A group of adventurous teenagers from across B.C. will set off on a multi-day expedition along the Sea to Sky Corridor today that will connect them with the natural environment and provide them with leadership training.

Mountain to Oceans, led by Ocean Wise Education includes a sleepover at the Vancouver Aquarium, hiking at the Sea to Sky Gondola and workshops.

Manager of Children and Youth Programs at Ocean Wise, Hailey Renaud says they want the kids to see first hand the connection between the mountains and ocean; “So we’re starting actually at the aquarium and then heading up the mountain for some guided hikes – doing some workshops on watershed and salmon, and a whole bunch of environment courses at the Chekamus Centre, and then we’re actually white water rafting back down the mountain to the Squamish Estuary to really see that connection, to see how mountains join back up with the ocean.”

Programming will focus on ecosystems research, wilderness tours, and First Nations culture. Renaud hopes the program can be run again in the future and expanded to allow access for more students.

60 applications were received for the pilot project, which were then whittled down to 30 participants. The project is being funded by Ocean Wise, with the hopes of finding future partners to allow its expansion for more students in the future.

 

Filed under: Ocean Wise, Sea to Sky, Squamish, Vancouver, Vancouver Aquarium