A group of students from Ottawa paddled to New Westminster as part of an outdoor classroom experience.
Nine Grade 9 to 11 students from Ottawa's Academie de la Capitale, accompanied by several adults, boarded two large canoes at Pitt Lake and paddled for four days to Jericho Beach. Along the way, they camped at designated spots and met and paddled with local First Nations, experts from non-governmental organizations, and leaders from government and other groups in order to observe, discuss and learn about the impacts of human activity and land use on the river.
"We are paddling under the banner of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity," said trip coordinator Barbara Odenwald.
During the Paddling for Biodiversity journey, participants collected samples of the water and various species. After canoeing the Fraser River, the students departed for Vancouver Island where they analyzed their findings.
On May 26, participants in the Paddling for Biodiversity dropped by Fraser River Discovery Centre on the recommendation of New Westminster-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly. Before continuing their journey to Vancouver, the students met with the centre's executive director, Catherine Ouelett-Martin.
