CDS Participates in SKNOWLEDGE Study
This winter CDS is participating in The Snow Knowledge Collective (SKNOWLEDGE), a citizen science snow study that gathers data from November to May on snow cover, snow quality, cloud cover and air temperature and is being led by a PhD student at the University of Toronto.
Ms. Wellnhofer and her students put out 10 stakes in the fall to create a 300 meter transect and have assigned classes to gather data at these stakes once a week. Since the Ontario curriculum deals with snow/water/climate change/ecosystems, many of our students across all three schools (Junior, Middle and Senior) will play a role in gathering these measurements.
The intent of this school-based citizen science initiative is to spark inquiry, collaboration, and discussion about snow in the environment and its significance for water resources in our communities. Learners are engaged through outdoor field-based activities, collecting valuable meteorological data from their school property in an effort to build data literacy and launch their very own scientific investigations, all while spending time outside.
According to their website, “Data contributed to the SKNOWLEDGE Collective will be used to explore how citizen science can be used to assess satellite derived snow indices (like snow depth, extent, wetness), expand meteorological monitoring networks, and provide valuable insight to broader climate, meteorological, and hydrological processes.”
Not only does this study present students from JK-12 an awesome opportunity for outdoor learning throughout the winter, it also imparts a practical understanding of how changes in our snowpack impact our world in many ways, from an increase in wildfires and flash floods, to shifts in biodiversity and changes in water flow and availability of freshwater.
CDS aims to collect abundant data for SKNOWLEDGE this winter—all while enjoying the thrill of playing in the snow!
CDS aims to collect abundant data for SKNOWLEDGE this winter—all while enjoying the thrill of playing in the snow!
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
