Red pines, Lake Nipigon Provincial Park © Brett Whaley CC BY-NC 2.0
About
The Youth Circle for Mother Earth project aimed to create and support a cross-cultural network of young Indigenous and non-Indigenous environmental leaders looking to honour their responsibilities and relationship with Mother Earth.
The project was led by the Indigenous Environmental Institute at Trent University, Plenty Canada, Walpole Island Land Trust and Ontario Nature.
Youth Circle for Mother Earth Leadership Retreat © Christine Ambre
How the Project Started
The idea for the project was birthed from these four partners working together to host two gatherings in Peterborough and London to discuss and help inform future dialogue on next steps for Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Ontario.
At the London gathering, a panel of eight youth shared their thoughts about the issues being discussed and next steps. They called for action. We must reform systems and include youth in conversations, networks and decision-making. The youth made recommendations, and our partners listened.
Transforming Conservation Gathering, youth voices panel © Christine Ambre
Join the Youth Council
We are grateful to all the youth who have been involved with the Youth Circle for Mother Earth and the learnings gained from this project.
To continue learning and caring for Mother Earth, Ontario Nature is seeking Indigenous and non-Indigenous high school aged youth to join the 2025–26 cohort of their Youth Council.
Youth panel, Protected Places and Climate Action Gathering © Christine Ambre
Contact
If you have any questions about Ontario Nature’s youth programming, please email christinea@ontarionature.org.
Youth Circle for Mother Earth Leadership Retreat © Christine Ambre
The Youth Circle for Mother Earth project would not have been possible without the contributions from the following program sponsors:
Comart Foundation