deal’ to all the classes. Most Grade 7 classes are studying ecosystems at this time of the year, so it ties in well to their curriculum and hopefully gives more value to what they learn in the classroom. 
• We are using the new ‘salmon’ costumes in an interactive module at Kwaleen school, where students will learn about watersheds and then be part of a play organized by drama teacher, Melissa Newberry.
• The Water Advisory Committee has now had four meetings. We are in the ‘information gathering’ stage, so that everyone gains a sufficient background and knowledge base from which to move forward. Our last meeting was attended by Kevin Bennett, an engineer from the Ministry of the Environment in Kamloops, who was able to provide answers to more of our questions regarding details of the town aquifer. Meetings have been attended by City staff, Council members and the CRD in addition to the Committee members, which emphasizes the relevance being given to the local water issue. 
• Lastly, I have been putting together the new ‘sustainability’ modules, which will be available for classrooms next Fall. This is on offer to the classes that have had all the water modules, so that when I am in a school there is something new available for them. It discusses the idea of sustainability, eco-footprints and energy use, will show students average levels of consumption in Canada compared to other countries, and then offer concrete suggestions for things they can realistically change in their own lives to reduce their own footprint. It ties in to the themes covered by programs at Scout Island, so will reinforce what is offered there and hopefully also reach classes where the teachers may not be as engaged with environmental programs offered in the region.
• There will also be a version of the module for Gavin Lake. This will focus a bit more on the carbon cycle and the role of greenhouse gases, and may include games such as a scavenger hunt for sustainable options around camp. It will be aimed at classes that have already had the Watershed module, so can build on previous knowledge.

Community Update - December 2009

• This past summer the most popular Water Wise brochure picked up from the local Garden Centres was Harvesting Rain Water. Another popular item are the new bookmarks which feature Water Wise artwork from local students with conservation tips. There are ten varieties and you can find them in a number of places including the public library. We also have a full page dedicated to Healthy Watersheds = Healthy Salmon in the current Leisure Services Guide (back inside page).
• Water Wise won best Mascot again in this year’s stampede parade with the “Salmon Family”. This would not have been possible without the energy and enthusiasm of the many volunteers that helped with this for a second year in a row. The Salmon Suits had a very busy summer schedule that took them all around the region from Horsefly to Bowron River.
• Three new sets of radio ads were recorded since May for a summer campaign, spawning season campaign, and fall campaign. There are still adds currently running so tune into the RUSH if you have not yet heard them.
• An new initiative that has sparked much interest is the Water Wise Dental Clinic campaign – tap reminder stickers and small signage is placed within the clinic, and waterproof reminder sticker (as well as a verbal reminder) are being sent home with each toothbrush patients receive. Currently participating clinics include: Comber Dental Clinic, Kids only Dental Clinic, and the Cariboo Dental Clinic.
• The Water Wise Hotel campaign also reports success. While many establishments already have water conservation program in place, not all do and since this can be costly to implement, our Program has stepped in to help. Super8 was the first to sign up and we produced materials for them to get it up and running. Now if you are staying for more than one night you are asked to leave your towels in the bathtub if you want them replaced, and to leave the water wise card on the bed if you want your bedding changed.
• Water Wise tap reminder stickers, signage and posters continue to go up in new locations within the City including the local fitness centres.
• Water Wise Bike Brigade Program: During the months of July and August, neighbourhood throughout the City were visited by a Waterwise staff member to provide information with respect to lawn watering.  Door hangers were designed to help residents improve their water conservation and let people know, in a friendly manner, that they may have a leaky fixture or water from their sprinkler was going onto the sidewalk and/or street. Water Wise T-Shirts and identification tags were also designed for the program and worn each time Water Wise staff were out in the community.  The majority of neighbourhoods were visited twice to cover the odd days as well as even days. 
• Educational Presentations to Student Groups (Summer 2009):  Presenting “Spot the Pollution” using a Watershed Model helped students discover the sources of pollution and how they affect fish and their habitat. The Groundwater Model visually shows how sources of pollution affect drinking water with the aid of the underground water simulation tank. 
• Salmon Festival in Horsefly- September: During the Salmon Festival this fall, we assisted Sue Hemphill from Scout Island Nature Centre, with riparian/habitat instruction to students.
• Voices of Nature: Up Your Watershed performance with the Artist Response Team
• Up Your Watershed musical performance – November 2009: There were many wonderful hours spent during the months of September, October and November assisting the Artist Response Team in coordinating Voices of Nature: Up Your Watershed musical performance.  The program involved over 225 students from three local schools – Nesika, Kwaleen, and Cataline, performed a very inspiring musical production, singing out about the beauty of nature, and the power we all have to help preserve and protect the environment.
• The Artist Response Team arrived in Williams Lake on November 2nd to begin daily rehearsals with each school.  On Thursday, November 5th, 2009, singer/songwriter Holly Arntzen, Kevin Wright, and the Artist Response Team, together with the local students performed “Up Your Watershed” concert to a packed audience at the Gibraltar Room.  The songs were thoughts about environmental issues and what their community can do to take action to protect watersheds and salmon habitat.  The students were messengers to their community, and leaders who created longlasting musical memories… and had lots of fun doing it!
• Signage and a Cement Salmon Sculpture for the Williams Lake River Valley: This project will produce an educational sign, 4 feet by 8 feet, telling the story of the Salmon in our Watershed for placement at the foot of the River Valley Trail. At the end of the River Valley Trail at the mouth of the Fraser River there will be a 500 pound cement salmon sculpture erected in the spring/summer of 2010 with the assistance of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
• Educational Displays and materials: Educational displays and materials continues at local sites including the Rec Centre, Library, City of Williams Lake and at external events.

Classroom Update – December 2009

• This summer, Glendale was the first school to experience the newest CCCS module at Gavin Lake, on ecological footprints. It went well and with a bit of tweaking was ready for the Fall program. This module tries to make the links between lifestyle choices, energy use, CO2 release and climate change. A popular section was the part that had kids running around camp in massive boots on a scavenger hunt, finding cards with tips for manageable changes they could make in their lives to reduce their own footprints.
• There was lots of positive feedback, especially from parents who said much of it was new information for them and they would be changing some things at home.  This module will be running in the older classrooms in a slightly different version.
• Once Gavin was finished, I started back in the school classrooms. I will have had 25 classes by the Christmas break, with January also booked. Modules running are the three Water Wise ones and also the Footprints module, with some mixing and matching of modules depending on previous class Water Wise exposure and teacher preference.
• In February I will be back at Gavin Lake teaching the Winter Session with the ‘Snow’ module. In early spring, it will be time to start arranging the spring field trips, for which I have many teachers signed up already. We will be offering the City Water and Sewage System tours with City staff, River Valley field trips together with Scout Island staff and storm drain painting sessions.  Both City and Scout Island staff contribute huge amounts of time towards these trips, which benefit the Water Wise program enormously. Last year we had more classes interested than we were able to accommodate, and I suspect it will be the same this year from the interest shown so far.
• The Water Advisory Committee has been meeting regularly. There will be a recommendation going to Council on the addition of fluoride to the City Water supply, so this will likely become a public issue next year.  There is currently an aquifer study underway and we should have results available in 2010. This will give us far more extensive information on the current state of the aquifer. From the data currently available, it appears that the aquifer has stabilized over the last few years, but again with the new study we will have a more accurate picture.