Cyclone Thane in Auroville, India

The location of the 3rd International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity this October in Auroville, India was hit by a terrible cyclone.  Because of this sad event, the Third International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity will be cancelled at this time.  We wish the very best to those affected by this storm. 

Aftermath of Cyclone Thane in Auroville, India

Location of the 3rd International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity this October, Auroville, India was hit by a terrible cyclone.

Here are some on the clean up efforts - the first in about the general Auroville area, and the next one is on the Auroville Botanical Garden.

Auroville's General Cleanup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_hf7Hz8kQ

Auroville Botanical Garden Cleanup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4auvAvfGiM0

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

Image with the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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.

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.

EARTH DAY CANADA ECOMENTORS AND BIODIVERSITYMATTERS- OTTAWA

It was an honour to work with Earth Day Canada today and present our International Youth Accord.  Chafic and Jessica presented their international work in Nagoya, Japan during COP10.  We made an invitation for youth to take part in the many events leading up to COP11.   

BIODIVERSITYMATTERS YOUTH MEETING

Today, at our youth meeting, we talked about developing the biodiversity blog, the local May 22 Youth Conference at Ashbury, and the 2012 COP11 trip to India. Chafic showed us a baby bearded dragon too!  We then had a pizza lunch at Macoun Marsh.  Stay tuned for more updates.  

NEXT BIODIVERSITYMATTERS YOUTH MEETING

April 30th, 2011 (10-12 noon)
We will meet at ASLA School in Ottawa, CANADA and skype with international youth.  Top subjects will be our local Biodiversity youth event at Ashbury College and the 2012 COP11 event in Auroville, India. 

Biodiversitymatters goals

Our Biodiversitymatters goals are three-fold- 1. Local biodiversity-related youth gatherings and public education, 2. Networking with international youth groups through our blog, to share success stories and discuss issues, 3. To assist teams in the development of international youth events as is planned in India in 2012. 

LOOKING BACK!

The Second International Youth Symposium in Canada grew out of an earlier Symposium in 2006 developed by New Hampshire high school teacher Dan Bisaccio.  Dan has been teaching biological field research courses to students for over 25 years. He has developed field tropical ecology courses in Costa Rica, Belize, Jamaica, and Mexico and taken over 400 students to the tropics with him. 

In 2005, Dan brought 73 high school students from 9 nations together for the First Youth Symposium for Biodiversity.  This was held in Quintana Roo, Mexico. 

Next year, there are plans to have a Third Youth Symposium for Biodiversity in Auriville, India.  This event is to take place before COP11.  

Mike Leveille

MINUTES OF SATURDAY'S BIODIVERSITY YOUTH MEETING

Chair- Sarina (University of Ottawa)

Attendees were mostly from Ottawa, Canada with 3 youth skyping from New Brunswick, Waterloo- Ontario, and Panama. 

AGENDA

DISCUSSIONS:

1- THIRD INTERNATIONAL YOUTH SYMPOSIUM in Auroville, India:

Many new developments here- this could be a pre-event to the COP11 Youth events. 

When? Late September- Early October, 2012

Who? 150 Youth- divided into 2 groups

How? Youth would submit proposals from their home country/ panel of judges will review proposals in accordance to specific guidelines. 

Organizers will create a "survival guide" and supply list for students coming from outside India

2. DEVELOPING THE BIODIVERSITY BLOG

Youth will take on the responsibility to contact some of our partners to place their updates on our blog.  We will focus on their international work first- then national, then local. 

Here are the following organizations we will distribute between the youth:

Jane Goodall’s roots and shoots- Anastasia (Ottawa)/ Jessica (Ottawa)

POWER Halton- Bethany (Waterloo, Ontario)

The Otesha Project- Madeleine (Ontario)

Little Rays Reptile Zoo- Jessica (Ottawa)

International Forestry Students Association (Indonesia)- Gillian (Ottawa)

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo- Sarina (Ottawa)

Canadian Museum of Nature- Mike (Ottawa)

David Suzuki Foundation- Kirsten (British Columbia)

Teens for Planet Earth- Keegan (Ottawa)

USC Canada- Sarina (Ottawa)

Earth Rangers- Bethany (Waterloo, Ontario)

Tapir Preservation Fund- Eric (Panama)

Robert Bateman’s Get to Know your wild neighbours’- Gillian (Ottawa)

Ashoka’s youth venture- available 

Its one humanity.org- available 

Onemoregeneration.org – available

Youth for conservation in Kenya- Luke (Ottawa)

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust- Mike (Ottawa)

Other- Stephen (Ottawa)

Other- Tim (Ottawa)

Some up-coming conferences that youth can be involved in!

 

May 16-19, 2011- 6th Annual International Symposium on Environment, Athens, Greece (National Technical University of Athens)

 

May 22, 2011- Ottawa Youth Conference on Biodiversity- Ashbury College, Ottawa, Canada

 

April 28, 2011- Youth Action, Montreal http://youthactionmontreal.org/2011-conference_keynote-speakers.php# 

 

September 8-12, 2011- Second World Biodiversity Congress, Sarasak, Malaysia 

 

September 23-25, 2011- Youth Summit for Biodiversity by Ontario Nature, Canada
 

December 20-22, 2011- National Conference on Environment and Biodiversity of India, New Delhi, India- Students welcome.

 

September, 2012- Third International Youth Symposium on Biodiversity- Auriville, India (In connection with COP11)

 

September 30- October 5, 2012- Eco-Summit, Columbus, Ohio State University

 

For more youth- related conferences and alerts see: http://www.conferencealerts.com/environment.htm

International Biodiversitymatters Youth Meeting- this Saturday

Please contact us if you would like to be involved in local or international events connected to biodiversity conservation.  E-mail us at lmleveille@rogers.com

Third Youth Symposium for Biodiversity

Great News!  Auroville, India will host the Third Youth Symposium for Biodiversity in 2012.  Please keep an eye on our blog for details as they arise!