In celebration of Canada Water Week (March 17-23) and UN World Water Day (March 22), the Okanagan Basin Water Board’s (OBWB) Okanagan WaterWise program has launched its 7th youth challenge and is inviting young people to be climate heroes.
This year’s Okanagan WaterWise Challenge invites local classrooms, as well as youth that are five to 18 years old, to “Be a Climate Hero” by participating in various activities that can improve our water and our planet. A special page has been set up for the challenge here. By clicking on the “Challenge” button, teachers, parents, and youth will find contest details, including activities to learn more about the issues we are facing, and challenges to tackle these issues head on.
Challenges include joining the popular #trashtag effort to clean wetlands, creeks and beaches. Wetlands are important for many reasons including flood protection and as carbon sinks. Other potential activities include planting indigenous trees to absorb carbon and give off oxygen. As part of the contest entry, participants must submit a multimedia entry (e.g. video, photo essay, drawings, etc.) that demonstrates their super power efforts and invites others to join in.
Participants will be entered to win water prizes including, for class entries, a 2-hour boat charter on Okanagan Lake for an on-the-water classroom experience to learn more about the water in the valley. Entries are due April 30, 2019. Full details are available here.
The partners of the youth challenge include: City of Vernon, City of Kelowna and YMCA H2O Adventure & Fitness Centre, City of Penticton, The Okanagan Science Centre, Regional District of Central Okanagan’s Environmental Education Centre of the Okanagan, Kelowna Cruises and Cruise Okanagan.