Ontario Nature Youth Council

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Ontario Nature Youth Council

The Youth Council is a group of 70+ motivated youth that work together to make positive environmental changes in Ontario.

Our Youth Council is a diverse provincial network that is dedicated to inspiring, connecting and educating our communities while protecting wild species and wild spaces in Ontario. Every year, more youth join the council after attending the Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Environmental Leadership which happens every September. Currently, the Youth Council is working on its pollinator campaign.

05/05/2026

Wetlands Field Trip 2026! 💚🐸🌲🥾 That’s a wrap on an incredible weekend of outdoor learning, salamander sleuthing, and muddy adventures. Thank you to our Youth Council, pals at Kilcoo Camp and stewards at Altberg Wildlife Nature Reserve for a weekend we will never forget! 🎉

05/03/2026

On our way through the forest at the 2026 Wetlands Field Trip, our Youth Council made an amazing discovery! 🦌🦴💚 Shout out to Youth Council member Madeleine for this awesome info!

04/10/2026

It’s National Wildlife Week! 🐸🐰🦆🐝🪱 Here are a few shots captured by our Youth Council and Education staff to show appreciation for Ontario’s wild species ❤️📸

Photo credits:
📸 Male and female wood ducks by Yiming C.
📸 Green heron by Riley G.
📸 Male and female Hooded mergansers by Santosh DT.
📸 Weevil by Santosh DT.
📸 Rusty blackbird by Yiming C.
📸 Earthworm by Madeleine R. ()
📸 Blood-coloured checkered beetle by Madeleine R.
📸 Red-spotted newt by Emily G.
📸 Eastern cottontail by Emily G.

11/10/2025

Good news! We are eligible for funding from L.E.A.F. Initiative! But we need a little help from our friends.

Each September, the Youth Summit for Mother Earth (YSME) brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across Ontario to learn, connect, and take action for the environment. By removing barriers like travel and accessibility costs, the YSME empowers youth from all backgrounds to lead change in their communities.

🔗 Visit the link in our bio to show your support with a comment!

Every bit of encouragement helps empower the next generation of environmental leaders. Thank you!

10/17/2025

What hides beneath the surface of a wetland? 🤔🔬

Wetlands are diverse ecosystems with much of their biodiversity existing below the water’s surface. Every species found in wetlands has a responsibility and role within the ecosystem, including benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs or “benthos”)! Benthos are organisms that reside on, in, or close to the bottom of bodies of water.

➡️ Swipe to learn more about some of the incredible BMIs that call wetlands home!

💡 Curious to learn more about benthic invertebrates? Check out our blog “The Hidden World of Benthic Macroinvertebrates.” Link in bio!

🧠 Want to test your knowledge? Try the benthos crossword and word search at the end of the post!

(Post, activities and microscope photos created and taken by Apurva Sugenthiran, Julianne Ho, and Zhao Qin.)

09/19/2025

You’re invited! 👋 Join the Ontario Nature Youth Council for a walk through the wetlands at Huron Natural Area in Kitchener! At this event, we will be learning more about the importance of wetland ecosystems, playing group games, and discussing what youth can do to protect these final ecosystems. To register, visit the link in our bio! 🔗

🗓️ Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
⏰ Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
📍 Location: Huron Natural Area, Kitchener, ON

This event is FREE and open to all ages and abilities. Everyone is welcome!

This event was made possible thanks to the Youth Climate Action Fund with the City of Kitchener and Ontario Power Generation.

03/14/2025

The 2025 March Break Birding Social was a success! On March 11, we explored the trails at High Park and recorded 16 different bird species, including Black-capped Chickadee, Red-bellied woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, Hairy woodpecker, Wood duck, and more! 🦆💚

Thanks to our pals at for lending us some binoculars for the day! 😊

12/20/2024

As we reminisce about this year’s Youth Summit and look towards the giving season, we wanted to share some photos of sessions and activities from the Youth Summit at ! 💚

With the support of our generous program funders and sponsors, youth participants from all across Ontario were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops and sessions led by event partners, members of the Ontario Nature Youth Council, Youth Circle for Mother Earth’s Coordinating Circle, program alumni, Elders, knowledge holders and other specialists. We are also so grateful to Abraham Francis for their virtual keynote speech in November.

Here’s a quick recap of what sessions, sharing circles and workshops participants did at this year’s Youth Summit:

🌲 Traditional Haudenosaunee Opening and Closing Ceremonies

🌲 Cultural Humility and Empathy

🌲 Birding and Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas-3

🌲 Traditional Beading

🌲 Nature Photography

🌲 The Wonderful World of Wetlands

🌲 Herptiles of Ontario

🌲 Wetlands Advocacy

🌲 Climate Action

🌲 Navigating Eco-Anxiety and Activism

🌲 Building Confidence

🌲 Nature Bingo (BAKNAAGE!)

Miigwech – nya:wen – yaw^ko – tansi – hiy-hiy – nakurmiik – merci – thank you to everyone who made the 2024 Youth Summit for Mother Earth another weekend to remember!

Have you read our blog about the Youth Summit yet? Hear directly from youth participants at the link in our bio. 🔗

Stay tuned for details about the 2025 Youth Summit by following and .

** The 2024 Youth Summit for Mother Earth was undertaken with financial support from  ’s Commemoration Fund for the Victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy, Comart Foundation, RBC Foundation, , , The McLean Foundation, , The Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, , , .co and the support of organizations, Ontario Nature’s Nature Network and Ontario Nature members.

11/12/2024

📣 Join us for a keynote speech from this year’s speaker, Abraham Francis, and reconnect after the in-person 2024 Youth Summit. This keynote is open to all youth aged 14-30. Registrants who could not join us for the in-person Youth Summit have the option of receiving a mini resource kit in the mail.

📅 November 21, 2024
⏰ 6-7:30 PM ET
📍 Zoom, registration required

🎙️ ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Abraham Francis is Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) from Akwesasne and Deer Clan. He has a BSc in Microbiology, 2014, and MSc in Natural Resources, 2019, from Cornell University. Recently, they became a Ph.D. candidate at Clarkson University studying Environmental Science and Engineering. Previously, Abraham was the Environmental Services Manager for the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. The position allowed him to develop and implement projects inspired and directed by community needs and influenced by his research interests. His research interests are at the intersection of environmental studies, Indigenous methodologies, community engagement, education, health, social services, law, and cultural foundations as a means for empowerment and healing within Indigenous Communities. He hopes to bring all his research interests and passions together within his dissertation, which is targeted at creating tools to support other Indigenous Communities to care for their environments from their biocultural contexts. Abraham has cultivated their expertise around their research and grown an extensive network of Indigenous Scholars/Knowledge Sharers, and Allies that carry a variety of expertise. Their expertise and network inspired the founding of the Aronia Collective, which seeks to align Indigenous Communities with experts to meet their unique needs and non-Indigenous organizations to engage Indigenous peoples meaningfully.

To register for this event, visit the link in our bio!

See you there! 🎙

11/08/2024

Are you a high school student who wants to be part of a growing network of young environmental leaders in Ontario? We are looking for high school students in Ontario who are passionate about nature, fun-loving, and environmentally aware for the 2024-2025 Ontario Nature Youth Council!

As a member of the Youth Council, you will:

✅ Take action on conservation issues including wetland protection, pollinator awareness, habitat restoration, and advocating for biodiversity.
✅ Plan and host events including Our Special Spaces (community conservation volunteering events) and the annual Youth Summit for Mother Earth.
✅ Deliver presentations, workshops and outreach booths with support from Ontario Nature staff.
✅ Meet like-minded youth from across Ontario.

As part of the Youth Council, you will also earn community involvement volunteer hours towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), receive a membership package in the mail, make meaningful connections with Ontario Nature staff, and develop leadership skills.

📝 Interested? Fill out your application by January 1st, 2025 to join the 2024-2025 Youth Council. LINK IN BIO!

If you have any questions about the Youth Council, please reach out to Emily at [email protected].

Address

Minden, ON

Website

http://www.ontarionature.org/youthcouncil

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