In the Skatin First Nations community, a passionate group of young students are stepping up as water keepers for the lands and waterways their community calls home.

As part of Ocean Week Canada, these dedicated students from Grades 5 through 12 will roll up their sleeves and get hands-on with real water testing at some of their most important local water sources, including the Lillooet River, Gowan Creek, and the local aquifer that provides drinking water for the community. Thanks to equipment funding from Water Rangers, they will have all the tools they need to collect and analyze meaningful data like the community scientists they are.

But the learning goes even deeper than water quality. Students will also explore the fascinating and vital relationship between the Lillooet River and the Pacific Ocean, with a special focus on salmon, a cornerstone of both the local ecosystem and the community’s food culture. Tracing the journey of salmon connects these young students to a much larger story about how freshwater and ocean ecosystems depend on one another.

The heart of this event is a community presentation where students will share their findings with the Chief and Council and the broader Skatin community. There is something truly special about young people bringing their science home and contributing real knowledge to the people and places they love.

From mountain waterways to the Pacific Ocean, these students are making their community proud!