Day One:
In order to minimize pollution and educate yourselves and others, travel to the John Janzen Nature Center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Spend about half the day there learning about pollution in the Athabasca River from tailings ponds, then go on a nature hike to to a mine shaft that has recently been turned into a tailings pond, observe what it looks like, and if permitted to do so and if safe, test for pH levels, bitumen and ammonia. Then go on a hike to a tailings pond that was created over ten years ago and test for pH level, bitumen and Ammonia. Compare your results. That night, camp out at one of the many camping sights in the Boreal Forest.
Day Two:
For the first part of the day, go to a location on the Athabasca river that is downstream of a tailings pond and test for: pH level, bitumen and ammonia, determine if any one these are in dangerous levels. Then travel upstream from a tailings ponds, go swimming, next test once again for: pH level, bitumen and ammonia, determine if any of these are in a dangerous range or if they differ from the previous results.
Travel once again to the John Janzen nature center and educate others through your findings. Teach about not only the current affects of the toxins being released into the river, but also the potential affects. For example, if the dumping of these chemicals and materials continue, and if tailings ponds located close to the Athabasca River do not stop leaking then the pollution could endanger many fish species and therefore their predators, including bears and birds.
Travel once again to the John Janzen nature center and educate others through your findings. Teach about not only the current affects of the toxins being released into the river, but also the potential affects. For example, if the dumping of these chemicals and materials continue, and if tailings ponds located close to the Athabasca River do not stop leaking then the pollution could endanger many fish species and therefore their predators, including bears and birds.
Day Three:
Meet with local residents and aboriginals in order to educate them on the drastic need for attention on the endangerment of the wolverine. Teach them about the wolverine's need for space and their land as well as informing them that hunting the wolverine will greatly harm their species. Next, focus on writing and sending letters to the Minister of Environment, who decides which animals are and are not endangered. Since at this point in time the wolverine is unjustly listed as 'Least Concern', persuade them to move up their status to Endangered.
Day Four:
Next, travel to the John Janzen Nature Center to meet with local experts who may be housing injured or orphaned wolverines. Discuss about their experiences rescuing and returning wolverines back into the wild. Have them teach you about the wolverines' tracks and feces for your nature walk. Continue on a nature walk of about four miles. During the hike, thoroughly look for signs that wolverines have passed through the area, for example, tracks, feces, and remains of their prey. Keep a journal about where you see each of these things and take photographs as well.
Day Five:
Spend half the day walking around the Boreal Forest to see the effect of deforestation. For the remaining half of the day, go to the John Janzen nature center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to learn about deforestation in the forest. This will help the group members to understand the effects the of deforestation and how it affects the environment and organisms in the Boreal Forest.
Day Six:
Watch example of how to plant a sapling. After seeing the example, each group members will plant at least one sapling and water the sapling. This will bring more oxygen into the area and will later grow into a home for organisms in the forest. Mark off the area in which the saplings were planted to preserve the area that will eventually allow the saplings to grow and develop.
Day Seven:
Take a helicopter ride over the areas of the Boreal Forest that have been developed or cleared. While in flight take aerial photos of the area and compare them to past satellite photos of the same region. This will help you determine how much certain industries are growing and how much space they are consuming per year.
Day Eight:
Spend your day in a nature center close to the developed areas of the Boreal Forest. While there, you could not only help care for animals who may have been orphaned or injured by the clearing, but you could also help relocate them with the professional help of the nature center staff. You will be able to learn about the various mammals, birds and reptiles located in the forest and help them live another day.