Hiking, canoeing, trapping, welding, metalwork, and bushcraft.
These are just some of the skills learned in the Dead Pine Collective courses at D.P. Todd Secondary.
This growing voluntary program takes a hands on approach while teaching kids a number of skills, but also covering topics like wildlife biology and history.
“Instead of learning through just books, and reading and writing, sort of the traditional way, let’s get them hands on, let’s get them building/making things,” said Reid Roberts, one of the instructors.
He said they’ve been expanding their program as well, reaching out to other schools, as well as some of the younger grades to give presentations about wildlife management.
Roberts added the response has been great so far.
“I’ve had nothing but praise from parents. I mean, the kids who don’t want to do it aren’t involved in it.”
He added that they’ll teach kids how to skin animals, while also teaching them about using everything they catch, whether it be for food, bait, or returning it to the trapline to be eaten by wildlife.
“For me to take kids out to the trapline, it’s one of those things where we find kids who we think might be interested, sometimes it’s kids where they’re struggling in school and not making a connection.”
“We’ve had lots of kids that, they’re not necessarily bad kids, and they’ll probably be fine in the regular system, but they blossom in that class,” added Roberts.
Kids in the junior or senior program (grades ten to twelve) also get credits for participating in these courses.
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