Combining Dragon Boating with Education

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SeaChange Marine Conservation Society is Royal Oak School's Community Champion

SeaChange Marine Conservation Society has earned $1,000, one of the top awards, through the BC Hydro Community Champions award for making its community a better and more sustainable place.

A total of 30 recipients in communities across the province are being recognized for their conservation efforts.

"SeaChange is making our community a better place by educating children and the public about marine and watershed ecology through hands-on interactive outdoor programs," Teacher Angus Stewart and his grade 7 class noted in their nomination, and he believes "SeaChange has made a positive difference to perceptions my class has about the marine world."

In its fourth year, the BC Hydro Community Champions Program put out a call for nominations in December. BC Hydro asked B.C. students from Grades 4 to 12 to identify a local not-for-profit organization that supports sustainability, conservation, or environmental initiatives in B.C. that is making a difference and deserves to be recognized.

The non-profit initiatives that were nominated focused on reducing their ecological footprint. They ranged from recycling programs to organic gardening workshops. The initiatives were judged on the degree to which they exhibited environmental stewardship.

BC Hydro's education programs, like Community Champions Program, introduced students to Power Smart concepts in ways that encourage them to think about their own energy-use habits, to develop a conservation ethic and to carry this message to their families and communities.