The “River of Life” activity is an immersive day that raises students' awareness about the importance of water and watershed systems through scientific experiments, creative expression, and environmental reflection. Students explore how water connects ecosystems and communities, from their local rivers all the way to the coastal regions of James Bay. Guided by Indigenous teachings that honor water as a sacred, living entity, they reflect on their responsibility to protect it for future generations. Throughout the day, they learn about watersheds, investigate the human impact on water quality, and carry out field tests (pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen). Each student builds a symbolic mini canoe, inspired by the book Paddle to the Sea, and decorates it with personal, environmental, and community messages. Each canoe is also numbered and logged, allowing anyone who finds it downstream to report its location, helping to track the canoe’s journey across the watershed. As students release their canoes into a stream, they watch their stories and intentions flow onward. This powerful project fosters a deeper connection to water, integrates Indigenous perspectives, and encourages young people to see themselves as caretakers of the ecosystems they are part of—locally and all the way to the sea.