Beyond Recycling in Kimberley starts and ends by talking about waste. We begin in that fall looking at our own waste in the classroom and what we can do about it, then come full circle in May, finishing off the program with a waste field trip.
Thanks to the “all-Dad-jokes-Nathan” at the RDEK, Spensley’s grade 6 class got some memorable moments (and jokes!) while visiting the Kimberley Transfer Station, the Materials Recycling Facility and the East Kootenay Regional Landfill.
The biggest highlight of the day was definitely the landfill. An engineered space, very different than the dumps of the old days, the landfill is continually changing. Firstly, the students noticed just how many bald eagles and ravens hang around. One astute student connected their presence to the abundant food source. I.E. people leave so much food waste and compost in their trash that there is enough to sustain a sizable bird population!
Secondly, we got a taste – smell, rather – of what composting yard waste is like. Crews were busy turning yard waste into fill for the lasagna layers of the landfill, and boy was it smelly! This was more than a little distracting, but in a memorable way…
Finally, teacher Ms Spensley and BR Educator Ms Kim noticed just how different the road access was compared to last year. The landfill has switch cells being used, piling trash in a different part of the facility than in previous years. We didn’t get to play our annual game of Spot the Mattress – a small concession for the other surprising sights.
