The Northern Community

People who live in other parts of Canada probably envision nothing but snow and ice when they think of the North. But that's not the whole picture! The North does generally have long, cold winters and short, cool summers. But during those summers, wow! Rolling hills come alive with all kinds of vegetation, including incredible wild flowers. And a rich variety of wildlife abounds throughout the region all year round: arctic foxes, hares, and ground squirrels, wolves, polar bears, gyrfalcons, and snowy owls, just to name a few!

The projects in this section are designed especially — but not exclusively — for residents of northern communities.

Waste management is particularly difficult for northerners because so much of the land remains frozen for so long. But you can reduce waste by composting, and you can do it year-round by using worms — right in your classroom! It's called vermicomposting.

You can use the compost as fertilizer on a wildlife food plot, feed it to some trees or shrubs, or give it to homeowners to use on their yards.

Tourism is increasing in the North as more and more people are attracted to the region's unique cultural, geographical, and ecological features. It's important, though, that visitors treat the land with respect. How about drawing up a list of guidelines for them to follow while they're in your community? You could distribute it to business and tourism operators, and you could ask for permission to post it in airports and resorts.

The following are some examples of what your tourist strategy could include. Make sure you start with the word "Welcome!"

• Please respect our land.
• Please dispose of your litter in an appropriate place.
• Please avoid activities that might damage our natural environment. It is very fragile!
• If you stumble across an archeological site, please leave it as you found it.
• If you're looking for souvenirs, please choose ones that are not harmful to the environment.

Pick a wildlife species that is important to your community and prepare a presentation on it. Provide background information on its status and habitat requirements and develop a management plan for it. Are all of its needs being met? If not, what should be done? You might, for example, want to inform your community about endangered species in the region, their status, and ways of protecting them.

Present your plan to your school and invite members of the community. Have a discussion period and ask for the audience's input. Then send the plan to the appropriate authorities.

Standing in a line-up can be pretty boring. Well, you can make it more interesting — and help wildlife at the same time! Find a place, such as a bank or post office, where people often wait in line. Approach the manager and ask for permission to put up a wildlife bulletin-board. Offer to fill it with different topics each month. Or put one up in your school and have each class take turns filling it with interesting information!

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