Eco-Youth Network (BGYN)
Here you will find the latest information about the BGYN (BurlingtonGreen Youth Network).
Remember, this page is dedicated to you - YOUTH - so check it out and offer your comments and ideas....
Earth Day Canada EcoMentors
Earlier this year I was invited by the Earth Day Canada EcoMentors and Ontario Nature to take part in their month-long Speaker`s Panel at the Royal Ontario Museum`s Shad Gallery of Biodiversity.
EDC & Ontario Nature had teamed up to host these events to celebrate Earth Month and had invited youth ages 15-24 to participate for free on each Saturday throughout the month of April. All of the workshops that were hosted leading up to the speaker`s panel focused on `Life` & Biodiversity with the topics ``Life is Diverse``, ``Life is Interconnected`` & ``Life is At-Risk`` culminating in a Speaker`s Panel with three of Canada`s most prominent Young Environmentalists.
I was invited to act as the moderator along with Kirsten Falkenburger, a young environmentalist from Oakville. They each shared their own journey as young environmentalists as well as the projects they are currently involved in. The event was described as the following:
"As inheritors of the environmental legacy of past generations, young people have a lot at stake, but what role can youth play in the environmental movement?
How can young people make a difference? Where do youth get started?
Make sure to join us for this interactive moderated panel featuring some of today’s most prominent and inspiring young eco-leaders.
Learn how they’ve created positive change. Find out what it takes to be a young green leader. Get advice on how you can make a difference too"
The event was well attended by youth involved in the EcoMentors program. It was very encouraging for the attendees to be able to see other environmentalists turn their passion into a career.
Many of the youth in the audience related most to Jasmeet who started exactly where they are, as a shy grade ten student. Her environmental journey began when she noticed all of the recyclables from her school being thrown in the garbage and she decided to do something about it. She found a teacher and a few friends that helped her start her school`s Eco-club and together, they were able to start a successful recycling program that still exists at the school today. After the success achieved in the environmental club, she was interested in finding other environmental clubs doing work in her community which eventually led to her creating the Peel Environmental Youth Alliance which is similar to the BGYN, only they work with all of Peel. After leaving high school, she continued her work as a journalist covering important issues like climate change at the united nation conferences in Poland and Denmark.
Jasmeet is a perfect example of someone who started off by seeing something she knew was wrong and worked with those around her to fix it. She applied what skills she had and was open to developing new ones in order to help the planet and empower those around her to help the planet as well.
You can learn more about the 2012 Earth Month Workshop Series, the other speakers and the two moderators including me on the EDC Webpage here.
If you or your group would like to get trained as EcoMentors visit our webpage article here
Check out the Facebook Album for photos of the events on the EcoMentors Facebook Page here
"Lock -In & Unplug" with the Burlington Public Library
Earlier this year the BurlingtonGreen Youth Network was approached by the Burlington Public Library`s Teen Services Librarians about partnering together for an environmentally themed event. We held the event on Aug 19th of 2012 and titled it "lock in and unplug", challenging participants to turn off their phones and gadgets and spend the whole night without updating their status or checking their Twitter Feeds.
We were all locked in to the library from 7pm to 8am for a night of interconnected workshops, games and activities. The Lock-in was designed to help participants become more aware of their environmental impact, as individuals on our shared planet. They were also provided with inspiration, tools and resources on why and how they can live a greener lifestyle...
We started the night making really cool nametags out of salvaged pieces of wood before moving on to a group ice breaker, a team scavenger hunt, a recycling relay and some other fun eco-games. After a break for some snacks we broke into our BGYN-led workshops. After the Eco-workshops we were all free to participate in a bunch of different activities like hemp-bracelet making, playing board/card games or watching "No Impact Man".
Our workshops were led by 3 BGYN members (Taginder Clair, Bochen Han & Emma Fisher-Cobb) with one focused on the environmental footprint of food and a second was focused on waste and consumption. The waste workshop focused on participants reflecting on their contributions towards this issue (clothing, hygiene product, school supplies, etc.). Once everyone looked at how they were contributing to the problem then it was time for fun games like Pictionary and taboo to springboard discussion on how each person can work towards living a Zero Waste lifestyle. The workshop ended with an upcycling activity where participants made bird feeders out of old picture frames and wire mesh.
The food workshop focused on the impact of people’s daily food choices. The workshop highlighted issues like imported foods and meat production and provided the participants with information and resources that could help them eat local, organic and lower on the food chain as often as possible. After learning about why and how they should eat local the participants finished off the workshop by making fruit smoothies from locally grown fruits and vegetables.
`` I learned that there's actually a lot of student involvement with BurlingtonGreen that I never even knew about. I also learned they weren't like some groups who go overboard with being environmentally friendly like telling everyone to become vegans and "be one with nature". Instead they wanted to teach youth about how we can help local farmers maintain their businesses by buying fresh, healthy vegetables from the Farmer's Market and keeping ourselves healthy as well…`` Lock-in Participant
This Library Lock In with an eco focus was the first event of its kind and it was a big success! We were able to introduce a group of students who were unfamiliar with the BGYN to a new way of thinking about how their choices and actions affect the planet every day.
``I had such a blast, I met a lot of great people and found some new opportunities! It would be awesome if you contacted me if there is another one!`` Lock-in Participant
``I loved the late night adventures and bonding through the eco activities! I would not change anything, I did not find anything unpleasant and I would attend again``
You can check out the coverage of our event in Burlington Snap here & the Facebook album on the Burlington Public Library Teen Scene Facebook Page here
BGYN Meeting Agendas & Minutes
Miss a Meeting? No Problem...
Check out all of our past BGYN meeting Agendas & minutes below..
2013
January 10th 2013
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February 7th 2013
March 7th 2013
April 4th 2013
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May 2nd 2013
June 6th 2013
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July 4th 2013
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August 1st 2013
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September 5th 2013
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October 3rd 2013
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November 7th 2013
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December 5th 2013
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2012
December 6th 2012
November 1st 2012
October 11th 2012
July 5th 2012
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June 14th 2012
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May 3rd 2012
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April 12th 2012
March 1st 2012
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February 2nd 2012
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January 12th 2012
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2011
December 8th 2011
November 10th 2011
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2010
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May 13th 2010
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April 8th 2010
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March 4th 2010
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February 4th 2010
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January 7th 2010
2009
December 2009
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November 5th 2009
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October 1st 2009
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September 10th 2009
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August 6th 2009
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April 2nd 2009
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March 5th 2009
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February 5th 2009*
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Thank you Halton Green School Challenge Participants !
For our Imprints 2012 Youth Conference we decided to include a Green School Challenge to provide Halton Schools the opportunity to show off the awesome Eco-work they have been doing in their schools so that the entire attending audience could learn some ideas to transfer back to their schools to take action locally!
We had many schools apply to participate in the challenge and the 10 schools selected to participate were the following: White Oaks Secondary School, Aldershot High School, Georgetown District High School, Ecolé Forest Trail School, Christ the King Catholic High School, Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, Halton Waldorf School, St. Gabriel School, Oakville Trafalgar High School & Guardian Angels School
The displays were lined up throughout the Burlington Performing Arts Centre Lobby for all of the 700+ students and teachers to see and be inspired by. It was quite a sight to see the hundreds of participants scanning the displays in awe of the work that went into them and the excitement of seeing so many eco-project ideas they could take back and apply at their schools.
The displays were reviewed by our judging panel who used criteria such as the number of initiatives the displays captured, the positive impact of their projects on the environment, the creativity and innovation of the display as well as how much of the display was made out of recycled materials.
Congratulations to The Halton Waldorf School who received the greatest number of points!
Here is a photograph of their great display showcasing their many environmental efforts.
You can see a photo of student representatives from Halton Waldorf School receiving their special award recognition from Dr. Goodall herself HERE !
All 10 school displays were very impressive and inspiring and we are grateful to all the dedicated teams that participated. We hope all of the participating schools will continue to showcase their displays back at their schools all year long so the efforts & ideas can continue to be shared and serve as ongoing inspiration to others.
The Imprints Make Your Mark; Leave No Trace Youth Conference is not only about what participants learn but it is very much about inspiring youth empowerment to take action to help the planet. Our event provides a rare opportunity for Eco-minded students and teachers to come together and be inspired and re-energized by each other. Most often, individual school eco clubs work in isolation and there is an incredible energy in the air when all of these students and teachers have the chance to connect and see that they are not alone in the work they are doing back in their schools.
BurlingtonGreen congratulates & offers thanks to all the schools in Halton that are doing their part to help our one and only planet ~home.
We invite you to check out the 10 school displays by CLICKING HERE.
We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
BGYN Third in People's Choice Contest!
BurlingtonGreen would like to thank all the people of Burlington who voted for us during our recent People's Choice Award campaign.
Thousands of votes were entered and many of you provided superb, inspiring comments about the valuable work our Youth Network team contributes in helping to create a cleaner, greener Burlington.
Thanks to all who voted, we are thrilled to announce that our BGYN placed third out of 18 nominees and hundreds of youth programs throughout the province.
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Check out a super video created by the BGYN ...
BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association received exciting news from the Ontario Trillium Foundation that our innovative Youth Program is up for recognition among hundreds of province-wide programs !
"On March 23, the Foundation will be honouring the best of the best - those organizations that exemplify excellence, innovation and leadership in building healthy communities across the province. We will showcase eight organizations our volunteer and staff think are truly extraordinary in terms of impact, innovation or collaboration.
Great Grant Award recipients will have been identified from among some 4,500 charitable or not-for-profit groups that received OTF support in recent years, and selected from among nominees from across the province”, states Ontario Trillium Foundation information.
Nominated for a People’s Choice Award, we are spreading the word about the contest in an effort to garner the most votes. The Network is competing among 18 Ontario groups.
“We are very proud of our team of youth and their many contributions benefitting the health of Burlington’s environment. It is so exciting that the province has recognized their extraordinary efforts as well. We hope that everyone in Burlington will take a moment to vote and to vote often to highlight to everyone in Ontario that Burlington Youth are the best” said Amy Schnurr, Executive Director of the non-profit association."
The organization with the most number of votes was announced along with other awards at a gala luncheon in Toronto on March 23, 2012