Student Engagement and Gibraltar Mine’s Wildlife and Reclamation Program
On June 14, 2023, Gibraltar welcomed a seventh-grade class from Lake City Secondary School (LSCC) in Williams Lake for an interactive mine reclamation and wildlife monitoring program.
Now in its sixth year, the program brings students and school staff to Gibraltar for an up-close visit to an operating open-pit mine, and to work directly with Gibraltar’s Environment Department. Lake City students receive an in-class orientation that includes an overview of Gibraltar’s history, mining operations and safety requirements before heading out to tour the site.
Once on site, staff from Gibraltar’s Environment Department conduct a tour of the mine and teach the students about biodiversity and reclamation practices. Students also have an opportunity to visit the Gibraltar East Pit, which provides them with an understanding of the scale of the operation and the equipment used.
As part of the program, each year the LSCC Grade 7 students analyze photos taken by wildlife cameras set up around Gibraltar’s 16,000-hectare property. Students compile data about the different species identified, including the season, date and time of records, and graph the results before presenting them to Gibraltar staff.
Taseko and Gibraltar look forward to this educational program every year. While it is important to educate youth about the mine’s sustainability efforts, it also encourages youth to consider the broad range of professional careers in mining - from operations to environmental staff, to administrative and community relations roles.
