The Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (GSCA) has announced a $25,000 grant from Hydro One’s Energizing Life Community Fund, which will go to support Wetland Education for a Resilient Future, a hands-on program designed to teach students about wetland conservation, species at risk, and natural hazard mitigation.
The program explores wetlands through an emergent lens, beginning with the smallest organisms in the benthic substrate and building outward to larger wildlife and broader ecological systems. Students trace connections from macroinvertebrates to turtles and other dependent species, discovering how wetlands support entire food webs. The program then demonstrates how wetlands protect people by slowing and storing water, filtering pollutants, and reducing flood impacts, before connecting local wetlands to global climate systems through carbon storage and other essential ecosystem services.
Field trips will take place across multiple GSCA properties selected for their ecological diversity, accessibility, and suitability for student learning. Beginning in spring 2026, the program aims to reach as many students and classrooms across the watershed as possible. This grant from Hydro One will support program development, educational materials, outreach to schools, and subsidized participation, including bussing fees, to ensure that everyone can participate regardless of financial barriers.
This program empowers students to see wetlands from the smallest organisms to global systems, helping to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and foster long-term support for wetland conservation in our communities. It is flexible across multiple grade levels and aligns with both the elementary science and technology curriculum and the secondary science curriculum, making it easily adaptable for all classrooms.
Educators who would like their class to take part in this exciting new program are encouraged to contact the GSCA office at 519-376-3076 or education@greysauble.on.ca.
