News release
For immediate release
Aylmer – In its ninth year, the Carolinian Forest Festival is trying to help local students step into nature. “Many students have never had the opportunity to walk in the woods, let alone explore a true Carolinian forest,” says Festival Coordinator Betsy McClure. “It is well documented that the health and well-being of humans are linked to the health of our trees and forests. The goal of the Forest Festival is to allow students to experience the wonders in our own backyard.”
The Forest Festival, which runs from October 4 to 6 at Springwater Conservation Area, will see 1,500 grade six and seven students from Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford Counties participate. The students will explore the Carolinian Life Zone through 37 hands-on and dynamic activities centered around five themes including: climate change, biodiversity and species at risk, forest resources, forest ecosystems, and stewardship and conservation.
The Festival relies on volunteers from government agencies, environmental organizations, and over 100 local high school students. The Festival is also entirely self-funded and is generously supported by MNR’s Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and many other community organizations and businesses.
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For more information please contact:
Betsy McClure
Carolinian Forest Festival Coordinator
betsy@kettlecreekconservation.on.ca
Cell: 519-280-1628