Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-19), Montreal, CANADA

UNITED NATIONS meeting on BIODIVERSITY issues in Montreal (SBSTTA-19).  I brought three Grade 7 students from St-Laurent Academy School to participate at the YOUTH table at the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice.  These youth really inspired the crowd, to the point that even the chair came over later and shook their hands.  A special thank you to the Convention on Biological Diversity and to the Global Youth Biodiversity Network.
 

EMPOWERING YOUTH ON BIODIVERSITY ISSUES (OTTAWA, ONTARIO)

GRADES 5 TO 12
Today educators and students from St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, Devonshire Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School partnered together for our training program to accredit youth to become biodiversity leaders in their communities. 
 

This included conservation projects, outdoor classrooms, organic gardening, promoting locally sourced food, and political action.

We began with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. 

A final piece connected these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.

BIODIVERSITY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM- OTTAWA, CANADA

 

GRADES 5 TO 12
Biodiversity affects us all.  A global crisis is taking place now.  Scientists predict that we may lose half of all species on the planet by the end of this century.

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, educators from St-Laurent Academy, Notre Dame Catholic School, St. Patrick High School, Devonshire Public School, and Lady Evelyn Alternative School will partner together to develop a training program to accredit youth to become biodiversity leaders in their communities.  This included conservation projects, outdoor classrooms, organic gardening, promoting locally sourced food, political action (becoming politically literate) etc

We will begin with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. Students have now identified over 1400 species here.  A parallel language arts program at Devonshire Public School uses a web of local connections to build a template for environmental stewardship based on partnerships between local farmers, grocery store managers, a local restaurant, politicians, and community associations. Youth participants will walk away with a blue print for building both community-focused science and issues-based literacy programs designed to engage them as true defenders of their biological heritage.

A final piece will connect these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.  The students will hear video messages and meet professionals active in biodiversity issues.

We will begin with an introduction to the diversity of life that can exist in an urban setting as seen through our community-based Macoun Marsh restoration project led by St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High students. Students have now identified over 1400 species here.  A parallel language arts program at Devonshire Public School uses a web of local connections to build a template for environmental stewardship based on partnerships between local farmers, grocery store managers, a local restaurant, politicians, and community associations. Youth participants will walk away with a blue print for building both community-focused science and issues-based literacy programs designed to engage them as true defenders of their biological heritage.

A final piece will connect these local elements to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and its international mandate to highlight global environmental activism designed to change the way people think and act.  The students will hear video messages and meet professionals active in biodiversity issues.

Mike Leveille

Creation Myth- Canada

According to the Iroquois peoples, it was on a Sea Turtle's back that a sky woman helped to create the Earth. Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa

Macoun Marsh- A Unique Urban Wetland in Ottawa

Check out-

Macoun Marsh- A Unique Urban Wetland in Ottawa

CANADA- Statement on Divisional Court ruling on Ontario’s Endangered Species Act

TORONTO — Ontario’s Divisional Court has upheld a provincial regulation that exempts major industries from the Endangered Species Act and allows them to kill species at risk and destroy their habitat.
“This is a disappointing decision for Ontario’s endangered and threatened wildlife,” said Ecojustice lawyer Lara Tessaro. “The Endangered Species Act is intended to put species first — not to let their survival be balanced against competing industrial interests. That would tip the scale towards extinction.”

To read more see: http://www.ontarionature.org/media/news_template.php?n_code=740
 

May 22, 2015. International Biodiversity Day, Ottawa, Canada

 Our Grade 6 class celebrated IBD by painting local species on our Outdoor Observatory!

 Youth need a connection to a local space.

 Young people need to care about biodiversity in order to protect it.

WINNERS OF THE 2015 BIODIVERSITY GALA- OTTAWA, CANADA

Here are some photos of last weeks Biodiversity Gala in Ottawa.  Winners were picked by youth from different local schools. 

Governmental Support Award: Elizabeth May

Elizabeth Evans May OC MP is an American-born Canadian environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and politician currently serving as leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands. 
Image of Deborah Coyne, Senior Policy Advisory for the Green Party of Canada

The International Biodiversity Award- Geoff Green, Founder, Executive Director & Expedition Leader of Students on Ice Expeditions

Canadian adventurer, environmentalist and educator Geoff Green has been leading expeditions and adventures from pole to pole for the past twenty years. Many notable organizations such as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society and the Smithsonian Institution enlist Geoff to lead their groups into the world's most remote and interesting regions.

Local Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Jessica Walsh Moreau

Winner of the Ottawa Leading Girls Building Community Award, Jessica has been involved in the Macoun Marsh Biodiversity Project since its beginning.  She was also a leader in the 2009 International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity and in the formation of the International Youth Accord for Biodiversity that she co-presented in Nagoya, Japan for COP10.     

The St-Laurent Academy Biodiversity Award- Allan Leveille, Evan Mulcahy (St-Laurent Academy Youth and Biodiversity Mentors)
Allan and Evan represent some of the youngest of our original Biodiversity Youth Mentors.  They are very enthusiastic and proud to assist for tours at our local Macoun Marsh.  

International Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Lemuel Mena Vega (Mexico)

Lemuel Manases Mena Vega is a native of Cozumel and one of the founding members of the Park and Museum Foundation, which is dedicated to the conservation and maintenance of ecological parks and habitat in Cozumel. Lemuel has been most active in a project conserving and monitoring sea turtles and has presented at several international conferences, including the Second International Youth Forum in Canada in 2009. His long-term goal is to establish an environmental education business in Cozumel to get the native population active in conservation efforts.

International Youth Award for Biodiversity and Conservation- Christian Schwarzer (Germany)

Christian Schwarzer is a young German law student and a founder and member of the first Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)’ Steering Committee. The Global Youth Biodiversity Network provides aunique global platform where youth organizations and individuals can get in touch with each other and join forces for the protection of biodiversity.  He has been to 21 rounds of UN-negotiations.  Among them 6 COP meetings (2 UNFCCC and 4 CBD) as well as 15 subsidiary body and ad-hoc working group meetings of the UNFCCC and the CBD.