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New Prospect School and Riverview School, Dryden OntarioGrade 4 & 5 Students June 2005
The students had a very good understanding and knowledge of the history of Dryden and the community's relationship with nature and how those industries contributed to the growth of Dryden. Also demonstrated was a good understanding of habitats and how humans and animals rely on nature for life and sustenance.
Few of the responses that were given when the students were asked what they thought the future would be like were: one saw the future as two different worlds living separately, one of humans and one of animals, and that we would be driving around in solar powered automobiles, using the sun's energy to get around; another response was that water would be very expensive and people would fight over it, because clean, unpolluted water would be scarce; a number of students saw the future as having little or no trees due to all the logging and industry, however others thought that those future workers would take the time to re-plant and there would be trees and that the natural environment would survive because of the concerns of people today.
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Dryden High School, Dryden OntarioGrade 12 Biology (University Prep.) Students June 2005
When asked where they saw themselves living and working, most of the students plan to move away and have careers elsewhere, felt there are little opportunities here. Dryden is not a place to get a valued education and no support is available for most professional careers. The few that plan to stay will do so because they want to stay close to family and friends and have a great love of the forest and living in a rural area.
The whole group agrees that pulp and paper won't continue to advance because we will run out of natural resources to supply it and it takes too long to reforest, there will be a lull in between cutting and re-growth. Therefore, no main means of employment for the community in the interim and people will move away to where the jobs are.
A demand for paper products will decrease due to the increase use of internet and related technologies to deliver information and to communicate. The students value the jobs where one works out of their own home using technology such as video conferencing, internet and email because this would reduce the need to commute to work by driving and therefore reduce the emission of harmful pollutants into the environment, showing a concern for the sustainability of the natural environment. However, technology based jobs such as these are dominant in southern Ontario; access to technology is limited in the north.
Discussion of non-timber forest product based industries other than pulp and paper that could arise is: herbs for medicines and spa treatment ingredients, using needles, sap in creams and salves. Smaller industries based on these non-timber products could exist alongside logging and pulp and paper. By thinking outside the box, other sustainable natural resource based industries could be developed.
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