4th ANNUAL CREDITVIEW WETLAND BOGFEST

CREDITVIEW WETLAND'S BOGFEST 4 - A FUN, MEANINGFUL WAY TO CONNECT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO THIS VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN THE HEART OF MISSISSAUGA. WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE CWS COMMITTEE, RICK HANSEN'S ECOTREK and Ms. STALTERI'S LEADERSHIP TEAM, PAT, CITY PARKS AND FORESTRY, CVC, COUNCILLOR STARR AND HIS STAFF, ADIL'S FAMILY AND THE 100 CARING COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED. READ THE SIGN. CHECK OUT SUNDAY'S BOOSTER.

'PEYA ECOBUZZ 2011' - SKETCH, PAINT & SHOOT GIFT CERTICATES AWARDED TO...

Congratulations all. Tutored by Nature Inc visited schools and presented artists and photographers with their gift certificates. .

Photography winners Virginia (Ginni) Hang (Bramalea S.S.) and Aniqa Khan (Port Credit S.S.) each received an $85.00 photo course gift certificate donated by Henry's. Both submitted an excellent series of photos accompanied by a blend of poetic/ecological language that creatively described experience.

Sania Siddique (Port Credit S.S.) - pencil sketch "Paw Prints" (on left) and Canna Liang (Bramalea S.S.) - pencil sketch "Distance Between the Worlds" each received $50.00 Henry's Photo product gift certificates. It's difficult to grasp that the artists sauntered outdoors, then created their subjects and log entries within 50 minutes.

Team Winners Bushra Bashir (Stephen Lewis S.S.) and  Meghna Rajendran (The Woodlands S.S.) created an amazing language/art connection in their log book, water-colour sketches and photography. They believe "The 4 worlds (here)... all interconnect ... but are not in perfect harmony...humans have begun neglecting the worlds around them (as) can be seen on this part of the Credit River Watershed".

Team Winners Prabhjot Khabra and Navjot Kaur - both from Heart Lake S.S. also were presented with team gift certificates. Their combined art work - water-colour and pencil sketches "The Lonely Beautiful World" , "Animal World - Feather" demonstrate that all four worlds are present here, just west of David Suzuki S.S. Each of the teams received $40.00 product gift certificates for DeSerre's Art Store.

PEYA ECOBUZZ CONFERENCE (FALL 2011) - OUTDOOR ART WORKSHOP

Tutored by Nature Inc selected from over 60       pencil/water-colur sketches and photos as particpants sauntered the Credit River urban wilderness - on the Churchville Tributary riparian.  Check out the slide show to the right for prize-winning art and honourable mentions.                

Teams were set up - then off we went to seek a 'sense' of balance of the four worlds of Nature as described by the Ojibwa culture - firstly the Physical World, then the Plant World, next the Animal World and lastly, the Human World. Hope that all connected in some way experientially from the excursion. Check out the slide show for some of the amazing art work. Did we find Balance?

Eco- Stewardship - Headwaters of Sawmill Creek

Stephen Lewis Gr.9 science students have completed their Fall, 2011 eco-stewardship excursions. During subsequent debriefing with Tutored by Nature Inc, the students  and staff identified several local ecological problems and decided to take their eco-stewardship to another important level. They've partnered with Mississauga's Parks and Forests to follow- up with one important ecological solution - clean up Park 403 - help improve habitat around here for the local more-than-just-human life forms - December 13 was a good day. 

Six classes organized two shifts throughout the day. Above is Mr.K's and Ms. L's classes' photo-op for Missisauaga News. Fruits of their labour? You could never guess what 'junk' they bagged. Teachers plan to sustain and expand the programme with Tutored by Nature Inc. Second semester - gr.9's (Sustainable Ecosystems) and the grade 11 biology classes are getting involved in a spring EcoStewardship. Talk about local hands-on educational experience to establish &  recognize local Nature relationship  - watershed ecological  issues.

STEPHEN LEWIS GRADE 9 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS - PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIENCE

"THE UNIVERSE IS NOT ROUGH HEWN, BUT PERFECT IN ITS DETAIL. NATURE WILL BEAR THE CLOSEST INSPECTION. SHE INVITES US TO LAY OUR EYE LEVEL WITH HER SMALLEST LEAF." (Henry David Thoreau). Stephen Lewis S.S. grade 9 science students and teachers are practicing that premise. The teachers, in partnership with Tutored by Nature Inc and cooperation of the City of Mississauga - are providing their students with such opportunity in the outdoors at Park 403 - headwaters of Sawmill Creek subwatershed.

What watershed 'drains' these human impacted ecosystems ...which fragmented creek headwaters sometimes flows through the centre of the fragmented forested ecosystem...why are the grade 9's and their teachers sauntering the local urban wilderness during their in-school time...what mutually beneficial relationships support these natural communities...will the students begin to understand their impact - their community's  footprint here...will they sense and act upon possible 'ecological' solutions - so many important questions!

"NOTHING LIVES UNTO ITSELF" (Rachel Carson). Insight that connects Stephen Lewis S.S. grade 9 students to ideas of ecology - understanding meaning within the prefix ECO - through their sense of aesthetics. Visit this blogspot over the next month or so to view Stephen Lewis student `sketch-paint and shoot`creations - learn about their direct experiences. Will the school sustain their Eco-Stewardship after these excursions...one more important ecological question for our youth - their community to come to grips with.

SPRING 2011 ECO-STEWARDSHIPS, EXCURSIONS and EVENTS

Tutored by Nature Inc's success stories

Sts.Peter and Paul Elementary students - seen here water-colour sketching something that connects to their favourite places on Upper Cooksville Creek Watershed. See images of their Eco-Stewardship and St.Maria Goretti's Eco-Stewardship of Upper Fletcher's subwatershed on the slide-shows (opposite page of blogger). Tutored by Nature also was happy to develop and support great teams from the Toronto District Sep.School Board's 'Take Me Outside' programme (Downsview Park, June 2011) and Fallingbrook M.S./Rick Hanson S.S./Creditview Wetland Stewardship  Committee - such tireless efforts and leadership made The Creditview Wetland BogFest so successful. Great presentations at the EcoFest Stewardship Tent guys. Our watersheds in Peel are in trouble. What are the possibilities for the sustainability of these important ecostewardships?

LOOK FOR US: UPCOMINGEVENTS SUPPORTED BY TUTORED BY NATURE

Thursday, March 24, 2011: Friends of the Credit Conservation Awards to "celebrate important work done by individuals and groups across the Credit River Watershed." TbyN Inc partners receiving awards include 'The Creditview Wetland Stewardship Committee'; Fallingbrook Middle School (two awards for environmental leadership and long term stewardship of the Creditview Wetland); and teacher Yvette Tetrault (education leadership involvement with Sts.Peter and Paul's stewardship of Cooksville Creek watershed and St.Maria Goretti's stewardship of Fletcher's Creek subwatershed

CREDITVIEW WETLAND COMMUNITY - 3rd ANNUAL BOGFEST, MAY 28, 2011

THE CREDITVIEW WETLAND - MISSISSAUGA'S JEWEL

Fallingbrook Middleschool and Rick Hanson Secondary School - in partnership with The Creditview Wetland Stewardship Committee, City of Mississauga and CVC are planning for an extra special 'BOGFEST', Saturday, May 28, 2011. More info to come.

TUTORED BY NATURE: Eco-Stewardship Excursions

Educational theory and teacher practice linked to development of Ecological Literacy leads to three important premises that direct Tutored by Nature Inc. excursions:
1. Ecoliteracy - "all education is environmental education...what is included or excluded...students learn that they are part of or apart from the natural world" (David Orr) - effective ecoliteracy happens outdoors where children participate - personally interact in Nature's classroom and through ecological stewardship experience.
2. Children in Middle Childhood stage of perceptual development (approx.6 - 12 yrs) need to experience Nature's relationship lessons through participation - extending their participatory consciousness.
3. Nature requires complete personal attention in Her natural classroom. She will then provide for the "sheer sensory experience" - meaningfully and in a lasting & connecting way. So, as Henry David Thoreau once said..."What business have I in the woods if I am thinking of something outside of the woods." (H.D. Thoreau, Walking, 1862, p.5) - a great lesson to learn through experience.
4. "Nothing lives unto itself" (Rachel Carson).

FLOW OF THE EXCURSION:
Meet and greet: Tutored by Nature Inc meets the class locally outdoors (within school walking distance) - onsite for purposes developing community, comfort, safety, continuity and to connect to the 'awe'.
Focus: Continuing with the local connection - the sheer sensory experience that awaits children in this local urban wilderness is prepped through a focus activity - an ecology game, initiative task, and/or physical sensing activity.
Direct Experience Activity - Time for the personal connections... students personally observe and record their interactions with the local watershed/subwatershed natural community - opportunity to discover the self in relationship; to sense the local ecosystem's healthiness and ecological interactions, to assess their personal impact/footprint, etc. Activity includes 'sauntering', 'tracking', 'solo-ing in the open blind' (silent observation techique within an urban wilderness space), Caring by participating in a watershed stewardship event - that will in some way support local habitats, and also to 'Sketch, Paint & Shoot’ (pencil sketch, water-colour sketch and photography) - a great way to get very close to nature, take her in and create self impressions.
Circle: Students meet to debrief in a 'Euro-Centric' traditional aboriginal circle for purpose of sharing direct experience expressively (oral and written). Circle will link their experience to the class's  developing a group theme or identifying and solving a local ecological problem (e.g., mystery, ecological footprint, ecological stewardship, climate change, riparian/water-course health, local biodiversity and relationships, etc.)
Materials - the Young Naturalist's Log Book, a blindfold, a camera, writing/sketch materials, water-colout kit, binoculars, magnifying lenses, and/or compass. Stewardship equipment and materials are supplied by established partnerships (CVC, City of Mississuaga, Tutored by Nature Inc, EcoSparks, etc.)

PART-TIME STUDENT EMPLOYMENT & LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

"DOORS OPEN"  Info Session / Workshop  

When: Sat., March 26, 2011 (2:00-5:00 pm)

Where: 35 Front Street South, Mississauga

What: Students looking for experience
           in the field of Eco-Leadership.  
           part-time employment (payed position)
           and volunteer mentor positions.           




CONTACT TUTORED BY NATURE INC if interested  (Gary Mascola) at tbyn@rogers.com or call 647 388 5155. Be sure to check out this blogspot - gain a sense of what your potential eco- leadership role might involve. PERSONAL QUALITIES? You're ecoliterate and understand the value of Ecological Stewardship. You're dependable, passionate and confident enough to successfully  leader children (JK-Gr.8) and their teachers on local watershed excursions. You continue to develop your good communication skills, creativity, initiative, dependability and 'stick-to-it' attitude. Training begins on-site, April 2011.

You will need to make yourself available during the school day - a great 'fit' for secondary school students in a Coop or Leadership Programme and University/College students currently enrolled in Education or Environmental Programmes.  University aged students require a Police Check to work with the children. Invite the challenge - contact tbyn@rogers.com  and attend the Doors Open Session!!