Youth Summit for Mother Earth 2022, High Park Hub, Bird Hike © Ontario Nature
2022 Youth Summit for Mother Earth
From September 24-25, 2022 environmental leaders from across the province gathered in a hybrid version of our Youth Summit. While many attendees participated in the event online, in-person hubs were also held in Peterborough (Nogojiwanong), Walpole Island (Bkejwanong), Thunder Bay and Toronto.
In partnership with the Youth Council, the Youth Circle for Mother Earth partners and Coordinating Circle, this re-imagined gathering brought 36 young leaders and 4 youth mentors together through livestreaming and hubs. These youth represented communities across Ontario from as far as Windsor, Ottawa and Thunder Bay, with youth identifying from Indigenous communities and diverse cultures around the world.
Nogojiwanong Hub with Matt Levac, Youth Summit for Mother Earth 2022 © Maggie Cummings
Sessions
- Cultural humility
- Environmental visual art and storytelling
- Beauty of birding
- Orchid origami
- Digital communications and online advocacy
- Climate action and making your voice heard
- Two-eyed seeing and Ethical Space
- Medicine Wheel and 7 Sacred Teachings
- Clans and responsibilities
Youth Summit for Mother Earth 2022, Orchid-gami © Ontario Nature
Other Highlights From 2022
Youth who joined hubs on Sunday participated in activities such as:
- Creating a feast bundle and learning the history behind them in Bkejwanong
- Land-based activities and plant teachings in Nogojiwanong
- Conservation science through birding in Thunder Bay
- Birding and creating drama and writing inspired by the environment in Toronto
- Photo scavenger hunt and land invitation to reflect on connections to Mother Earth for virtual participants
Youth also participated in virtual discussions and youth-led sessions on networking, sustainability, story telling and a photo scavenger hunt.
This year’s keynote was Elder Shirley Williams (Migizi ow Kwe), member of the Bird Clan of the Ojibway and Odawa First Nations. She spoke of language, important elements in Anishinaabemowin: land (ki), air (nesewin), fire (mskkode) and water (nibi) and how youth can learn more and be better allies.
Youth Summit for Mother Earth 2022, High Park Hub, Bird Hike © Ontario Nature
Thank you to our Nature Network members and other organizations .
Their support made the 2022 summit successful.
- Bancroft Field Naturalists
- Bert Miller Nature Club
- Carden Field Naturalists
- Charleston Lake Association
- Credit Valley Conservation
- Durham Region Field Naturalists
- Eden Mills Eramosa River Conservation
- Friends of Mashkinonje
- Friends of Minesing Wetlands
- Friends of Ojibway Prairie
- Four Seasons Conservancy
- Friends of Salmon River
- Halton-North Peel Naturalists
- Huron Fringe Field Naturalists
- Ingersoll District Nature Club
- Kawartha Field Naturalists
- Leeds and Grenville Stewardship Council
- Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists
- Nature Barrie
- Nature London
- Nith Valley EcoBoosters
- North American Native Plant Society
- North Durham Nature Club
- Otter Valley Naturalists
- Peterborough Field Naturalists
- Quinte Field Naturalists
- South Peel Naturalists Club
- Thunder Bay Field Naturalists
- Thickson’s Woods Land Trust
- Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society
- Waterloo Region Nature
- Willow Beach Field Naturalists
- York Simcoe Nature Club
This project has been made possible by:
Ontario Nature members
Photo Gallery
Miigwetch – miigwech – nya:wen – hiy hiy – yaw^ko – nakurmiik – merci – thank you!*
*The above translations may differ from other Ojibwe, Kanien’kéha, Cree, Oneida and Inuktitut dialects, and reflect the languages shared with and spoken by members in the Youth Circle for Mother Earth’s Coordinating Circle and project partners.
Over the past 12 Youth Summits, we have engaged 231 communities across Ontario.