June 16th to June 22nd, 2014

For the second week of my CFE in Haida Gwaii, we went to Mount Moresby Adventure Camp. The grade 5 students go every year, and this year the 7 of us UBC TCs went along with Vicki, the principal, and 2 parent chaperones. Mount Moresby Adventure Camp is located near Mount Moresby, on Mosquito Lake. The 27 grade 5 students seemed very excited for one week of camp Monday morning!

When we arrived, we unloaded everything and the camp staff was very friendly and helpful. Anyone who wanted to kayak during the week had to do a “wet exit” (flipping over your kayak and getting out) so the students practiced flipping over in the lake. I was so impressed to see how brave the students were! One of the staff members, Stu, is a biologist and happened to shoot a deer that was near the MMAC the morning we arrived. He dissected the deer in front of the students and we got to see all of the different parts of the digestive system. The camp director had asked us beforehand if we could hide our disgusted faces from the students because they might model our behaviour…I tried my best to be interested and not grossed out. What I found impressive was that very few students seemed squeamish at all. Most of their families hunt and they have seen dead deer before. We ate different parts of the deer all week.

Ferry ride on our way to MMAC

The sleeping lodge 

First trip down to the lake

 

Stunning Mosquito Lake

Deer dissection…

Our second day was filled with activities: a fire pit cook, orienteering, studying bryophytes, moss collecting, and learning to build our own fires. A moment that really stood out to me was when we took a piece of cedar bark from a tree to use for traditional Haida weaving. We spent time showing our love and respect to the tree because once you remove bark it never grows back and stays like a scar forever. It was a very moving moment to see all of the students surrounding the tree in silence, giving the tree respect and love before taking its bark. I have never seen such a huge sense of respect for nature in my experience during my practicum in Richmond.

Stripping cedar bark for Haida weaving

Peeling off the outer bark

Laying down the ferns for the pit cook

Learning about moss

  

On our third day,  we did ecology with Stu the biologist and learned about different types of insects. The students were very engaged in the activity and all seemed genuinely interested in learning about the different insects that live in Haida Gwaii. I was a bit grossed out when we pinned some of the bugs, but the students loved it! In the afternoon, we went kayaking/canoeing in the beautiful lake. It was lots of fun and all of the students enjoyed it. At night every night at MMAC, there is a fire circle where the students and staff and parents use a talking stick to share their favourite part of the day. I really enjoyed doing this and I hope to use it in the future in my classroom because it ends the day on a positive note.

Students collecting insects

Students pinning insects

A big spider one student collected and put in a solution

Kayaking/canoeing with the students

On the fourth day, I went for a run and a swim (“rip and dip”) with some of the campers and the adults. The lake was so cold! We went on a scavenger hunt with Taan Forest in the forest and we had to find different items such as maiden ferns and lichen. Taan Forest is a forestry company on Haida Gwaii and they spoke to the students about the forest industry and how they make sure they take into account ecological and cultural factors in which zones they choose to cut down. I was so impressed and inspired by the students’ knowledge of plants and trees and animals in Haida Gwaii. They can all tell the difference between a lichen and moss and liverwort.

Friday morning we packed up the camp and headed back to Queen Charlotte City. It was a very inspiring week and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it all.

All 7 of us

Over the past week at Mount Moresby Adventure Camp, I have learned the importance of hands-on learning and learning in different contexts. Students were very engaged while Stu taught them about the different parts of the deer’s organs or different types of moss. He could have taught the students a very boring lesson about moss using textbooks and doing a standard classroom lesson. However, because the students were able to go out into the forest and find the different types of moss, they were engaged and excited to learn. It was also interesting to see students learn in different contexts. One student who was in Joël’s class last week at Sk’aadgaa Naay Elementary struggled at school, but at camp seemed like a completely different person and was eager to learn about ecology and to try new things. It was a week I know the students will never forget, and neither will I.