On January 2, 22 of Arthur Pigeon’s eighth-grade students, along with three teachers, left the frigid Quebec winter behind to spend 10 days in tropical Costa Rica.
The students and their chaperones were heading out for more than sightseeing and a tan. “Basically, the educational objective of this school trip was environmental, but it was also to show students how we can make a difference and how our actions can have a local, national and even international impact. More than ever, we saw how the Earth is fragile and we need to take care of it,” said Arthur Pigeon English teacher Lori Bélair, one of the three teachers accompanying the students.
The group participated in multiple environmental restoration projects during their ten-day voyage. In a final tally, these hardworking students can take credit for planting 770 trees in the Cloud Forest reserve, re-localizing hundreds of orchids, and picking up 23 pounds of trash from the shoreline. The volunteer time put in by the students will have far-reaching, long-term impacts.
“The trees we planted will be refuges for many insects, birds, and animals; the orchids we re-localized will support the humid forest ecosystems and will provide food and shelter for insects and birds, and finally, the plastic that we picked up off the beach will not decompose into microplastics – which harm marine life when ingested and enter into the food chain which then goes on to pollute other ecosystems,” Bélair pointed out.
Between all their hard work, the students did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing. They visited two volcanoes and an animal sanctuary home to sloths and jaguars. They also learned how coffee is made and saw many exotic animals in the wild, including monkeys, toucans, and parakeets. For the more adventurous souls there was a zipline, and in the final days of the trip the group went kayaking and played in the waves of the Pacific Ocean.
“Ten days passed so fast. But it is incredible what we learned in just ten days,” said Bélair. “This trip with 22 hardworking and curious students was not only educational, but a life lesson. A lesson that shows how we are part of the ecosystem and that we can make a difference for all species and our future.”