Students in the intensive five-week environmental monitoring training program in Fort Chipewyan moved on to the second stage of their studies last week with a look into water quality monitoring.

From May 6-17, the group of 14 students comprised of members from Mikisew Cree First Nation, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the Metis local will be out on the water and in the classroom, learning the essentials of water monitoring from Aurora College instructors, Environment Canada scientists and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. Students had a break between their lessons on snow and air quality monitoring back in March, but were

hardly idle over the last month. Through Keyano College in Fort Chip, the group completed three weeks of upgrading in math, science and computers, along with a week-long first aid and wilderness first aid course.

Now that the ice is starting to break up, students will soon be out on the water learning how to do the necessary sampling for a variety of water quality monitoring initiatives.

"Students are looking at water chemistry, water quality in general such as laboratory analysis and protocols for proper collection," Bruce Maclean, research coordinator for Mikisew's Government and Industry Relations (GIR) department, said in an email.

"They will look at sediment sampling, and likely invertebrate and fish sampling protocols, also," he added.

The course uses the Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources cur r iculum to

integrate traditional knowledge with practical field experience in order to equip Aboriginal people with the skills to become involved in existing scientific studies, or even design their own monitoring programs.

A l l s t u d e nt s who

complete the course and the subsequent field work -the course gives students 200 hours of the required 2,000 -will become certif ied to par ticipate in all types of environmental monitoring programs, whether community-based,

i nd u s t r y-f u nd e d or government-led.

The program is funded under the auspices of the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring Program, with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development and Environment Canada providing support.