August 27, 2021

In this new partnership, CPAWS Southern Alberta brought ecojustice education to four camps across the city. Together, we explored every human’s right to be in nature: our right to play, explore, be safe, be healthy, and to have clean water and healthy food. Through active games, community mapping, and art, the kids learned that it is their right to belong in nature. Who belongs in nature? You do! I do! We all do!

In the CPAWS games and activities, kids discovered unjust barriers to nature that community members (including themselves) may face. These activities led to rich discussions on how to overcome these barriers to champion nature solutions and opportunities for all. Throughout the program, we posed several questions to the groups, that we would love you to consider as well:

• Who are the members of your community? What about plants, animals, and other nature community members? 
• What are the needs of members in your community? 
• Are the needs of all community members met?  
• What resources in the community can be better utilized to address needs? 
• How can you help fellow community members experience nature if they don’t have those same opportunities as you?

Kid-created solutions included borrowing or lending gear and clothes, donating old gear and clothes, sharing knowledge, and finding green spaces within walking distance. What other solutions can you create and champion? 

With all of us looking out for one another, we are building HOPE for our community, for Calgary, and for Alberta. Remember that your voices matter, and every small action that you take, could mean the world for someone else. It could help you and your family get outside more, it could help someone else experience nature for the first time. CPAWS knows that with all of you helping to build that hope, we will see even more smiles and faces in nature and conservation.

The development of these camp experiences is part of our new bioDIVERSITY project and was supported by The City of Calgary and Alberta EcoTrust. Learn more about our journey to break down social barriers and get everybody outside and taking environmental action:https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/biodiversity-project/