Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Environmental Leadership

Ontario Nature’s sixth annual Youth Summit brought together 95 youth from 57 communities across the province for an inspiring, action-packed weekend. Held September 25-27, 2015 at YMCA Geneva Park, teens had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of outdoor activities and workshops including:

Pollinators and wildflowers Nature discovery hike Salamander survey Fun with fly fishing How to ‘be the change’ Debate on genetically modified organisms Climate reality First Nations ways of knowing

Ontario’s birds of prey Sustainable gardening and youth leadership Introduction to visual astronomy Medicinal plants of Ontario Insights into youth leadership Making eco-art for community change

Other memorable moments included morning activities like canoeing, yoga, bird watching, swimming in Lake Couchiching, and an evening campfire with stories and songs to bring everyone together. The Great Group Challenge had teams facing off in fun challenges and participants developed personal action plans on pressing environmental issues at the Action Planning Forum.

Testimonials

• “If I could summarize this experience in one word, it would have to be inspirational. I was not only surrounded by like-minded teens, but also adults who could help us on our journey. Honestly, there was so much fun going on that I didn’t even realize that I had learned so much about topics that I loved, and also topics I had no idea I was interested in. The experience was definitely rejuvenating, and helped me realize why I fell in love with our world in the first place!” – Christarin, age 16 from Scarborough

• “The Youth Summit for me was an absolute blast! It came with such a positive message on the environment and conservation of it and what I can do to help. It inspired me to start a club at my high school where I can use a lot of the things I learned at the summit.” – Peter, age 17 from Barrie
• “My weekend at the Youth Summit was one of the best weekends of my LIFE! I got to get out and explore in nature, learn about the earth and water and how we are all interconnected.  Sometimes it is hard to stay positive and believe that we can change the world, but the summit renewed my inspiration to keep working towards a brighter future for our little blue dot planet because there is no planet B.” – Lilian, age 17 from Toronto

Thank you to our Nature Network members and others whose financial support has made this summit possible:

Bancroft Field Naturalists Brereton Field Naturalists’ Club Brodie Club Carden Field Naturalists Carolinian Canada Coalition Charleston Lake Environmental Association Conservation Halton Conservation Ontario Credit Valley Conservation Durham Region Field Naturalists Friends of Charleston Lake Park Friends of MacGregor Point Park Friends of Mashkinonje Hamilton Naturalists’ Club Kawartha Field Naturalists Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority Midland-Penetang Field Naturalists

Muskoka Field Naturalists Nature Guelph Nature League – Collingwood North American Native Plant Society North Durham Nature Orillia Naturalists’ Club Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club Owen Sound Field Naturalists Penokean Hills Field Naturalists Peterborough Field Naturalists Pickering Naturalists The Quetico Foundation Rankin Resource Group Saugeen Field Naturalists South Peel Naturalists’ Club Thickson’s Woods Land Trust Upper Ottawa Valley Nature Club/Four Seasons Conservancy Waterloo Region Nature Willow Beach Field Naturalists York Environmental Stewardship

The success of the Youth Summit would not be possible without the contributions from the following program sponsors:

		The Chawkers Foundation

 

 

Click here to go to the Ontario Nature website for more information.