Newfoundland & Labrador Projects

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Environmental Education Centre at Echo Pond
The Environmental Education Centre (EEC) at Echo Pond is a residential outdoor school dedicated to helping students learn about the environment. It is located in a tranquil, wilderness setting on the Avalon Peninsula.  Nestled on a 12 acre site in the old growth boreal forest of Deer Park, Salmonier, the EEC encompasses several habitat types which are home to a wide variety of wildlife. Designed to help students become more aware of their environment and to enhance personal and social responsibility for environmental action, the EEC is the ideal setting for outdoor education. The Centre is managed and operated by The Environmental Education Commission which is a non-profit voluntary trust.
Watch a video of the Centre in action and listen to Dr. Helen Spencer, EEC's Director of Environmental School Programs,  as she talks about their school program and walks through the grounds.
Learn more about EEC school program offerings on their  website. 
Learn more about their Echo Pond summer program ​here.
The Fry Family Foundation is delighted to be working with this organization with a focus on climate and environmental education. The Foundation is supporting the EEC's goal for the Centre to produce zero greenhouse gas emissions as part of their Climate Change Initiatives. In order to install new energy components to reach that goal, the EEC enlisted the help of MUN Engineering Work Term Student, Garnet Edinger.  Garnet worked under the direction and mentorship of  Don Spencer, mechanical engineer and volunteer. He helped design and project manage the installation of alternative energy systems including windmills, solar panels and a solar-powered water heater, He also supervised and assisted with the construction of a drying room and outdoor shower facility.  This was made possible through the  MUN Faculty of  Applied Science and Engineering's  Community Service Learning Work Term Program. The Foundation is also a proud supporter of this initiative.
The Foundation has also supported marketing and re-branding efforts at the Centre. In order to facilitate this process, the EEC enlisted the help of PhD student Modeline Longjohn through the MUN Centre for Social Enterprise. FFF  also supports their Graduate Student Internship initiative. Read more about Modeline's  internship experiences.
Starting in 2021, FFF will also provide financial support to the EEC Student Subsidization Fund to support students who are not financially able to pay the fee that covers tuition, meals and transportation required to attend the Centre’s programs. This is in addition to the ​Youth in Stem Initiative with the Community Centre Alliance (CCA) in St. John’s, where the  Foundation established an Environmental Education Fund that will enable community centre youth members to attend programming at the Environmental Centre.