• Fundraising $100,000 to build an Outdoor Classroom and develop an environmental area at the Macoun Marsh, used by Canadian school children from across the Ottawa region. Over 1300 species have been described here.
• Promoting our prototype project across Canada. In 2008, science teachers from across our country visited our study site, and were encouraged to participate in similar projects with their students.
• Connecting with Daniel Bisaccio from Brown University (Through the CBD) who developed the First Youth Symposium for Biodiversity in Mexico in 2005. Youth from 9 countries attended that year.
• Creating Biodiversitymatters and hosting the 2nd International Youth Symposium in Ottawa. We invited projects from 10 countries to participate- Albania, Barbados, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, and USA. Over $70,000 was fundraised for the Symposium, and youth involved promoted it nationally and internationally through a variety of media, including television, radio, newspapers and the Internet. In 2008, five Canadian youths attended TUNZA in Norway to promote our work and invite delegates to attend the Symposium.
• Our Symposium team developed a wide array of events, workshops, team building activities, special guests from all levels of government including the CBD.
• Creating the Youth Accord for Biodiversity, which has been translated into 25 languages and has over 5000 signatures of support from 83 countries. The Accord was written by youth from Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Uganda and USA. The Accord was presented at major venues. One youth was flown to Belgium by the European Union for a Green Week event to promote our work. The Accord can also be successfully be adapted to any level of government – Our New Brunswick members helped to create the New Brunswick Youth Biodiversity Accord which has received 15 endorsements from youth and citizen-based groups from around the province.
• Attending and participating in COP10, where our Accord was presented, and where one of our members was invited to the High Level segments and had the opportunity to share our work with Ministers/ leaders. We communicated COP10 issues and produced an Accord poster to help raise awareness. Our Accord can be used in schools to develop policy and programs by youth. 8 members (+2 Chaperons) of our team were accredited and financed by us to participate at COP10, connecting to other international groups, such as the new organization GYBO (Global Youth and Biodiversity Organisation). The International Youth Statement on Biodiversity developed in Nagoya was in-part developed out of our original Youth Accord described above.
• Developing a communication blog for international youth at Biodiversitymatters.org. Other recent groups we are connected with include youth from Australia, Panama, Spain, Tanzania, and Uganda.
• Helping to develop a pre-COP11 event in Auroville India for 2012, named the Third Youth Symposium for Biodiversity.
•We also continue to develop local events for youth here in Ottawa, Canada. We are planning an event on May 22 (on International Biodiversity Day)
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