Peel Water Story Project Case Study
Project title:
Yellow Fish Road Program
Have you participated at the Peel EcoFair?
Yes.
School(s)/Community Group(s):
Loyalist Creek District Girl Guides
and Goldenwood District Girl Guides
School Board/Organization(s):
Community /Town/ City :
Mississauga, ON
Your Project is located within which (sub)watershed/s?
Credit Valley Conservation Authority/Toronto Region Conservation Authority
Start Date:
April 26, 2003
Project abstract
Pilot Project for new yellow fish plastic discs application to curbs. Over 100 girls/parents/ Guiders met on a Saturday morning to implement the project in the Loyalist Creek District community.
Project outcomes
Numerous residents approached the Girl Guide groups during the action project in order to ask questions and voice their own concerns about storm water contamination. Local residents were made more aware about the risk of pollution to local waterways via storm drainage system.
Start-up Support
Loyalist Creek Girl Guides have always been conscious of the environment, and ways to improve community awareness concerning environmental responsibility. Over the past ten years, based on the program’s inherent merit, we have taken on the Yellow Fish Road Program, as one of our environmental initiatives.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Trout Unlimited , TD Bank Environmental Fund, the City of Mississauga , and the Region of Peel all agreed to provide extensive support for the effort of Loyalist Creek District Girl Guides in approaching this program.
TD Bank Environmental Fund provided financial assistance to the tune of $15,000, after reviewing the project’s Financial Requirements. The City of Mississauga provided drain location maps, while the TRCA instructed the girls on applying the discs, as well as being on-site the day of the program to assist in instruction and provide all the equipment required to complete the program (discs, glue, brushes to sweep the curb). The Region of Peel provided the cones for traffic awareness, workers’ safety vests for and water bottles for all participants. Trout Unlimited provided the financial assistance ($$?) for purchasing the badges created for the program.
Community Partnerships
Internal – A school permit to use Thorn Lodge Public School ’s parking lot for meeting and gathering of girls was purchased from Peel District School Board.
External – City of Mississauga, Trout Unlimited , Toronto Regional Conservation Authority worked on the project plan to approach the TD Bank Environmental Fund for funding to complete the project. City of Mississauga Council was approached to amend Resolution 716-93 to allow volunteer groups to apply for a Road Occupancy permit, eliminating the need to have a Conservation Authority apply for the permit to carry out the Yellow Fish Program.
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Project planning
Information flyers were sent home with the girls in advance. Permission sheets were completed for those girls wishing to attend. Guiders met with Toronto Regional Authority to review application of the yellow fish discs prior to the day of the program. Parents were recruited to help out the day of the event with taking attendance and to assist with the lunch provided after the event.
Student Ownership and Involvement
Sparks , Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and Senior Branches were instrumental in achieving the success of the program. Yellow Fish flyers were hung on residential doors and the girls spoke with community residents while placing discs on the curbs. Each group of girls had at least two adults (either parents or Guiders) with them in the field, to chaperon and assist.
Curriculum and water
By completing this project, the participating Girl Guides earned their “ Yellow Fish Road ” badge (and water badge?) the criteria for which is…
The girls were able to interact with the community, including the surrounding schools. For example, posters were hung in the schools to alert the students to the Yellow Fish Road Program in the local community. Every day the students from surrounding schools saw the yellow fish discs on the curbs.
Project Celebrations
Fish necklaces were given to every participant on the day of the program, as well as Yellow Fish Badges were distributed after the event to all the members of Loyalist Creek. After each group returned to the school, a hot dog lunch was provided, as well as a campfire sing song.
Communication to the community/Media
Press releases were given to local TV, radio and print before the event, as ell as a follow up report after the event. Mississauga News featured a photo of one of the groups applying the disc to a curb in their Sunday publication.
Favourite Project activities for learning
The physical application of the discs was a much stronger learning tool than in-house teaching. The girls were able to interact with the community on a one-on-one basis with information about the program and they were excited at being able to talk with residents about their work in the community.
Students own feedback about project
The girls enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the community. The distribution of the flyers and the actual gluing of the yellow fish discs were highlights of the program for the girls. The girls were grouped so that each group had a mix of younger to older girls participating. Each girl was able to interact with other girls within the different levels of Guiding.
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