BCWF Watershed Team

When COVID-19 hit, elementary school teacher Sheldon Etheridge shifted to outdoor learning, guiding his students to a nearby forested area for immersive education. But as the weather turned wet, he noticed that a muddy, unused section of the sports field was trying to return to its former life as a functioning wetland.

He decided to give it a helping hand.

Quadra Elementary School and Etheridge reached out to the B.C. Wildlife Federation, recognizing the organization as a leader in schoolyard wetland construction, education, and restoration. After nearly two years of planning, the project broke ground in mid-August, with two wetland pools excavated by Miranda Cross of Rewilding Water and Earth Inc., under the oversight of We Wai Kai First Nation Land Guardians.

On the brisk morning of October 5, 120 young students got their hands dirty, planting 500 native plants into the newly restored wetland, which will serve as an outdoor classroom for decades to come.

“It just struck me that this place really wanted to revert back to being a wetland,” explained Etheridge. “These types of projects are a great way to show children—or anybody in the community—that we can be a part of projects that are healing.”

The October planting day began with a ceremony led by June Johnson of the We Wai Kai First Nation. A large cedar and a juvenile crabapple tree were planted to commemorate the event. Following the ceremony, each class participated in an educational session on wetland habitat, led by the BCWF Youth Program. Students then had the opportunity to plant alongside their peers, We Wai Kai Land Guardians, and the Southwest Pod field crew.

Thank you to the following funders for supporting this project: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Real Estate Foundation of BC, Province of British Columbia, Wildlife Habitat Canada, Watersheds BC, and the Healthy Watersheds Initiative.