WATCH: Canmore students have been selected as runners-up in a competition put on by Parks Canada. As Jayme Doll reports their prize was a field trip not for the faint of heart, but the strength of mind.
BANFF – A group of students from Canmore claimed their prize as runners-ups of the Parks Canada’s Coolest School Trip contest.
On June 17, Grade 8 students from Lawrence Grassi Middle School were welcomed to a behind-the-scenes visit to Banff National Park’s wildlife lab.
Once there, they got to see the consequences of human influence on the lives of Canadian animal species.
“It really hits home for a lot of them to see that. It really hits home for me seeing these tragic endings for these animals, which is something that can be preventable,” said Simon Ham, biologist at Parks Canada.
“It makes me feel kind of sad, just the thought of animals being killed on the road, and not age is pretty sad,” said Tait Carlson, a student from Lawrence Grassi Middle School.
To gain the prize, the students submitted a video in which they explained what Banff National Park meant to them. The trip to the wildlife lab was chosen by the class from a list of options.
The prize also included a detailed look at wildlife management, learning about tracking and trapping bears. The students were taken to a wildlife camera set-up demonstration, the Indian Grounds for a Telemetry treasure hunt, and a wolf pack Corridor Survival game. They were also given a tour of a bear trap.
The tour ended with a hike at Johnson Lake and a campfire lunch.
As part of the program to get young people interested in the Park, all Grade 8 students can apply for a free park pass valid anywhere in Canada. For more information, visit myparkspass.ca.
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