Nature Canada’s Charles Labatiuk Youth for Nature Award 2026: Jade Lai and Abigail Lorz
The Nature Canada Awards constitute our heartfelt tribute to the hard work and dedication of these amazing individuals. All of our winners have proven themselves to be forces of nature, for nature!
The 2026 Charles Labatiuk Youth for Nature Award: Jade Lai
Jade Lai’s environmental journey from learning, to action, to outreach has inspired a new generation of environmental stewards. Ocean Wise’s Mountains to Ocean education program sparked a personal sense of responsibility to protect these ecosystems so that future generations can continue to experience and appreciate them.
Instead of keeping this understanding to herself, she identified storytelling as a powerful way to make environmental issues accessible and engaging to young audiences. Her original children’s storybook Mr. Mountain Meets Ms. Ocean brings the connection between ecosystems and the impacts of ocean pollution to life, reaching young readers through libraries, schools, and free storytelling workshops.
Having personally engaged more than 100 children through her workshops, Jade has continued to expand her impact by creating free educational resources for families and educators, while also volunteering as a writer for Starfish Canada.
Her creativity, generosity, and dedication to making environmental education accessible are helping young people discover their own role in protecting the natural world.
The 2026 Charles Labatiuk Youth for Nature Award: Abigail Lorz
Through her dedication to conservation, research, and community service, Abigail Lorz is helping build a more sustainable and inclusive future. She believes that sharing knowledge is one of the most powerful ways to inspire conservation.
As a volunteer with the University of Victoria’s Community-Based Research Laboratory, she works on the Zero Waste Ambassador Program helping youth in Canada and Brazil engage in environmental education, waste reduction, and participatory research. Through this, young people are encouraged to see themselves as leaders in creating more sustainable communities.
Her volunteer work with UNICATA supports waste pickers in Brazil with environmental education, legal rights, and recognition of the essential role they play in protecting the environment. Abigail understands that successful conservation must also support the people whose lives are most closely connected to the environment.
From contributing scientific research and advocating for stronger environmental protections to securing greater accessibility to outdoor recreation, Abigail brings compassion, curiosity, and a strong sense of service to everything she does.
