December

Brief description of program: 

This unique field trip offers students an on-site tour of the first and only facility in North America dedicated to recovery and recycling of ocean plastic with direct traceability to ocean recovery expeditions. It includes hands-on interactive sorting of ocean plastics.

Can’t get to our facility? Be sure to check out our FREE online program, https://www.bcfieldtrips.ca/trip/explore-issues-about-ocean-plastics-and...

Full Trip Details: 

Ocean Legacy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the ocean plastic pollution crisis, and strengthening the plastic circular economy through our recycling program. Our work is built on a four-pillar program called EPIC, which stands for Education, Policy, Infrastructure, and Cleanup.

Education and Policy are upstream efforts that prevent plastics and other waste from reaching our oceans and waterways. Infrastructure and Cleanup are downstream initiatives that seek to remove plastics from our oceans and shorelines, and process them for reintroduction into the plastic circular economy. 

The field trip will occur primarily outdoors at our Plastic Pollution Emergency Response recycling facility located in Steveston Harbour in Richmond. Ours is the first and only facility that collects marine plastics from a wide variety of sources to recover what was considered waste and turns it back into reusable plastic. Sources include: our own cleanup expeditions on coastal waters and shorelines, the Ocean Legacy network of Ocean Plastic Depots across the province, used marine/fishing gear, materials collected by other non-profit cleanup organizations and marine industrial businesses. 

The tour offers the opportunity to understand the process used to take recovered marine plastic and convert it back into high-grade 100% post-consumer processed plastic pellets for use in the manufacturing of new, value-added, durable products as part of the circular economy. Ultimately, the goal of the field trip is to foster understanding of what is considered waste and how much of what we use is, in fact, recyclable/recoverable. Students watch ocean plastic waste transform into materials that have economic value and that serve as valuable resources.

Fieldtrip structure:

• Walk the facility perimeter to see the equipment and portions of the recovery process
• Watch ocean plastics recycling in action
• Identify resin codes
• Sort items you see and use at home: a large bag of ocean-recovered plastic materials will be emptied to engage all students in an interactive sorting activity that demonstrates what types of commonly used plastics end up in the ocean. This prompts students consider their consumption habits and connects cause and effect of reduced consumption and proper disposal
• See benches and lumber made from ocean-recovered plastic

What to bring:

• Work gloves for sorting
• Closed-toe shoes are required for safety
• Snacks 
• Water bottle (can be refilled with filtered water on-site if needed)

One single stall/private washroom is available on site.

FREE PARKING - is available on Chatham street; pay parking is also available in the lot directly in front of our facility.

Explore the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site to learn about history of boatbuilding and its importance in Steveston. Students will explore the different steps to build a boat by participating in a tool scavenger hunt, a caulking demonstration, and more maritime-themed activities. These steps will then be applied to a boatbuilding activity, with each student making their own small wooden boat to bring home.

As a distinctive neighbourhood filled with cultural monuments and historic sites, Chinatown’s public places are a precious and integral part of the city. Yet the neighbourhood is evolving quickly and many heritage sites are starting to disappear. How might we imagine a future Chinatown that honours and protects its heritage while welcoming new ideas and communities? We’ll survey Chinatown’s past and present sites of cultural significance and invite students to imagine the neighbourhood’s next phase of growth and revitalization with a creative “vision board” activity.

Total length: 1 - 2 hours
Grade levels: 9 - 12
Cost per student: $8 (1 adult chaperone per 10 students may visit for free)

Connections to the BC Social Studies Big Ideas

Grade 9

• Collective identity is constructed and can change over time.
• Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events.
• The physical environment influences the nature of political, social, and economic change.

Grade 10 

• Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society. 

Grade 11

• Decision making in urban and regional planning requires balancing political, economic, social, and environmental factors.

Grade 12

• Social justice initiatives can transform individuals and systems.

In this guided school program, students will learn about the history and cultural life of Vancouver’s Chinatown through our interactive exhibits and touchable teaching collection. Delving into the lived experiences and mementos of Chinatown’s diverse residents, students will gain an appreciation for the community’s resilient spirit and rich cultural heritage.

Total length: 1 hour

Grade levels: adaptable to all grade levels

Cost per student: $8 (1 adult chaperone per 5 students may visit for free)

Drawn to History is where art and history meet. With historical photos and artifacts as inspiration, the activities in this kit take students through perspective drawing, contour shading, drawing faces, and contemporary issues with indigenous rock art. This kit is suitable for grades 5 to 12 (may be altered for lower grades), with strong curriculum connections in art and social studies.

Our Regional Indigenous Basketry explores the different weaving and dyeing techniques used by this region’s Indigenous Peoples. With a focus on the Sinixt Peoples, students will explore weaving, dying, food collection, and Indigenous language through a series of activities. From designing a basket to making a traditional Sinixt recipe, this kit provides a glimpse into the traditions of this area’s first peoples. This kit is suitable for grades kindergarten to grade 7, with curriculum links to Social Studies, Arts, Science, and Language Arts.