They wear smiles instead of badges and these rangers are not after bad guys, but bad ecology.

The Lake Simcoe Rangers are four York Region high school students who are taking part in a unique summer pilot project to help open your eyes to creative ways of restoring and protecting Lake Simcoe — one of Ontario’s largest and environmentally threatened lakes.

Last week, as part of their program, the Rangers were leading a Lake Simcoe Youth Awareness Day to help launch the program at Loretto Maryholme retreat in Roches Point.

The four were joined by other groups of Ontario Stewardship Rangers from Midhurst and spent the day working on lake water maintenance, trail construction and environmental assessments.

The Rangers are also supporting the release of the new Lake Simcoe action cards that provide the public with tips and suggestions on helping the lake and its watershed.

The program also has an educational and self awareness component for the students, project designer Hilary Van Welter of Windfall Ecology Centre said.

For example, one of the activities had students study and meditate on one of the action cards as they progressed through Loretto Maryholme’s famous labyrinth, then relate their insights as they completed the journey.

The four rangers and their team leader have already taken part in several projects, including the recent Pefferlaw Fishing Day, Eight Mile Point and Holland Prairie restorations, a wildlife habitat study with John Hicks at his Keswick managed forest and spent three days working with children on the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation where they learned the aboriginal perspectives on the environment and created a sustainable vision artwork called The Balancing Act., focusing on the elements of earth, fire, air and water.

“And, it’s not just about learning about the ecology of the lake and watershed,” Ms Van Welter said. “They are also going to public events to observe what people doing and saying, what they are interested in, then learning what it will take to get them to act” with respect to the lake’s health.

“Our minds have been opened and refreshed by the way these youth rangers view the challenges facing the lake,” Ms Van Welter said. “Like a video game, there are many alternatives that are yet to be explored.”

The Lake Simcoe Rangers are funded by the Ministry of the Environment and administered by Ontario Stewardship, Windfall Ecology Centre and the Ladies of the Lake.

For more see:
www.windfallcentre.ca
www.lakeladies.ca
www.ontariostewardship.org
www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/ezone