This year, we explored the relationship that humans have with water and our relationship with the rivers that run through Calgary. We asked important questions about how water shapes us and how we shape water, an interconnected relationship that requires serious, thoughtful, consideration, and time to study the topic in depth. The more we learned about the rivers, the more compelling they became. We have become hermeneutic scholars around the rivers’ origin, landforms, myths, civilizations, celebrations, conflicts, disasters and their deep meaning to us and our personal identities as beings living in Calgary at this time in history. The rivers have become a part of us, just as we have become part of the rivers. Everything is the same issue.

A reflection from Zach captures a lasting impression:

Learning about the river changed my thinking about water. I find myself thinking hard about water in different and related ways. I am rethinking local and international water issues and how we treat them. I found that one question would lead to another and once  that question was answered, it led to another, fascinating question.

The lasting impressions from our explorations around water this year have made me respect our rivers a lot more than I did before. I try to waste as little as possible, leaving  a cleaner river and a cleaner earth. I also use less water, knowing that the freshwater supply is finite. Water is a part of us and we need to take care of it. We are the river.

Margeaux Montgomery is an educator who enjoys exploring, wondering, creating and laughing with her students daily.

Our responsible little citizens.

I had the honour of helping out Langevin School on Earth Day. Just like when I went to school in the 70's and 80's, we were tasked with picking up litter in the immediate area of the school. So what did I learn? The difference the students are making day to day within the school is really what makes the societal differences.

I saw this on the wall:

Why the Landfill? Cups made of styrofoam take more than 900 years to properly break down. Cups made with Petroleum bases  (Waxy) take 10-100 years to decompose.

Recycle mixed beverage containers:

 “Rinse first please” is not something we see in your everyday beverage recycling container. Great advice. 

            How are disposable cups made? Mass produced in factories. Starbucks makes 2.52 billion cups every year.

            This is remarkable.

Since September 2012, with 3 weeks down for repairs, Langevin students have saved 53,092 water bottles by filling their bottles in this fountain.

So what I learned, is that these yearly, awareness type events are nice, but Langevin shows in it's day to day studies that it is a lifestyle of environmental awareness, knowledge and good habits that will put our next generation on the right path.

Larry Leach (@ARTICSchair) is a parent volunteer at Langevin School and is the Chair for the Association for Responsive Trusteeship in Calgary Schools.