BIODIVERSITY AWARDS GALA- CANADA

November 26, 2012 (11:00am and 12:00pm)

St-Laurent Academy, 641Sladen Ave., Ottawa, Ontario- Multipurpose Room

WINNING NOMINATIONS INCLUDE

1. Member of Canadian Parliament for the Orléans federal constituency- Royal Galipeau

Eco-awareness Award

Nominated by St-Laurent Academy

2. Dayna Noltie and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network

Youth Biodiversity Award

Nominated by Biodiversitymatters.org

3. Elizabeth Kilvert (Environment Canada)

Biodiversity Education Award

Nominated by St-Laurent Academy

4. The Beechwood Cemetery for their support of the Macoun Marsh Biodiversity Project

Ecosystem Support Award

Nominated by St-Laurent Academy

5. L’école élémentaire publique Des Sentiers

Stewardship Award

Nominated by St-Laurent Academy

NATIONAL GREEN SCHOOLS CONFERENCE- DENVER, CO.

Here we are at the Green Schools Conference in Colorado

We were able to visit the Denver Zoo before the conference.

The official Conference starts this evening.

Posted by the Grade 6, 7, 8 students of St-Laurent Academy- Ottawa, Canada

  

BIODIVERSITY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM #3- OTTAWA, CANADA

THEME: POLITICS AND BIODIVERSITY

1. Pauline Thereot (Imagineaction, Canadian Teachers Federation)

2. Brigitte Champaigne-Klassen (Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots)

3. Fred Sherman (2011 PC Candidate for Ottawa, Vanier)

4.Katherine Hobbs (City Councillor - Kitchissippi Ward of Ottawa)

5. Elizabeth Kilvert (Environment Canada)

6. Guiliano Reis (Professor of Education, University of Ottawa)

We welcomed youth to discuss biodiversity issues with the participating community leaders.  To date, about 60 youth from 14 schools have been involved in this community program. 

Invitation for project submission for the Third International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity

In October 2012, the Third International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity will be held in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India. The purpose of the symposium is to welcome students from around the world, and to celebrate the local biodiversity work they are doing in their home countries. The Auroville symposium will take place prior to the 11^th Conference on Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity, which will be held in Hyderabad, India from October 8 – 19, 2012.

The Auroville Biodiversity Youth Symposium is open to students from around the world. In order to participate in this symposium, students are required to carry out a biodiversity study project in their respective home countries.  In line with the key issues that will be discussed at the Conference in Hyderabad, student biodiversity proposals can be on any of the following themes:

1.      Local biodiversity – Terrestrial or Aquatic

2.      Biodiversity and Livelihoods
3.      Role of cultural practices and tradition on biodiversity
4.      Effect of non-indigenous species on local biodiversity
5.      Cycle of cause and effect between human activity and biodiversity
6.      Urban biodiversity

All biodiversity study projects should ideally incorporate the following elements:

1. Field work and/or practical data collection – please visit the website: 
    http://www.sprise.com/shs/habitatnet.aspx?id=5386 for help
2. Scientific/theoretical approach
3. Creativity and personal expression

Guidelines for participation

The overall guidelines for participation/submission of projects for the Auroville Biodiversity Youth Symposium are:
u  Eligibility: students from Grades  8 to 12 (ages 14-19)
u  The proposal should include: 
u  A 150-250 word abstract that includes information regarding the project and how it relates to conserving “Global Biodiversity”. 
u  How the project will be implemented (techniques to be used)
u  General time line over 6 months
u  The location of the project
u  The email address of the project
u  Proposals must include: names of students and ages, teachers/ leaders, schools or group name, and contact information (phone & email or postal address).
u  The deadline for the submission of proposals is February 20th, 2012.

General Information:

1)      Submissions by conventional mail or email are to be sent to:

Chali Grinnel, Symposium for Biodiversity Coordinator

Future School
Auroville 605101
Tamil Nadu
India
EMAIL: futureschool@auroville.org.in

2) All proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts. Students will be notified of their acceptance to the symposium by March 10, 2012.

3) Information regarding any available funding to participate as well as logistics will be provided to all ACCEPTED proposals. 

4). For QUESTIONS contact any of the coordinators at their emails below:

Chali Grinnel- chali@auroville.org.in

Erin Kenny- enkenny@hotmail.com

Once the applications have been processed, and the delegates determined for the symposium, team leaders will be asked to process their payments.

Biodiversity Mentor Training Course Outline- Ottawa, Canada

Who knows who you might meet in the world of Conservation Biology?

Ottawa, Ontario- St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, and Devonshire Public School (Youth aged 12 to 24) No fee required

Module 1: The Tree of Life (2 hours) Saturday, September 17th- 10:00 to noon at ALSA (641 Sladen Ave., Ottawa, Ontario) The concept of a tree of life as a multi-branched trunk illustrates the 4 billion year evolution of all life on earth.  This concept is continually changing as more genetic information shows us how closely we are related to all living things.  The purpose of this class is to broaden the student’s concept of how life functions within diverse ecosystems and on a planetary scale. 

We will use our outdoor study area in the center of urban Ottawa.  Our Macoun Marsh project in Beechwood Cemetery continues to be our core biodiversity project. To date, almost 1350 species have been recorded here.  A personal nature journal will be used to record discoveries. 

 
Module 2: Our Human Need for Biodiversity (2 hours) Oct. 8- 10:00 to noon at ALSA
Biodiversity is used in medical research and in our food industry.  It is directly connected to the purification of the air and water, decomposition of wastes, recycling of nutrients, the pollination of crops, and the regulation of our climate.  Many cultural services are to be considered here.  Our global economy cannot function without biodiversity.      

We need more protected areas, not just outside human cities, but inside as well.  We need connections between protected spaces so species can move from one area to the next.  We need to learn how to live with wildlife in our backyards. 

The students will partake in various activities that connect seemingly unrelated everyday products to their biological sources. 

 

Module 3: Political Action (2 hours) November 12th- 10:00 to noon at ALSA

Dr Djoghlaf, Executive Director of the CBD is quoted as saying "We are experiencing the greatest wave of extinctions since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Extinction rates are rising by a factor of up to 1,000 above natural rates. Every hour, three species disappear. Every day, up to 150 species are lost. Every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct.” 

Our planet’s future rests on the conservation of our irreplaceable natural heritage- our biodiversity.  Species are being lost at an unprecedented rate with massive consequences for our planet, the economy, and our health. 

Understanding our place in the global community is key to this process. The students will meet face-to-face with youth that have been active in the formation of the International Youth Accord for Biodiversity and its presentation in Nagoya, Japan at COP10 in October 2010.  Students will be made aware of local, national, and international opportunities as possible venues for involvement.   

THE BIODIVERSITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, NWT

Red-necked Grebe on nest

Meandering rivers

Mating dragonflies

Greater Scaup (Male)

Fritillary butterfly

Caribou

Lichens

Greater Yellowlegs

A QUICK REVIEW OF OUR BIODIVERSITYMATTERS SUCCESSES!

• 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)

YOUTH MEETING FROM SATURDAY, FEB. 26

 

 

On Saturday February 26th, the Biodiversity Matters Youth Board had their second meeting for 2011. It was held in Ottawa with several youth from around the Ottawa Region and we had three youth that skyped in from the USA, Mexico and Panama. The meeting discussion covered a number of different issues including the Third Youth Symposium in India in 2012, possible activities for May 22nd  2011- Biodiversity day, activities for the year of youth, and the year of forestry! There is a possibility that Ashbury College will host a special one day event on May 22.  Our team will divide our offical listing of partners between us so we can post our partner's work regularily.  We also discussed how to get more youth communicating on our blog- please spread the word! We want to hear from you! We are planning our next Biodiversity Youth Board Meeting on Saturday March 26th at ASLA. We would like to expand the group of youth, so if you are interested bring a friend, please contact us.  All are welcome! 

LOOKING BACK AT 2010!

Our International Youth Accord was our main focus this year as was getting as many youth as possible to COP10 in Nagoya.  Here is a look back at some of our favourite moments!

Green Week in Belguim

Presenting Jane Goodall with our Accord

Working with the CBD

Presenting the Accord to David Suzuki

Building our website

Working with the Durrell Wildlife Trust in the UK

Presenting at COP10 in October

Presenting the Accord to Harrision Ford at COP10

What adventures will 2011 bring?

Biodiversity Presentation - Fredericton

 

Jack and Clara Simpson made a presentation to a group of interested people at their church, St. Paul's United in Fredericton. Their presentation included a slide show of Jack's trip to Nagoya, Japan in August to attend the International Youth Conference on Biodiversity and Clara's trip to Japan to attend the COP 10 conference in October. We collected over 20 signatures in support of the Accord.