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© Lora Denis
Cedar, 2021 Youth Summit © Arlo W
The 2021 Youth Summit for Mother Earth connected over 100 youth across Ontario through a weekend-long event held online, providing a meaningful platform to engage youth across cultures to protect nature in the spirit and practice of reconciliation. As part of the Youth Summit, challenges planned by youth, for youth gave participants the chance to spend time in nature and reflect on what they learned. This is the first blog of a series that showcases a few of the submissions of our youth participants based on a common theme.
“In this piece, I made the feathers of the peacock out of fallen leaves, to symbolize the beauty of nature. When people think of peacocks, they automatically think about how beautiful and majestical they are, and I believe that we need to have the same disbelief and wonder when it comes to nature around us, because even the fallen leaves in which we usually pay little attention to are immensely beautiful.”
“[This piece] is a representation of the idea that life is a circular entity… It is our responsibility not only to respect the natural cycles of humans, but all living things that coexist on this planet.”
“I want the wind to lift off the weight of the world
So I can start again,
Remind me of all I have
And all that will come,
Tell me stories from far away and a past I want to live in forever,
Play with my hair, brush out tousled curls,
Spin me faster and faster, round and round like a leaf
In free fall,
Catch me before I hit the Earth,
Carry me away in sky blue arms
To the castle in your branches”
“I look upon the Oak Ridges Moraine
I walk along the hills and grass
I relish the crisp pine-scented air while I can
For I do not know how long it will last
…
Its ridges undulate with rhythmic beauty
Like a serpent embodied by gravel and sand
When the storm brews and floods threaten
They defiantly stand to protect our land”
In addition to nature challenge submissions, youth also participated in virtual discussions and youth-led sessions on nature-inspired art, dealing with eco-anxiety, story sharing, climate action, biodiversity and networking.
Want to learn more about the event highlights or how to get involved? Visit our Youth Summit webpage or email our Conservation Education Coordinator, Christine Ambre, at christinea@ontarionature.org.
We are grateful for their support!
Wolf Lake © Ryan Mariotti
To the youth
You are a hope and inspiration for me and most adults I am sure.