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April 30, 2025

A new free curriculum developed by UVic postdoctoral researcher Dr. Maleea Acker and St. Margaret’s School educator Jennifer Walton is helping bring B.C. students out of the classroom and into the field..

BC Urban Streams and Watersheds, a new climate-aware curriculum designed for middle and secondary school classrooms, focuses on local ecosystems, Indigenous knowledge systems, and hands-on, place-based learning. The resource is fully aligned with the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum and comes at no cost to teachers or schools.

“We're trying to build a toolkit from various perspectives,” said Acker, whose work is supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada through the Engage with Nature-based Solutions Initiative. “I really believe in breaking down those silos between science and arts.”

Developed under the leadership of Canada Research Chair Dr. Kris Dubrawski, the broader initiative spans from urban greening projects in Montreal to streamkeeping efforts on southern Vancouver Island. Acker’s curriculum contributes to this national effort by weaving together Western scientific methods and Indigenous ways of knowing, with a goal of empowering students to become stewards of their local watersheds. Specific lesson activities include salmon life cycle puppet-making, on-site nature journaling, and case study analysis tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Senior students are invited to apply their knowledge to local water-related challenges using biomimicry, community engagement, and climate data.

“I think you need to be in it, so we have a lot of outdoor education incorporated” says Walton, who is in her fifth year of teaching outdoor education at St. Margaret’s School. "[It] creates[s] opportunities for students to connect and want to protect or restore watersheds as they’re learning about them."

A curriculum for Grades 7/8 is expected later this summer.