On May 8, Border Land School Division (BLSD) hosted its first divisional Eco Expo at the Millennium Exhibition Centre (MEC) and Altona Centennial Park.
The event welcomed approximately 130 Gr. 6 students from schools across the western part of the division—including Rosenfeld, Gretna, Emerson, Dominion City, and Altona—for a full day of hands-on learning focused on environmental sustainability.
The goal was also to create meaningful connections—with nature, with peers from other schools, and with the ecosystems that exist in students’ own backyards.
Organized by BLSD’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Committee, the event brought together students, educators, and community organizations for a series of immersive workshops that sparked curiosity and environmental awareness.
“In our division, we have an ESD Priority Committee made up of teachers,” explained superintendent Krista Curry. “Shevchenko School in Vita has done an ESD day on Earth Day for years. This year, our committee decided to replicate that idea in the western part of our division.”
The Eco Expo was more than just a field trip—it was a step toward nurturing a generation that understands and values the natural world. A day filled with dirt under fingernails, hands-on science, laughter, and learning may just plant the seeds for a more sustainable future.
Students were divided into six rotating groups to experience a variety of 45-minute workshops. Topics ranged from soil health and tree identification to sustainable textile practices and water quality monitoring. Each station offered a different glimpse into how human activity interacts with the natural world, with the goal of encouraging environmental stewardship from an early age.
Workshops were led by a mix of local community members and professionals from environmental organizations.
The Woodmore Women’s Institute ran a station focused on gardening and soil education.
“We’re doing a gardening-related workshop today,” said member Debbie Melosky. “We also run a children’s gardening project each year, where kids get seeds and plants, and mentors help them throughout the summer. In the fall, we cook with the vegetables they’ve grown, things like veggie tacos, quesadillas, and this year we’re planning to make stone soup. So, they learn the full cycle—from planting to harvesting to eating.”
Meanwhile, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation focused on water quality at the Buffalo Creek Nature Park.
“We’re teaching the kids how to collect a water sample and showing them how scientists monitor water conditions,” said program coordinator Fallon Moreau. “They’re learning about algal blooms and phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg. Some of the kids were really excited and told us this might be something they’d like to do as a job one day.”
Photos by Lori Penner/Voice
Border Land School Division’s Eco Expo brought together Grade 6 students from across the division to Altona May 8 to learn about environmental sustainability. Workshops included those on sewing and water quality monitoring, among many others
One of the expo’s highlights was a station on sewing and mending to promote sustainable living practices.
“We want the kids to understand that repairing clothes instead of throwing them out is one way we can reduce waste,” said Curry. “It’s a practical, creative skill that supports sustainability.”
BLSD received a provincial sustainability grant to help fund the event. This allowed the division to bus in all students, provide snacks, and offer a small treat with lunch.
“We mixed students from different schools in the same groups,” Curry explained. “Some schools only had a few Gr. 6 students, so this was a chance for them to meet new people and work together. It’s also a reminder that these ecosystems we’re learning about are in our own communities—not somewhere far away.”
Student feedback will be gathered through a Gr. 6-friendly survey, as the division considers making the Eco Expo an annual event. Curry hopes that, over time, all Gr. 6 students in BLSD—east and west—will have the chance to participate.
“At the end of the day, it’s about awareness,” she said. “It’s about encouraging kids to see things through different eyes, to look at the world around them with curiosity and responsibility. Maybe they’ll remember this experience when they’re walking through the park with their own kids one day.”
