Nature Canada welcomes six Young Women from all across Canada as inaugural Young Nature Leadership Grant recipients
Ottawa, ON (May 12, 2017)—Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative is pleased to announce the first recipients of its exciting new Young Nature Leadership Grant. The goal of the grant is to encourage, foster and nurture youth to demonstrate their own leadership for nature.
Canadian youth were invited to develop and implement (in 2017) a project inspired by the Canadian Parks Council’s recently published The Nature Playbook that connects a new generation with nature by bringing them into the nature.
“As the Honorary Chair of Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative, I am delighted to see that Canada’s nature is in good hands,” says the Honourable Senator Diane Griffin. “These young women and their projects being recognized today are a step in the right direction to help enable more young Canadians to connect with nature and assist in protecting our precious wildlife and habitats,” adds Griffin.
The inaugural Young Nature Leadership Grant recipients include:
- Nina Andrascik from Ottawa, ON
- Olivia DesRoches of Hampton, NB
- Martha Henderson from Whitehorse, YK
- Caroline Merner of Victoria, BC
- Mathilde Papillon from Ottawa, ON
- Chantal Templeman of Cochrane, AB
They join alongside Chloe Dragon Smith of Yellowknife, NWT to be named as inaugural Young Women for Nature in Canada’s special anniversary year.
“It is exciting to see the diverse projects that have received support from our Young Nature Leadership Grant,” says Eleanor Fast, Executive Director of Nature Canada. “Having young Canadians inspire a new generation of Canadians to nature is an excellent way to connect them to nature – which we believe will ultimately help protect our natural heritage.”
“What an awesome way to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary by empowering emerging Young Nature Leaders to champion nature,” says Dawn Carr, Women of Nature member and Executive Director of the Canadian Parks Council. “By working together we can conserve, and encourage new generations to connect with nature.”
For media assistance please contact:
Janet Weichel McKenzie, Nature Canada Media Specialist
613-808-4642
jweichelmckenze@gmail.com
For information on the Women for Nature Young Nature Leaders Grant please contact:
Jodi Joy, Director of Development, Nature Canada
613-295-6769 | 1-800-267-4088
jjoy@naturecanada.ca
Nature Canada was founded in 1939 because of the passion and initiative of Mabel Frances Whittemore, a teacher and nature lover whose main goal in life was to share her passion for nature with others. Today, Nature Canada represents a network comprised of 50,000 members and supporters and more than 350 nature organizations across the country. Over the past 75 years, Nature Canada has helped protect more than 63 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species that depend on this habitat as well as engaging hundreds of thousands of Canadians especially children in nature through its activities.
Nature Canada‘s signature “Women for Nature” initiative raises awareness about the need to connect more Canadians of all ages to nature. The Women for Nature initiative is comprised of women from diverse sectors and backgrounds who come together to champion the importance of nature in the daily lives of all Canadians and to encourage more Canadians to connect with nature. Our founding members include women of influence such as Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, Senator Diane Griffin (Honorary Chair of Women for Nature), Her Excellency Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Madame Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Minister Catherine McKenna and Margaret Atwood to name a few. Our members champion efforts to inspire youth and families to spend time in nature, to learn and experience our natural heritage and in doing so, ensure the health and well-being of our Canadian society. It also has a goal of being 150 Women Strong by Canada’s 150th anniversary.
