On October 6, 2026, the members of the WHSS Envirothon Team, along with Mr. Timberlake, had the special opportunity to work with Professor David Lee of the University of Waterloo.

They learned about the importance of groundwater, and they conducted a number of experiments on site. 

The team of Justin O., Keigan A., Claire W., and Rowan J., installed seepage meters at the chilly Lake Marie, north of Elmira, to determine groundwater flow rate, and lakebed piezometers to determine hydraulic gradient.  Using the Darcy Equation, they were then able to calculate the hydraulic conductivity of the lakebed sediment.  This knowledge is important in understanding how we can have clean groundwater, but also it has applications in other extraction-based industries. 

Sound complicated? This work is often reserved for graduate students, and WHSS was the first high school group to try this program out, and the students were engaged and successful in learning these concepts. Professor Lee was impressed by the team's curiosity, hypotheses, and questions. 

Wolverine students who might want to get involved in Envirothon should speak to Ms. B. Johnston in Science, if interested.