One of the great environmental victories of our time—preserving the Flathead Valley from development—has quickly become a teachable moment for middle school students in British Columbia.

The naturally dazzling Flathead, with its abundance of wildlife and environmental splendors, will not be sacrificed to get at its plentiful oil, gas and coal deposits, the BC government decided last month. This is how the decision is being taught to students:

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and his government want to focus on building a creative economy.’ This includes clean technology, smart forestry practices and tourism—not fossil fuel extraction. Premier Campbell says it’s important to balance economic growth with caring for the environment.

Saving the Flathead took a concerted effort by Earthjustice and its Canadian counterpart, EcoJustice, which had petitioned the United Nations in 2008 to investigate proposed mining activities