Education

Two Grand Forks elementary schools once again participated in the Grand Fork’s Environment Committee's Solar Car Project.  Thanks to donations from Fortis, the City of Grand Forks and Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Area D, over 130 school children built solar cars.

This is the third time the schools have participated in this project. Each year the student car designs have become more elaborate and clever.  The students were given a basic model kit to assemble and run on a track provided by the Boundary Wood Workers Guild.

It is the time of year when bears come out of hibernation and other wildlife become more active in British Columbia. Those animals that have become conditioned to non-natural food sources, like garbage or composts, will return to communities to help themselves.

Hibernating bears cut their metabolic rates in half in order to survive long winters without eating. These bears come out of their winter sleep hungry and search for food.

Other wildlife, like young cougars, travel widely to search for unoccupied territory, which can lead to increased encounters with people.

The annual Early Years Fair was held at Dr. Perley Elementary School, April 8. The fair is organized by the Boundary Family Individual Services Society (BFISS) and brings together every Boundary organization that works with young children.

“Anybody involved with early intervention or early learning is invited,” said Linda Stooshinoff, who helped coordinate the event.

This year’s event was relatively quiet compared to past years with about 20 visitors.

For two weeks this year, in celebration of Earth Day on Monday, April 22, the downtown Castlegar office of RHC Insurance, with the help of Gaia Janitorial Services, is sending their compostables like lunch scraps, coffee grounds and used paper towels over to Selkirk College.

In 2011, Selkirk College began operating a large composting vessel as part of a pilot composting program on their Castlegar campus.