From left to right: Corinne Harris – Environmental Education Technician, LTC; Taylor Polley, Annika Waldie; Brooke-Lynn Chambers; Seneca Podmoroff; Reagan Purdy; Hannah Traynor; Abby Beairsto; Shelby Neal; Zachary Gazaille; and Michael Dale.
Ten local students and their schools are being congratulated and awarded after sharing innovative solutions to local environmental issues. The students competed for more than $10,000 in cash prizes as part of Lower Trent Conservation’s 9th annual Caring for Our Watersheds™ Ontario Competition, held last night at Timber Ridge Golf Course, in Brighton.
Abby Beairsto, a Grade 7 student at École Secondaire Publique Marc-Garneau in Trenton, placed first in the competition for her ‘Abee Wraps’ project, a concept tackling the problem of food-storage plastic pollution. Beairsto pitched her handmade, all-natural, antibacterial and reusable beeswax wraps and “Do it Yourself” video to a panel of esteemed judges and a captive audience of parents, teachers, local dignitaries and Lower Trent Conservation staff.
Through the Caring for Our Watersheds™ contest Grades 7, 8 and 9 students are asked to answer the question, “What can you do to improve your watershed?” Students research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and prepare a proposal describing their solution. A total of 120 proposals were submitted by 203 students who competed locally for $4,500 in prizes. Their schools also receive matching cash rewards, plus an additional $100 for every 10 proposals submitted by their students!
“This is the ninth year for the contest. We continue to be awestruck by the students’ enthusiasm for the environment, and their outstanding, realistic solutions to local environmental concerns,” says Glenda Rodgers, Lower Trent Conservation CAO. “What better way to celebrate Earth Month than by acknowledging the keen interest and passion of these young people regarding our natural environment here in the Lower Trent watershed region.”
“It’s important to note that this program is made possible through donations and grants received in support of our Connecting Kids with Nature program. Without these contributions this program could not exist. As part of this special funding, $10,000 has been set aside to provide all students who submitted an idea this year to further implement their projects,” adds Rodgers.
From left to right: Jim Alyea, Chair – LTC (Deputy Mayor, City of Quinte West); Eric Sandford, Vice Chair – LTC (Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Center Hastings), Don Clark, Director – LTC (Councillor, Township of Cramahe); Abby Beairsto, 1st Place Winner 2019 Caring for Our Watersheds™; Mark Bateman, Director – LTC (Councillor, Municipality of Brighton).
Caring for Our Watersheds™ is an international joint program between Lower Trent Conservation and Nutrien, a worldwide producer and distributor of fertilizers and agricultural products and services.
As Rodgers notes, Lower Trent Conservation relies on donations and grants in support of its Connecting KIDS with NATURE initiatives to sustain delivery of the Caring for Our Watersheds™ competition and other local youth environmental programs. This year, supporters of the contest include the Wilson Family Foundation, Mystical Distributing Company, Huff Estates Winery, Quinte First Credit Union, Drossbach NA Inc., Cascades Containerboard Packaging – Trenton Mill, CRH Group Canada, CBM Aggregates, the Rotary Club of Trenton, the Royal Canadian Legion (Brighton Branch 100 and Trenton Branch 110), and anonymous donations.
