September is full of outtrips for Grade 6 to 8 students, with each grade taking on a different adventure. While Grade 7 and 8 students tackled paddleboarding and hiking, the Grade 6s headed up Vancouver Island to O.U.R. Ecovillage—a sustainable living demonstration site that creates an immersive environment where learning and living meet. O.U.R. stands for One United Resource, and through the land, practices, teachings and culture, students experienced how a small community works together to live off the land.
Established in 1999, O.U.R. Ecovillage has grown into a sanctuary of sustainability built around the belief that “we are all teachers, and we are all learners.” For more than 20 years, St. Michaels University School has made annual visits across different grades, a connection visible in the very walls of the property. As Grade 6 students followed winding paths, educators pointed out hand-built structures decorated with artwork from generations of SMUS students.
“SMUS students have touched this exact wall every year for over 20 years,” explained Brandy, the lead educator and Ecovillage founder, as she introduced the iconic dragon wall—a long, undulating structure that rises and dips across the land. “Almost every culture in the world has a story or connection to dragons, where they are symbols of health, balance, positivity and energy. Here, our dragon wall carries that spirit and helps us talk about learning and teaching.”
Built from natural materials such as cob, straw bale, natural plasters and timber, the wall embodies the Ecovillage’s philosophy of working with the earth.
Students split into two groups for hands-on experiences. One group rolled up their sleeves to mix gravel, clay and straw, adding their own segment to the growing dragon wall. The other group stayed indoors for food preparation, trimming discarded green onions from grocery stores, mashing apples for fruit leather and hand-juicing fruit for the class snack.
Throughout the day, students toured the property to explore its housing, vision circle, greenhouses, gardens and animal enclosures. They fed pears to friendly pigs, scratched the chins of vocal goats, scattered grain for boisterous sheep and even tried their hand at milking.
From start to finish, every activity offered a lesson in sustainable living. Foot-pump sinks for hand washing, composting food scraps, washing dishes by hand and enjoying farm-to-table snacks all sparked questions and inspired students to think differently about the impact of their everyday choices.
As the bus pulled away at the end of the day, the Grade 6s left not only with muddy hands and happy memories, but also with a deeper understanding that sustainability begins with small actions—and that each of us has the power to teach, learn and help shape a healthier world.
