{"id":2197,"date":"2022-04-14T12:21:49","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T18:21:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/?p=2197"},"modified":"2022-04-14T12:21:51","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T18:21:51","slug":"grade-6-students-highlight-cultivation-preservation-of-trees-in-council-chambers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/?p=2197","title":{"rendered":"Grade 6 students highlight cultivation, preservation of trees in council chambers"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item google-plus\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197\" title=\"Google Plus\" class=\"wpfai-google-plus wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-google-plus fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item tumblr\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tumblr.com\/share\/link?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197&amp;name=&amp;description=\" title=\"Tumblr\" class=\"wpfai-tumblr wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-tumblr fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fbillbelsey.com%2Findex.php%3Frest_route%3D%252Fwp%252Fv2%252Fposts%252F2197%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item bullseye\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.specificfeeds.com\/follow\" title=\"Specific Feeds\" class=\"wpfai-bullseye wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack \">\r\n          \r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-bullseye fa-stack-1x \"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"articleTitle\"><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Author of the article:<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochranetimes.com\/author\/pgibson\/\">Patrick Gibson<\/a><\/strong><br>Publishing date:Mar 29, 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0March 29, 2022\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/nexus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/ct.0330-ct-01-ranchevie.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=288&amp;h=216\" alt=\"A Grade 6 class and their teacher Mr. Belsey on March 24 in the RancheView school classroom where they assembled the presentation they made to council three days prior. Patrick Gibson\/Cochrane Times\" width=\"741\" height=\"556\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A delegation of Grade 6 students spoke in council chambers recently on stewardship of the Earth, with particular regard to forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One by one, students from Mr. Belsey\u2019s class at RancheView School took to the podium to share their research on the role trees play in the atmosphere, biodiversity, industry and community before offering proposals for the continued health of local forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was really cool to talk in front of the councillors and the mayor and deputy mayor because I\u2019m not a very confident speaker and it was good to break the ice and speak out loud to a bigger audience,\u201d said one of the presenters Pavelle, reflecting on the meeting three days later from their classroom at the Sunset Ridge school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From across the table they share, Ashley said she\u2019s more comfortable with speaking but appreciated the opportunity for the same reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI like public speaking, I really enjoy it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought it was a really good experience and I\u2019d like to do that again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class structured their presentation to be like one might expect of a developer or other large organization. Speaking in a formal tone, the class opened by thanking council, administration and those in attendance, spent a few minutes summarizing their background research, before laying out a set of clear, concise requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou guys did a great job up here. It\u2019s super nerve racking, I can relate to how you probably all felt,\u201d said councillor Marni Fedeyko, overseeing the March 21 meeting as deputy mayor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKudos to Mr. Belsey, you obviously have some very caring and environmentally-caring students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class had four proposals: a town map of areas where students would be able to plant trees on, the white spruce declared the official tree of Cochrane, the first Saturday in June declared as \u2018Arbor Day\u2019 in Cochrane, and that council write a letter of support for a national date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cochrane\u2019s most famous tree (the class used the names \u2018Grandmother Tree\u2019 and \u2018Grandfather Tree\u2019 interchangeably) is a white spruce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a huge tree that\u2019s been here for like, three hundred years!\u201d noted Reid, another classmate Gabe echoing his words almost exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their presentation was nuanced, particularly for a delegation of 11-year-olds. With the tree planting map for example, they referred to a need to stay in communication with the town and school district\u2019s maintenance departments. It also credits the forestry industry\u2019s impact on the local economy (Spray Lake Sawmills was listed as their \u2018project partner\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ryan called the experience \u201camazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause people got to present to the whole town council,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt felt good, like we were making a difference,\u201d Emelia added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The positive feelings sounded mutual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThank you for your presentation, I thought it was great,\u201d said councillor Alex Reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI did learn something new as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Learning something new\u2019 was a similar theme from all of the councillors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c I had no idea that blue jays use the spruce trees for their fringes, that\u2019s an interesting fact. And that the boreal forests seed the clouds with moisture,\u201d said councillor Susan Flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo there\u2019s lots of learnings here for us today as well as you\u2019re sharing your passion and your enthusiasm\u2026 We\u2019re sure soaking up the information and you gave us lots to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Councillor Tara McFadden agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVery informative, and really well put together and you all did a great job presenting and I want to thank you and your parents and your teacher for all participating in how we make decisions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs much as I learned great things about trees, it was also just great to be reminded how important and how energized our youth are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class appeared during a \u2018Committee of the Whole\u2019, a more conversational format of council meeting where binding decisions aren\u2019t made. Their proposals will be discussed by councillors and town staff at an upcoming \u2018regular\u2019 meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mayor Jeff Genung said he was \u201csuper impressed\u201d with the presentation and that the proposals were particularly timely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot only are you learning about government today, but you\u2019re actually utilizing your government in making positive change, making good change in your community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think that from my perspective, this is a good idea. We need to have more of these ideas come to us and I look forward to the discussion when we get together and make the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class said they appreciated not getting too much of a \u2018grilling\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought the councillors and the deputy mayor and mayor were very kind and respectful when we were presenting, because I definitely know I probably messed up a couple times, and they were not, they weren\u2019t judging us,\u201d Pavelle explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo it was a very comfortable environment to present in, and so I felt way better presenting in front of them than someone who would judge if I messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The timeline for their requests isn\u2019t yet clear, but in the meantime the class continues to study forests in science class and government in social studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne thing I thought that was kind of cool that I learned this year about trees is that seventy per cent of the Earth\u2019s moisture comes from trees,\u201d noted Zoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was super surprised to learn that when someone cuts down a tree and the stump is left over, it can be used as a transport type of thing: It can move water to a different area,\u201d added Dawson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D\u2019Angelo said they watched a video from a popular YouTuber involving a \u2018challenge\u2019 to get millions of trees planted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe studied about trees almost the whole year in science, and we watched a video about Arbor Day in the U.S. by Mr. Beast,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It sounds like the class took to the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur inspiration, it kind of came from a video because we were watching other people plant trees and what they were doing to make a difference and we were like \u2018Oh yeah, we should do that,\u2019\u201d added Emelia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The class is hoping they\u2019ll be able to begin a large tree planting project at their school in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Said their teacher Mr. Belsey, \u201cIf we get permission from Rocky View Schools and the town and if they show us where we\u2019re allowed to plant, (a sawmill staff member is) going to come up here with all the seedlings in a truck and he\u2019s going to help us show us how to plant them properly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author of the article:Patrick GibsonPublishing date:Mar 29, 2022\u00a0\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0March 29, 2022\u00a0\u00a0 A delegation of Grade 6 students spoke in council chambers recently on stewardship of the Earth, with particular regard to&#8230; <span class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/?p=2197\">Read More<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2197"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2198,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2197\/revisions\/2198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billbelsey.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}