Leigh Cormier is Geography and Outdoor Education Teacher at Mount Baker High School in Cranbrook. She fosters confidence in her students through teaching them important backcountry and outdoor skills. She is engaged in food security, climate change, species at risk, protected areas and outdoor education. She ‘walks the talk’ and takes her geography classes into the field in immersive place-based studies. Leigh is regarded as a leader in her field, and actively contributes to sharing her knowledge and skills with others. Prior to her current work, she taught hands-on science & tech camps for kids in Nunavut and other remote northern communities, researched adaptation to climate change in Haida Gwaii and worked for Parks Canada, Environment Canada and BC Transit. For these reasons and more Leigh was awarded with a CBEEN Award of Excellence at our Celebration of Environmental Education in Fernie.

This year, Leigh’s geography students are part of a national inquiry project investigating climate change impacts and adaptation or mitigation locally. The overarching goal of the study is for students to consider how we can achieve a lower carbon Canada. Her students are investigating a broad array of topics, including transportation, waste reduction and diversion, bees, forestry, and food security. They are drawing on research by local experts and organizations, as well as refereed journal articles, government and other organizations. This month students share their findings with five other schools across Canada, and later this month, 10 students from participating high schools will be selected to travel to Ottawa to compile a final report of all of the student research findings and recommendations. This report will be shared out with the Prime Minister and Catherine McKenna in a web-based meeting with all participating classes.