Minds On
Who are stewards?
A steward is a person who manages or takes care of a specific area.
Stewardship is the practice of taking care of specific areas.
Explore the following carousel of ways that you can take care of the land.
Picking up litter and sorting into recycling
Working together to plant a tree
Growing vegetables in a vegetable garden
Sorting items into recycling or garbage bins
Brainstorm
Taking care of the land
- Why do you think it is important to take care of the land?
Record a list of things that you can do to take care of the land around you using a method of your choice.
Action
Everyone can be a steward
Working together for the environment
Local environmental stewardship are the actions taken by individuals or groups to protect and care for the environment. Everyone is a steward of the land and can do something positive for the environment!
Who takes care of the land?
Everyone is responsible for taking care of the land! There are some people who take care of the land as part of their job and act as a steward every day. Many of these important jobs and stewardship efforts are in direct response to the harm caused by human activities.
Explore the following carousel of the diverse careers that are connected with taking care of the land to learn more about how they respond to environmental harm from human activity.
Ecologist
An ecologist is someone who studies all living things and their environment. They study how creatures in habitats interact with each other and their surroundings. Ecologists often work outside to collect information and can spot patterns in our weather caused by pollution and climate change.
Conservation scientist
A conservation scientist takes care of the land, natural resources (such as water or timber), and protects the environment at the same time. They study land, air, water, and soil, and try to protect species or habitats that are under direct threat from the environmental harm caused by humans.
Geologist
A geologist studies materials, like rocks, minerals, volcanos, the ocean’s floor, and much more to try to protect the Earth. Geology explores how the Earth is changing over time to predict how it might change in the future.
Zoologist
A zoologist or wildlife biologist studies animals and how they live and interact with their environment. They study what the animals do and their behaviours, as well as how changes to the land might impact them. Zoologists make endangered animal species a big focus of their work.
Let’s check our understanding about people whose job is working outside with the land. In the following Matching activity, choose the career that best fits the description!
Pause and Reflect
Stewardship careers
Of the four careers that you explored, which one do you believe can make the most difference when it comes to protecting habitats from the harm caused by human activity?
Record your answer and explain your reasoning using a method of your choice.
Indigenous knowledge
Indigenous Peoples have a special relationship with Earth and all living things. For as long as can be remembered, Indigenous peoples have practiced sustainability by not taking too much from the land without giving back and caring for it.
Indigenous Guardians programs are Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship initiatives that work to honour the relationship between land and people. Guardians work on behalf of their Nations and communities, and there are over 80 programs operating across the country. They monitor different traditional territories and make sure everyone is being responsible and taking care of the land. Learn a little more about land guardians in this Land Needs Guardians video.
Use the information from the previous video to complete the following sorting activity.
What can you do?
We can all be environmental stewards!
Explore the following Wolf Joe video entitled “Operation Clean Up” to learn about Indigenous teachings on life and the environment. As you explore, notice how the characters are taking care of the Earth and the environment.
Use what you noticed in the previous video to complete the Ways to Help the Environment worksheet in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Press the Activity button to access the Ways to Help the Environment Worksheet.
Activity (Open PDF in a new window)Press ‘Answers’ to access some possible ways we can help the environment!
Some ways that we can help the environment include:
- picking up plastic bottles off the ground
- leaving everything the way you that you found it (or cleaner!)
- scooping up garbage out of bodies of water
- always taking your garbage with you and putting it in the right spot
- reducing, reusing, and recycling
Explore the following carousel of ways we can help protect the environment.
Explore different outdoor areas and play! Remember to respect the wildlife and leave everything as you found it.
Take care of and respect nature! For example, you could plant or water trees. Be sure not to break limbs off of living trees and don’t destroy anything.
Try gardening to grow your own vegetables and eat them!
Don’t litter! Make sure you always clean up your garbage and recycling and put it in the right spot. If you notice there is litter on the ground, pick it up to help save the land.
Leave no trace!
The “Seven Principles of Leave No Trace” are seven things you can do when you are planning a trip to an outdoor area.
Explore the following video to learn more about these 7 principles. As you explore, record each of the seven principles using a method of your choice.
Consolidation
How are you a land steward?
In the Minds On section of this learning activity, you brainstormed a list of ways that you can take care of the land.
Review your list and add anything new you have learned by completing the How to Take Care of the Land worksheet in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
| Record answers to the following questions. | |
|---|---|
| 1) What does it mean to be a land steward? | |
| 2) How else can you help the environment? | |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the How to Take Care of the Land.
Activity: sharing my learning
Now that you have learned how to be a land steward, you are going to share what you have learned. Share you learning by creating one of the following options:
| audio recording | presentation | poster |
| video clip | written or typed | another method of your choice |
Use the following checklist to help guide your sharing.
Sharing My Learning Checklist
Consider the following questions to help you share your learning.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.