News Archive
Ecology Field Trip
Grade 9 class visits Goldstream Park
A Grade 9 group recently visited local Goldstream Provincial Park to see the annual Chum salmon run. Accompanied by a park naturalist, the students learned about the connections between plants, bears, songbirds and insects, as well as the concepts of nutrient cycling and forest ecology.
Starting in the Gulf of Alaska, four-year-old Chum salmon make their way back to the Goldstream River, where they were born, to spawn and then die. The mechanism by which they find their way home is still unclear, but scientists believe they rely on their keen sense of smell, vision and memory. In addition to using the sun, moon and stars for navigation, Chum salmon also have a small piece of magnetite embedded in their heads which, it is believed, acts as a compass.
Our students were fortunate enough to be able to witness this incredible event and learn more about the flora and fauna in this beautiful corner of the world.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
