The Rivershed Society of BC is offering scholarships to 10 young leaders for a trip of a lifetime down the Fraser River - one of the greatest salmon rivers on Earth.
Young people 19 and older are invited to participate in the Sustainable Living Leadership Program (SLLP) from Aug. 4 to 28 for a trip by canoe, raft and on foot down the mighty Fraser.
The goal of the nature-based outdoor education program is to foster ecosystem knowledge, stewardship skills, leadership, teamwork and sustainable living.
For alumni, the trip is an opportunity to learn from some of B.C.'s leading environmental educators and advocates. "It is personal, inspiring, and goes by so fast that when you look back it's like a dream imprinted on your soul," Mary Forbes, a 2010 graduate, said in a press release.
The trip starts near Mount Robson, in the Fraser's headwaters, and finishes 1,400 km later, near the river's mouth in Vancouver. Young leaders will camp on the banks of the Fraser and study watersheds, ecosystems, food security and resource management and design a sustainability project to be implemented in their community.
"The SLLP is about applying what you learn on the trip, to your community," said Fin Donnelly, the recently re-elected New Westminster-Coquitlam MP who twice swam the length of the Fraser River to bring attention to the plight of the salmon and who helped initiate the program.
The Rivershed Society of BC offers scholarships to successful applicants to cover the majority of program costs. Participants must be 19 years of age or older and physically fit. Community volunteer experience is an asset.
Scholarships are available to help cover the majority of the program costs. The deadline to apply is May 20. For more information, visit www.rivershed.com or view SLLP videos on the YouTube Rivershed Society Channel.
