RCE Saskatchewan - 2023
Hannin Creek Education and Applied Research Centre (HCEARC)
Region:
Americas
Country:
Canada
Location(s):
Saskatchewan
Address of focal point institution for project:
Candle Lake, Saskatchewan
Ecosystem(s):
Target Audience:
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area :
The Hannin Creek Education and Applied Research Centre (HCEARC) is a multi-functional camp in the boreal forest at Candle Lake Saskatchewan. HCEARC is the only boreal field station in Saskatchewan that enables study and research in areas of conservation, sustainability, forestry, fisheries, wildlife, resource management and engineering. Socioeconomically, the education facility introduces hands on, conservation learning to local, northern & remote youth, conservation groups, environmentalists, Indigenous peoples, scientists and academia, Saskatchewan Polytechnic students and investigators of government and non-government agencies.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses:
Current challenges to regional sustainability include climate change, overpopulation, deforestation, urbanization and economic austerity. The application of conservation, education and research are of critical importance to mitigate these challenges. The Hannin Creek Education & Applied Research Centre serves to educate and facilitate research the next generation of Resource Managers affiliated with Saskatchewan Polytechnic programs, Saskatchewan Wildlife youth education, First Nations and Metis, and other regional stakeholders.
Status:
Ongoing
Rationale:
We define sustainability as ‘the management of our resources in a manner which does not deplete their availability for future generations’. The HCEARC is located on a watershed in a remote area of the mid-boreal forest ecosystem of central Saskatchewan, surrounded by a Provincial Game Preserve with an abundance of natural forests, wildlife, birds and fish. For over 40 years, students have participated in hands-on applied learning in sampling, data collection, testing and analysis, laboratory and field experiences, simulated investigations, wilderness survival, and applied research.
Phase 1 of the SaskPolytech/SWF partnership was the renovation of the facilities with locally resourced materials and labour. Phase 2 was construction of a wet laboratory, which allows year-round study and applied research. Phase 3 is ongoing, with the development in 2022 of mitho askiy kiskēyihtamowin Indigenous Outdoor Learning Centre for Indigenous cultural experience and study. Next, a three-season greenhouse will focus on food security, using alternative energy sources. Students, guests and researchers have the opportunity develop skills and investigate environmental practice for effective management freshwater and forest ecosystems. The HCEARC is used as a base station for applied research applications in new technologies but is also a venue for traditional Indigenous cultural practices.
Phase 1 of the SaskPolytech/SWF partnership was the renovation of the facilities with locally resourced materials and labour. Phase 2 was construction of a wet laboratory, which allows year-round study and applied research. Phase 3 is ongoing, with the development in 2022 of mitho askiy kiskēyihtamowin Indigenous Outdoor Learning Centre for Indigenous cultural experience and study. Next, a three-season greenhouse will focus on food security, using alternative energy sources. Students, guests and researchers have the opportunity develop skills and investigate environmental practice for effective management freshwater and forest ecosystems. The HCEARC is used as a base station for applied research applications in new technologies but is also a venue for traditional Indigenous cultural practices.
Objectives:
We hope researchers, graduates and conservationists from all cultures benefit from the facility to contribute a body of knowledge on world sustainability issues, including climate change, water resources and environmental management. The facility's unique role as the only boreal forest field station in Saskatchewan means that it is well-positioned to support vital research on sustainability in a vulnerable region and society.
Activities and/or practices employed:
Students access the HCEARC in the spring, fall and winter, which allows them to experience first-hand the demands of a career that requires working outdoors year-round in challenging conditions. New technologies include remote sensing with uncrewed aerial vehicles, GIS, and sophisticated hydro acoustic equipment. Hydroacoustics broaden students’ capabilities to include sonar data and its applications in aquatic communities. The practical training and applied research provided in this field-based setting offers the most immediate and comprehensive route for delivery of leading-edge knowledge and skills. More traditional skill training includes winter survival, trapping, fishing and canoeing. Beginning summer 2023, some native plants will be labeled with QR codes that allow access to Cree and English explanations of the plants’ Indigenous cultural significance, providing learners access to “walking curriculum” and contributing to the digitization of Indigenous knowledge.
Size of academic audience:
Several hundred students attend HCEARC annually in formal education activities from public school camps to post-secondary learning with Saskatchewan Polytechnic Natural Resource Technology programs.
Results:
Academic programs include Integrated Resource Management, Resource and Environmental Law, Geographic Information Science, Civil Technologies: Water Resources, Recreation and Community Development, Environmental Engineering Technology.
Additional user groups:
• Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC)
• University of Saskatchewan, Global Institute for Water Security;
• Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Wildfire Management Branch;
• Nature Saskatchewan;
• Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada;
• Saskatchewan Co-Operative Association;
• Prince Albert Model Forest and Saskatchewan First Nations - ‘Stewards for The Land’;
• Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation - youth conservation camps and women’s outdoor camps;
• North American Wildlife Technology Association
The centre allows visitors to connect with natural ecosystems in activities involving water resources, forestry, wildlife and Truth and Reconciliation. Visitors gain a deeper understanding and value for natural systems and sustainability issues. The laboratory facilitates data collection, sample analysis, applied research and hands-on learning for students, managers and investigators; the Indigenous encampment facilitates land-based learning and dissemination of Indigenous knowledge.
Additional user groups:
• Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC)
• University of Saskatchewan, Global Institute for Water Security;
• Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Wildfire Management Branch;
• Nature Saskatchewan;
• Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada;
• Saskatchewan Co-Operative Association;
• Prince Albert Model Forest and Saskatchewan First Nations - ‘Stewards for The Land’;
• Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation - youth conservation camps and women’s outdoor camps;
• North American Wildlife Technology Association
The centre allows visitors to connect with natural ecosystems in activities involving water resources, forestry, wildlife and Truth and Reconciliation. Visitors gain a deeper understanding and value for natural systems and sustainability issues. The laboratory facilitates data collection, sample analysis, applied research and hands-on learning for students, managers and investigators; the Indigenous encampment facilitates land-based learning and dissemination of Indigenous knowledge.
Lessons learned:
The HCEARC has enhanced the educational experience of hundreds of learners and researchers. It provides a venue to accommodate researchers from around the world to explore the boreal forest. What began as a primitive field camp that facilitated education in natural sciences now also provides an outdoor learning experience that lasts a lifetime. Partnerships (Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and Saskatchewan Polytechnic) and inclusion of all stakeholders provide a much more robust effort for environmental learning, employment and sustainability. Work with Prince Albert Grand Council on cultural programming and Truth and Reconciliation brings a key connection to the local community.
Relationship to other RCE activities:
HCEARC was the host site for the 2019 RCE Saskatchewan ESD Recognition Event. Hosting the event required planning with the HCEARC which commenced in October 2018 culminating in the event on May 8, 2019.
The program for the event is available here:
https://saskrce.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2019-Event-Program.pdf
The full video of the event is available here (go to 2019 awards ceremony link):
https://saskrce.ca/recognition-event/past-awards/
HCEARC is a 2020 "Acknowledged Flagship Project" of RCE Saskatchewan through the Global RCE Awards program for its contribution to "SDG #15: Life on Land".
HCEARC is included the UNU-IAS online publication “Engaging Communities for Biodiversity Conservation” (p. 68) https://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:8736#viewAttachments
The program for the event is available here:
https://saskrce.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2019-Event-Program.pdf
The full video of the event is available here (go to 2019 awards ceremony link):
https://saskrce.ca/recognition-event/past-awards/
HCEARC is a 2020 "Acknowledged Flagship Project" of RCE Saskatchewan through the Global RCE Awards program for its contribution to "SDG #15: Life on Land".
HCEARC is included the UNU-IAS online publication “Engaging Communities for Biodiversity Conservation” (p. 68) https://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:8736#viewAttachments
Funding:
HCEARC operates as a partnership funded by Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation. Third-party activities are supported by various funding sources, including the federally funded Stewards for the Land program.
Pictures:
File Name | Caption for picture | Photo Credit |
---|---|---|
Hannin Creek gate.jpg (182.95 KB) | Hannin Creek Education & Applied Research Centre entry gate and lab building | Sask Polytech |
Hannin Creek bridge.jpg (242.57 KB) | Bridge over Hannin Creek, one of the waterways accessed for applied learning | Sask Polytech |
Hannin Creek students.jpg (422.38 KB) | Students from Sask Polytech Natural Resource Technology programs, in the outdoors | Sask Polytech |
ribboncutting.jpg (1.18 MB) | Opening of mitho askiy kiskēyihtamowin Indigenous Outdoor Learning Centre | Matthew Toon |
moonlighttipis.jpg (3.14 MB) | Three of the 4 mitho askiy kiskēyihtamowin tipis under a full moon | Hamilton Greenwood |
References and reference materials:
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Direct
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Direct
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
Direct
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Indirect
Disaster Risk Reduction
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge
Indirect
Curriculum Development
Direct
Ecotourism
Indirect
Forests/Trees
Direct
Plants & Animals
Direct
Waste
Direct
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy
state:
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments
state:
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers
state:
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth
state:
Direct
Update:
Yes
I acknowledge the above:
Yes