Canadian Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature meets in Ottawa to discuss youth engagement in nature
On January 16, 2014, the Canadian Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (CC IUCN) gathered in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Nature for its Annual General Meeting. The meeting was dedicated to exploring opportunities for engaging youth in nature as part of a broader initiative within the Union to embrace future generations in the implementation of the Union’s mandate. In attendance were representatives from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Parks Canada, Students on Ice, UNESCA and Nature Canada.
The meeting included presentations by youth delegates like Gerrit Wesselink, a student at the University of Ottawa in Political Sciences and Public Administration and an Alumni of the Students on Ice Expedition Program.
“One thing I firmly believe in is the fact that not only are youth leaders of tomorrow, we are leaders of today!”, said Gerrit.
During day-long discussions, ideas were generated by youth delegates and CC IUCN members on how to connect youth to nature. Below is a sample of some of the ideas discussed.
What can our organizations do?
- Create culture of conservation through actions that are intentional
- Educate youth to have respectful, sustainable connections with nature
- Urban education – show conservation in their own backyards for those without access to much green space
- Help move away from ‘preaching to the converted; generate new networks
- Help address the challenge of engaging young boys – some solutions could be geocaching, non-typical ways to engage with hands on components
- Challenge: maintaining connection between small communities.
- Solution: maintain green spaces for next generation
What can CC IUCN do?
- Identify candidates to attend the World Parks Congress (WPC)
- Coordination of groups attending the WPC for collaboration before, during and after the congress
- Profile the Canadian context: challenges and opportunities (e.g. large spaces, urban centers, etc)
- Link NGOs and the work they do across Canada to make it more impactful
- Link people with specific skills and experience together to create influence
- Coordinate a project/competition to select youth to go to WPC, talking about conservation in their community
- Bring nature to city, break barriers between city and nature
- Business internships and learning opportunities
- Gym classes outdoors
- Hands on experiences
Special thanks to all the youth delegates and to Christine Kelly (CWF), Luba Mycio-Mummers (CWF), Dominique Potvin UNESCO), Meg Beckell (CMN), Mike Wong (PC) and Geoff Green (SOI), and the supporting organizations, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Parks Canada, Students on Ice, UNESCA and Nature Canada for their support to the organization of the event.
