YOUTH CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES
Change your life, Change the world
Angela Rehhorn
The Couchiching Conservancy is offering a new youth community science program that will provide opportunities for local youth (between the ages of 15 and 30 years old) to participate in conservation projects. The Angela Rehhorn Commemorative Project, will allow youth to be involved in making roads safer for wildlife and removing fences on the landscape, and will also introduce them to options available for a career in conservation.
This project has been made possible through Commemoration Fund for the Victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy, which honours the Canadian victims and their families
One victim was Angela Rehhorn, who grew up in Orillia, attended Patrick Fogarty Secondary School, and went on to study Marine Biology at Dalhousie University. Angela was a dedicated Conservancy volunteer and engaging with youth, fostering their relationship with the land and guiding them to actively contribute to conservation is a fitting way to honour her memory.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Why Youth:
As cliché as it may sound, you are our last hope to ensure natural landscapes and wildlife are protected for the next coming generations. Do you ever ponder and think about what your connection with nature is? How much of your childhood memories were built around nature and wildlife?
Ask yourself - what is your connection with nature now?
The Youth Stewardship Program offers youth the opportunity to reconnect with those who are like minded and share similar values of protecting and conserving nature. Also, this a great way to collect community volunteer hours or build your resume by working closely with an environmental mentor.
How does it work?
- Youth Stewardship program is made of three core initiatives (seasonal): Trail Cams, Wildlife on Roads, and Release the Wild - all aimed to protect and conserve natural landscapes and enhance habitat connectivity.
- The workshops are a one-day event- consists of crash course lesson, followed by field trip to apply what you learned in class.
- What is provided? - Transportation from Grant Wood's office to selected Nature Reserve for that workshop and safety training and equipment.
- Who is it for? -Youth (15- 30 years old), perfect for those who are in high school, post-secondary school, taking a gap year, or wanting to learn about conservation.
Trail Cams- Winter
As you walk through the trails and natural landscapes, do you wonder about the diverse wildlife living within these habitats? Imagine being able to see the rich ecosystems and the beautiful wildlife that call these forests home. We invite the youth to explore the secrets of the wilderness through this workshop and trail trip. This is your opportunity to become a wildlife documentarian- your trail camera setup will contribute to the documentation of the reserve’s biodiversity.
Stay tuned for this winter workshops!
Release the Wild- Spring
Join us in the journey to release the wild! Are you passionate about fostering a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature? If so, we invite you to join this mission to 'literally' remove barriers for wildlife, allowing them to roam freely within their natural habitats. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 27th!
Wildlife on Roads- Summer
Youth will learn how to document and submit data from observations of wildlife on roads. This information is gathered by The Couchiching Conservancy in order to identify where wildlife is crossing roads to access nature reserves, whether or not they cross successfully, and how current road design and infrastructure effect these statistics. Save the dates:
Saturday, June 8th
Saturday, July 6th
Alysha and Victoria with a dead painted turtle hatchling at Whitney Wetland. Photo taken by Aiesha Aggarwal
Wildlife on Roads: Youth Program
Are you interested in volunteering on a more consistent basis? Besides the workshops, you can also sign up to be a regular youth wildlife on roads volunteer!
