Congratulations, Stella Bowles!
Park View Education Centre grade 11 student, Stella Bowles was recently awarded the Order of Nova Scotia, making her the youngest recipient to ever receive the award.
Stella was a grade six student at Bridgewater Elementary School when a science fair assignment turned into a passion project. After learning, many homes had illegal straight pipes that permitted sewage to flow directly into the LaHave River, Stella set out to make a change to make the river safe to swim in.
Stella tested the river’s bacteria levels and the results well exceeded guidelines. She then talked her mom into created a Facebook page so she could spread the word. The community got behind her cause and it drew national attention. Stella’s commitment to cleaning the LaHave River influenced a $15.7 million dollar clean-up project that is currently underway and funded by the federal, provincial, and municipal governments.
Author Anne Laurel-Carter has documented the story in a book titled, My River: Cleaning up the LaHave River. Stella has presented at numerous schools and conferences all over the world. She hopes her story will inspire other young people and create new advocates for environmental change.