Join the BGYN & help make our voice louder!

Whether you are a member of a school eco-club, have a general interest in the environment or want to learn where to start, we want to hear from YOU!

By sharing ideas, resources, successes and by working together on school and community eco-projects, as youth we can have a greater impact with a louder voice.

After all, it is OUR future.

By joining the free Network you can: 

• Get involved in the planning of Burlington's Youth Environmental Conference "Imprints: Make your Mark, Leave no Trace"!
• Attend monthly meetings  with guest presenters & snacks!
• Share ideas & work on projects as a network
• Volunteer with our community partners helping the planet through action events like Invasive Species Removals, Native Species Plantings, Shoreline Restoration, Clean-ups, Event Greening & more (even intern opportunities at BG!)
• Meet new friends who care about the environment!

and......Have fun too !

Check out this video we created when our Network was nominated for a Provincial People's Choice Award!

 What do BGYN members have to say about the Network?

“ My experiences with the Youth Network have truly transformed me as a person, and have positively influenced many other youth like me. The BurlingtonGreen Youth Network is what I describe as a powerful grassroots catalyst for very real and exciting youth-led action in improving the environment both locally and globally...I believe that the Network is a deeply vital and necessary program for the present and future well-being of the community. Aside from its crucial role in facilitating action by youth for the environment, the most precious element of the Network is its unique ability to creatively instill an unyielding spirit and drive and motivation and potential in each youth who participates in the program"

Andrew Wong - Youth Network Alumni

Sustain Ontario wants to know...

How you use local food in YOUR School?

During the whole month of May 2013, Sustain Ontario wants to hear all about how schools use local food in student nutrition programs, cafeteria, culinary arts program and at special events.

• What local fruits and vegetables do you like to use at your school?
• Where did you get them?
• What did you make?
• How did students get involved?

Let them know !

Post to their Facebook Page, send them a tweet to @ONFarm2School, or send them an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All entries will go into a draw to win an Eat-In Ontario fall harvest kit valued at $350. To learn more about the challenge and how your school can
start purchasing local food, visit Ontariofresh.ca/farmtoschool 

Fill the Digital Landfill #Litterati School Programs

Litterati School Programs from "The Starfish"

What are they looking for?

Students and teachers within an interested school to track and monitor their community's litter.

What is Litterati?       

Litterati combines technology, social awareness and art to tackle the escalating problem of litter, one piece at a time. Using Instagram, users photograph litter in their community. These photographs are put into a collection called the “Digital Landfill”. Users are asked to photograph a piece of litter and properly dispose it after. These are things that are not in their right place and need to be moved. They are physically moved and properly disposed of, and virtually moved into a growing digital landfill. This allows users to track the litter in their community and see how other communities worldwide are dealing with litter. It provides users with a way to discuss litter on a global scale.

What are the benefits to students?

 It is an opportunity to gain experience with a new and growing NGO

• Students can learn how to use new technologies and communicate with communities worldwide
• This looks terrific on a CV
• Students can put this towards their volunteer hours.

How can your school participate?

Class activity: Teachers taking their classroom out on litter walks

Environmental Club: Groups of students (environmental clubs) going out on litter walks

Community Building: Groups of students and teachers focusing on a particular type of litter that is prominent in their community

Competition: Participating schools have also used competitions for the 'best' photograph and teamed with local coffee shops to host galleries at the end of such events.

Contact Information:

 If your school is interested, please email Tomasz or Jeff from the Starfish for more information

Jeff Kirschner                 Tomasz Wiercioch

Founder, Litterati        Social Media Coordinator, The Starfish

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.               This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. a

"The Starfish" is Looking for Volunteer Writers!

Are YOU Passionate About Environmental Issues?

Do you enjoy Writing? 

If the answer to either of those questions is yes than you could have the opportunity to write about your passion and have it published on the starfish.ca (a popular environmentally-focused blog)? 

What kind of articles are they looking for?

The Starfish has six categories of articles: Food/Agriculture, Biodiversity/Conservation, Health/
Lifestyle, Technology/Innovation, Sustainability, and Making a Difference. The article should fit
into one of these categories, and should be no more than 750 words. Students can write the articles
alone, in pairs or in groups.

How would the student writer(s) benefit?

• It is an opportunity to write about the issues that you/they are passionate about.
• The student is given real world experience in creative writing.
• Students can put this towards their volunteer hours (five hours for an article)
• This looks terrific on a CV

How this can be incorporated into the classroom?

• Student Initiative: Teachers can simply tell their students about the opportunity, pass on contact information and leave it up to the students if they want to participate.
• Assignment: Teachers can make it an assignment; have every child in the class write an article and the class can vote on one to submit to The Starfish.
• Competition: Teachers can tell the class about the opportunity, and those interested can compete, and the winner gets their article submitted to the Starfish.

How can the Starfish help?

The Starfish will provide a mentor and editorial role for volunteers. Students can run ideas past them and they can help them to come up with a topic and develop a great article. We will also be available to answer any questions students and teachers have about the types of articles we are looking for, or how to write a captivating article.

If teachers decide to have a competition, they can also help choose the winning article.

Contact Information: 

For any questions or comments about this programs, please contact Julia Shulist
or Tom Wiercioch via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Book YOUR Ride & Drive with Care Presentation

Are you interested in Active Transportation?

Would you like help spreading the message at your school?

The Ride and Drive with Care program may be for you! Led by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, the program targets both drivers and cyclists; encouraging them to use the road responsibly together. The program will be delivered this May and June, aiming to foster healthy behaviours, and create a healthy relationship between cyclists and drivers.

The first element of the program is a presentation done at a high school, preferably at an assembly so that the message can reach a maximum number of students. The presentation will incorporate a series of short videos that Share the Road has created, encouraging students to follow the rules of the road and to respect one another. The presentation can also be delivered with local law enforcement to further reinforce the benefits of increasing your reliance on active transportation and the importance of staying safe on the roads.

The second element of the program is a pledge that asks students and staff to commit to a number of actions, including riding predictably, being highly visible/communicative while on a bike and giving cyclists the room and respect they deserve when behind the wheel. The pledge can be signed physically, using supplied pledge cards or online, through the Ride and Drive with Care website.

Once members of your school community have signed up for the pledge, you will be given posters, gel wristbands for participants and support from Share the Road staff to help encourage cycling in their school. Students will be asked to track the number of trips they take on their bike and the number of km ridden. Share the Road staff will be able to assist by providing tips for how to increase your schools km ridden, ideas for how to organize group rides and weekly challenges to encourage participation.

There will be Prizes awarded to students at each school, and larger prizes to be awarded to the schools that see the highest levels of participation (the highest percantage of students involved, most km ridden etc). Prizes will be handed out at the end of June, and we will likely be recognizing some of the participating and winning schools at our Youth Bike Summit in Toronto in early October.

One of the best things about this program is that is is funded completely by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, which means that Share the Road is able to deliver posters, pledge forms, promotional wristbands, prizes and staff support for schools involved all at NO COST to the school. It is a great opportunity to educate new drivers and cyclists alike and to make getting to and from school safer for everyone!

For more on this exciting opportunity email Program Coordinator Justin Jones:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.