The Grade 7 class from St. Helen’s Elementary School recently studied marine biology in the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

According to students Alessia Raffele and Danika Sigur, it was a big step out of their comfort zones to travel from busy Burnaby to secluded Bamfield and leave parents (and WiFi) behind for four days.

"We brought our Catholic faith into the world of marine sciences, unifying God’s creations with our Catholic education," they said.

Raffele, Sigur, and their peers collected samples of plankton, examined species under microscopes, and interacted with plants and sea animals in their natural habitats.  

"Each day brought on new challenges, as we would learn about the many aspects of marine sciences such as the plants and animals of the oceans, salt levels and temperature of the oceans, and how to protect the ocean’s ecosystems."