By Steve Hubrecht
A David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) graduate is heading to Vancouver soon to study environmental science, and recently got a financial boost from local environmental group Wildsight.
Landon Dales won Wildsight’s annual bursary, given to a student pursuing post-secondary studies in an environmental subject.
“I was really excited. I wasn’t expecting it,” Landon told the Pioneer, speaking about his reaction to getting the bursary.
Landon was awarded the bursary in part because of his efforts over the past few years helping the Groundswell Network Society and Wildsight with their garden and food education program taught to local elementary school students, assisting educator Jessie Casza. The program teaches Grade 4 to Grade 7 students about growing food, healthy eating and sustainability, with plenty of hands-on experience in the Mount Nelson Athletic Park (MNAP) community gardens, the Groundswell community greenhouse, Old Blue Truck farm, and other field sites.
Landon admitted that in the past he was often shy to speak in front of an audience, but that changed when he began teaching the students about gardening and growing food.
“Seeing their reaction to where tomatoes come from, or seeing their reactions as the seeds they plant grow into plants was amazing,” he said.
Landon has been fascinated by gardening since he was six years old, and began helping his grandparents in their Calgary backyard garden. His grandfather was an environmental scientist, and this too inspired Landon.
In September, Landon will move to Vancouver to begin an environmental science degree in land and food systems at the University of British Columbia.
“I’m very interested in renewable energy, sustainability, and options for the future,” said Landon. “I really like educating others. I hope to keep doing that too.”
In terms of those options for the future, some people with an environmental outlook tend to feel negatively, given the huge challenges posed by issues such as climate change, while others tend to be optimistic, given that concern for the environment has grown in recent decades. Where does Landon fall on this spectrum?
“Right in the middle,” he said. “There is a lot of misinformation out there. That leads to some people having too much fear. It also leads to some people being too nonchalant. It creates a lot of division . . . but fighting each other is not the answer. We need to work together to find solutions.”
