Is Mentorship the Key to Protecting Nature?
If you would like more info on becoming a mentor or mentee connect with me, Effie Vaicoussis, here.
A Program Rooted in Community
The mentorship program grew from Women for Nature, a group of 150+ influential women dedicated to protecting nature and wildlife. They asked a simple question: What if every emerging leader had a role model to help turn their vision for nature into action?
Since its launch, the program has paired 87 mentors with 106 mentees, connecting emerging leaders with experienced women for six months of one-on-one mentorship. Mentees also take part in leadership training and gain access to a professional development library, ensuring growth continues well beyond the program. Every 18–24 months, a new cohort begins, welcoming new women and gender expansive leaders into a vibrant, supportive community.
Where Experience meets Ambition
Mentorship is more than advice; it’s opportunity, guidance, and inspiration in action. Mentors help emerging leaders and mentees learn to integrate sustainability into their work while also amplifying climate advocacy, driving meaningful action through mobilization and community education efforts. Through collaboration, a love for nature is cultivated to inspire care across generations while building lasting professional connections that strengthen leadership across the environmental sector.
Mentorship also tackles gender inequality. Women often face barriers in the environmental space, yet they play critical roles in addressing climate change. Nature Canada’s mentorship initiative provides the tools, guidance, and networks needed to drive this movement. As UN Women explains, empowering women is essential to building resilient solutions to climate challenges. It is important to recognize that Women of Colour often shoulder a disproportionate share of this work within their communities. Their wisdom, traditional knowledge, and expertise are not only vital for advancing meaningful change locally but also hold the capacity to influence broader societal, institutional, and policy-level transformations.
“Throughout history, the strides women have made are a testament to the power of community. This program bridges dialogue across generations, connecting practice with lived experience. It is a privilege to contribute to that exchange, knowing the next wave of women leaders is ready to deliver meaningful and lasting outcomes for sustainability, conservation, and climate.”
– Miriam Mathew, Mentor
The Ripple Effect of Mentorship
The program’s effects are both personal and wide-reaching. Mentees gain confidence, skills, and professional connections, while mentors pass on knowledge and experience. This continuity of talent and insight is essential for sustaining effective conservation efforts and advancing long-term environmental stewardship where it is most urgently needed.
Planting Seeds for Change
The 2025–2026 cohort represents more than six months of mentorship; it’s a vision for the future. Every mentor-mentee pairing plants a seed that will grow into stronger leadership, deeper conservation impact for Canada (also known as Turtle Island). Together, these reciprocal connections nurture a legacy of knowledge, resilience, and stewardship, laying the foundation for lasting impact in the care and preservation of ecosystems that sustain all life.
As we celebrate this new chapter, we honor the mentors and mentees stepping into this journey. Their stories of courage, connection, and leadership are shaping a brighter, more sustainable future, and we can’t wait to share them with you.
“Thriving is possible only if you have nurtured strong bonds with your community.”
– Robin Wall Kimmerer,
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Additional Reading
- Learn more about Women for Nature
- Explore Pollinate Networks
- Read the UN Women explainer on gender and climate
If you would like more info on becoming a mentor or mentee connect with Effie Vaicoussis here.
Thank you to our Generous Supporters
This program is made possible through the invaluable support and facilitation of the mentorship platform Pollinate Networks, which fosters these meaningful connections. We are profoundly grateful to the Lawson Foundation for their unwavering commitment and generous support in advancing women’s leadership.
Our heartfelt thanks to the Women for Nature mentors and advisors whose time, dedication, and support make this program possible.
