The Young People's Legacy - by Mila

The Global Youth Ambassadors worked with another group called the Young Professionals to come up with a Young People’s Legacy that would be presented during the closing ceremonies.  The team in total consisted of around 100 Congress participants aged 20-35 from all around the world.  As a group of like-minded individuals all working towards the same goal, I was incredibly surprised by the challenges and conflicts that arose in the process.  Many strong voices with differing opinions were involved that batted heads over what was most important to include in the legacy piece and what should be articulated in its presentation.  Eventually, the Young People’s Pact emerged.  The pact is a document outlining the concerns and commitments of young people as well as actions that organizations and agencies around the world can take to ensure the participation of young people in their processes.  I fully supported the document, but couldn’t help not to see it just as another report full of fancy words to add to the mix of reports that already exist.  I didn’t quite see how it would result in on-the-ground action and change.   

A large contingent of the young people (including myself) wanted our presentation at the closing ceremony to be noticed, and we knew that in order to do this, we had to make it as different as possible from the typical politicians’ speeches discussed above.  One of the major things I learned from the Congress was that, in order for presenters to connect with an audience, they need two things- creativity and emotion.  Creativity sparks the initial interest and pulls people away from their iPhones and tablets, while emotion gets through to the audience and evokes a response.  Much of the conflict amongst the young people coming up with the legacy revolved around finding a balance between creativity and professionalism.  We wanted to grab attention but also be taken seriously.  I ended up focusing my efforts on the creative side because I really believed that without it, the pact and presentation would just be another document and speech of nice-sounding words to add to the rest.  In order to accomplish this, a song was written by George Woodhouse called "Unleash the Heart (Unlock the Mind)" that essentially turned the pact into music- we performed it at Congress sessions, the closing plenary, and on a radio show.  We also organized a flash mob following the closing ceremony that got many of the Congress participants (including high-level politicians) dancing and laughing. 

It is difficult to articulate through written words the impact that a simple song and some dance moves had upon the Congress, but it really was profound.  Energy was infused into all 6000 participants and the hopeful optimism yet practical realism of the “next generation” was showcased.  Our display differed so drastically from the other presentations during the Congress that it caused an overwhelming amount of positive, emotional feedback to roll in.    

Here's a link to our radio broadcast!  

http://www.2ser.com/component/k2/item/12139-world-park-congress 

  Practicing dance moves on the train 

 George Woodhouse opening for Baba Brinkman with "Unleash the Heart (Unlock the Mind)"

Flash mob action shot!

Empowering Discussions – By Shailyn Drukis

During the World Parks Congress, I was actively involved in a variety of inspiring discussions, including some that shed light on the tremendous work that individuals are doing to connect people with parks and nature, as well as the need for intergenerational dialogues.

Last week I was invited to present a case study during the Stream 8 Intergenerational Dialogues for Protected Areas Management session. As a founder of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network, I outlined the role that intergenerational dialogues have played in its establishment, continued growth, and its success as the main youth constituency at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. I found this session to be particularly inspiring because the majority of the individuals who attended were adults who were quite keen to integrate youth into their organizations and decision making processes. 

Later that afternoon I co-facilitated the ‘Empowering Young People to be Agents of Change’ session. Thirteen individuals from around the world (U.S., Australia, Vietnam, Papa New Guinea and Guinea Bissau) shared the work that they are doing in their schools and communities to connect youth to nature and parks. The room was packed, the stories being shared were inspiring, and people were so motivated and intrigued by what they heard that many of them stayed afterwards to chat with each other and the speakers (what I consider to be a huge success!).  Overall, I was left with a lot of hope for the future of parks, and the role that youth will play in the conservation of these important areas. 

Apart from the sessions that I was directly involved in, I also attended many sessions that I felt would contribute to my academic research, including workshops on landscape connectivity, capacity building, citizen science, protected area climate change adaptability, and those related to the recent Convention on Biological Diversity outcomes.  These conversations, although frustrating at times (because some people do not always recognize the spatial variability of systems and processes), were generally very intriguing, and contributed greatly to my personal research of these topics. 

I also had the opportunity to attend a couple different networking evening events, including the Canadian Delegates dinner, as well as the Mountain Stream dinner. It was at the mountain dinner that I got to meet and talk to Harvey Locke, an individual that I find incredibly inspiring (founder of the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative). He was very interested in the research that I am doing in the Kluane National Park region, and was full of positive support and encouragement.

It's A Small World After All - Claire

Wow! What a week! My brain is buzzing and my heart is full. On Wednesday the World Parks Congress came to a close. The week was a whirlwind of thought provoking speakers, sessions, inspiring conversations and exceptional company. I learned more about areas of interest such as environmental education, sustainable tourism practices and the health benefits of being immersed in nature. In addition I exposed myself to concepts which I’d had little knowledge of prior to the congress. A non-stop supply of interesting facts, people and learning opportunities came full throttle in 8 short days. Now that the week has come to a wrap it’s time to sit back and digest.

Something that has really resonated with me during my time at the congress are the unexpected connections. One evening taking a late train after a long day, I started conversation with a fellow congress attendee. As it turned out he was also from Canada and spent time living in my current place of residence. We soon discovered he worked on the steering committee for the conservation area I had worked in during the summer. The following day I attended a session related to a peoples’ sense of place in nature. I had actually cited this researcher’s work in my master’s thesis. Throughout the week I came across a number of people whose research I admired. These connections made the world seem a little smaller and my contributions more meaningful in the big picture.

Equally as important as hearing from inspirational leaders were the conversations shared with my fellow youth delegates. In taking time getting to know many of them, I realized I was surrounded by a group of thought provoking people doing amazing things. These people give me hope for the future of the planet because these individuals ARE and will CONTINUE to make a difference.

This past week was not just an opportunity to feel an increased sense of connection to the planet but also an increased connection with the people who are making it a better place. Stories inspire. They are also capable of reaching people of all ages and cultures. There is a certain electric energy that comes when people that are passionate about a cause get together, and I was fortunate to hear so many unforgettable stories in the last several days. After a high-energy week we needed a plan for moving forward, so that the excitement didn’t end with the closing ceremonies. In the Inspiring a New Generation stream we were asked to make a short-term commitment of how we could better the future through our actions.  I committed to taking young people who haven’t had many opportunities to spend time in nature, outside.

What will your commitment be?

Parks Canada staff past and present with Parks Canada CEO Alan Latourelle

Mila and I after closing ceremonies 

Stream 8 'Inspiring a New Generation' Commitment Wall

Global Youth Ambassadors post Congress, enjoying the scenery at Blue Mountains National Park  

….Stay tuned as I will provide an update of my post-congress adventures touring  around the national parks of Australia!

Yours in Camping,

Claire

A Very Friendly Cockatoo- By Mila

After the Congress, I had one final day in Australia before heading home to the rain, exams and assignments that await in Vancouver.  I embarked upon a journey to the Blue Mountains National Park with a group of about 10 young people from Canada, Australia, the US and the Netherlands.  We stayed in the town of Katoomba, which is only about a two-hour train ride from Sydney.  My main desire for the trip was to go on a hike and experience some real Australian wilderness.  The day ended up being exactly the refresher we all needed after eight days straight of intense thinking, listening and discussing. 

We started our hike at Echo Point and the Three Sisters, which were both beautiful spots but swarming with tourists.  However, as I usually find is the case with popular park areas, it only took about ten minutes of hiking to escape the crowds.  The Blue Mountains National Park is a vast landscape of dense, rolling forest surrounded by dramatic outcrops and sheer cliffs.  The view extended as far as the eye could see and reminded me of the immense size of protected areas and how integral they really are for the health of our planet.  We descended a set of steep stairs to the valley bottom, constantly listening to the loud squawks produced by nearby birds.  Having two Australian Scout leaders along was very handy because they were able to tell us about all of the wildlife, plants and sounds we encountered along the way.  We saw two Lyre birds, which were brown and white with long tail feathers (to the Scout leaders’ dismay, us Canadians mistakenly thought they were peacocks at first).   Lyre birds are an iconic species of the New South Wales region and can be seen on their Parks & Wildlife emblem, so we felt pretty lucky to stumble across them in the wild.  We also saw a blue-tongued water dragon and many, many colourful birds.  One thing that was immediately obvious about the forest of the Blue Mountains was that it is host to an immense level of biological diversity; we came across countless types of vegetation, birds and insects during just a few hours in the bush. 

At one point, we found a large boulder and all climbed it.  After being there for just a few moments, a cockatoo flew over and spent about the next 15 minutes hanging out with us.  It came within inches of each of us and was repeating the word “hello!” We were completely in awe and took a number of cockatoo selfies and videos.  This was an experience that even the Australian Scout leaders had never had.  On the hike back out of the valley, we crossed many streams and small waterfalls with microclimates that were much wetter and more rainforest-like than the rest of the hike.  They also felt a lot cooler and provided a nice break from the hot temperatures everywhere else.  

Australian hospitality was ever-present that night because the Aussies in the group put on a barbeque for the rest of us in a local park.  They cooked all the works- sausages, veggie burgers, and kangaroo meat, and showed us that it’s only a real Australian burger if it has beetroots and pineapple on it.  I tried a small piece of kangaroo meat (the first time I’d eaten meat in quite some time), because with my vegetarianism I have always told myself that if it’s something I’ve never tried before, I’ll try it.  Kangaroos are only hunted in Australia if their populations are too high and they need to be culled, so it is considered to be sustainable eco-friendly meat.  Our hosts topped off the night with Tim Tams and eucalyptus sweets that we ate under the stars and reflected upon the day.  I really can’t imagine a more perfect final day in Australia!   

 Blue Mountains National Park 

 View from Echo Point 

 The Three Sisters

 Blue-tongued water dragon

 Selfie with a cockatoo

 Friendly cockatoo

 Waterfall along the trail

 Partners in crime

 Sheer cliffs of the park 

Aussie Parks & Rangers - by Mila

The Congress halted for the day yesterday so everyone could take a breather and embark upon excursions to nearby wilderness areas.  I managed to squeeze my way into a spot on the Cumberland Plain excursion by being part of the Young People's Media Coalition, meaning I had to document the day using social media and report back to the organizers afterwards.  The Cumberland Plain is located just West of Sydney and is the most rapidly developing area of the Sydney Basin.  Prior to European settlement, the plain took up over 1000 square km of fertile woodlands and forests that soon became focal points for agriculture.  Unfouranetly, development over the years has left only 9% of the original native vegetation which has resulted in many native plant and animal communities becoming threatened. 

We learned from park rangers about the ecological restoration and threatened species initiatives that are underway to protect the fragile area.  Interstingly, some of the issues that the parks here face are mirrored to a great degree back in Canada.  A few weeks ago, myself and the other leaders of the UBC Parks Canada Club took 25 students to Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site on Vancouver Island for a weekend of restoring the Gary Oak ecosystem.  We battled against the forces of human settlement by removing invasive species of Daphne and planting native Camas bulbs.  Similarly, Australian parks fight to keep invasive African Olive at bay so that it does not take over the rest of an already fragile ecosystem.  Many of the techniques used here are the same as I experienced on Vancouver Island (such as using simple gardening tools and man/woman power), yet others differ.  For example, we were shown a tractor that is used to pull out large African Olive specimens and told that their main volunteer contingent consists of four elderly men.  This got me thinking more about youth engagement in conservation- although we managed to successfully get 25 university students to volunteer in the Gary Oak ecosystem for a weekend, how can we inspire long-term committment in conservation issues?  Hopefully some of the Congress sessions will help me answer this question (some definitely already have).

Cattai National Park also has a fascinating program to help the local population of micro-bats.  One component of the program is research- they trap and study the bats to find out the number and characteristics of each species.  A ranger was pulling out bats from a cooler that had been trapped the night before and showing them to our group.  The other part of the project is habitat protection- they build small wooden homes for the bats in the trees to make up for the habitat loss that has occurred in the area.  In Scheyville National park, we learned about land management and saw an example of a fire treatment program for weed control and native species regeneration.  It was fascinating to see some of the concepts I've learned about in school being applied on the ground here in Australia.

I love hearing stories.  I made a point asking the rangers what their favourite or most interesting/crazy memory from the park is.  After speaking to us about the technical and artistic aspects of aboriginal rock art we saw in Cattai National Park, the first ranger seemed a bit taken aback by my question.  He gained his composure quickly though and launched into an account of how he is most proud when he can share the culture of the land with the young people he cares about.  He spoke of bringing his nieces and nephews into the park and seeing them transform at that moment into stewards of the land.  This once again stressed the importance that personal, first-hand experiecnes in natural and cultural areas play in fostering a sense of respect, care and stewardship.

The second ranger I asked took a much different approach to the question.  He went more along the lines of an "interesting/crazy" memory than a favourite one.  Apparently, drunk hooligans made their way into the park one night to chase kangaroos.  He didn't go into details, but I can only imagine that it must have been a long night and a heck of a crowd to deal with.

Although it may be the typical cliche tourist thing to say, my highlight of the day was definitley seeing kangaroos in Cattai National Park.  A group of about ten of them bolted past our group in a way that looked like they were half running, half hopping.  I was very startled by their size and speed.

 Australia Parks & Wildlife Service faces both similar and different problems than those in Canada, yet one aspect stayed consistent in my comparison of the two countries.  The park rangers implementing the programs absolutely love what they do.  They are the people who make the magic happen on the ground, and their passion and dedication are absolutely mindblowing.

Learning about Aboriginal rock art in Cattai National Park

 Australia has nice trees too!

  The forest of Cumberland Plain

 Tractor used for invasive species removal

 Cooler of bats 

 Micro-bat

Fire management testing area

Mountains and Google – By Shailyn Drukis

Elyse and myself just returned from the Young Professionals Pre-Congress Youth Capacity Building Workshop in the Blue Mountains. This workshop brought together 28 passionate young adults from around the world to share ideas and work towards creating the Young Peoples Pact that will be presented during the World Parks Congress. I found it very rewarding to finally get to meet many of the youth whom I have been working with during the months leading up to the congress. One of the first activities we worked on was a break out 'sticky note' session. Each youth had the opportunity to contribute text on sticky notes, expressing their opinions about what makes us happy as young conservation leaders in protected area work, what we feel the challenges and barriers are, and what we want the new generation of conservation to look like. This discussion was the initial step that has shaped our Young Peoples Pact. The Young Peoples Pact for People, Parks and Planet is a document that will contribute to the Promise of Sydney, and sets a series of protected area conservation action items that young people will commit to for the next ten years. 

To rejuvenate from the collaborative brain storming sessions, I had the opportunity to explore and learn about the areas cultural and natural history through a hiking tour. The hike began with a traditional smoke ceremony, and then my group explored a hiking trail with two of the parks rangers. The rangers pointed our all of the fascinating flora and fauna along the trail, including some of the majestic bird species, and local medicinal plants for us to try. At one point I saw the distinct web of the funnel web spider, which was quite terrifying, as it is apparently the worlds most venomous spider! I survived :) Our hiked weaved throughout beautiful waterfalls and unique geomorphic features, which was quite a new landscape for me. The hike was a very important opportunity for me to connect to the local landscape and help me clear our mind after our lengthy international dialogues and debates. 

Ending off the workshop, our Young Professionals crew got to travel to the Google Headquarters in Sydney, to tour around their building and learn about some of the innovative ways they are keeping their employees happy (free cafes, games rooms, a room for staff napping!). We had a fun interactive workshop with one of the staff, which showed us how to use some of their free mapping tools for our own networks and projects. We learnt about  'my maps', 'tour builder', 'open data kit', and 'photo spheres'. I really enjoyed working with 'my maps', and just used this tool to map out the countries where our youth memberships come from for the 

Global Youth Biodiversity Network (a network I helped to establish). 

The World Park Congress is now in full swing, and I am filling my every waking hour with sessions, meetings, networking dinners and social media. 

Mandela's Legacy - by Mila

            Parks, people, planet.  The central themes of the 2014 IUCN World Parks Congress were introduced to the sound of a didgeridoo and the sight of dancing by Australia’s First People.  Also at the opening ceremony was the announcement that we were sitting in a room of 5000 delegates, world leaders, park rangers, scientists, conservationists, activists and youth from over 160 countries- all strung together by a deep love for nature.  A sequence of speeches followed by world leaders such as the IUCN President and Australian Environment Minister; as amazing as it was to hear the words and breathe the same air as such influential people, it was the smaller-scale, less-expected moments of the opening ceremonies that stood out for me.

            Nelson Mandela spoke at the 2003 World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa, and was honoured here in Sydney by his grandson, Luvuyo Mandela.  Luvuyo carried on his grandfather’s legacy of placing large importance upon the voices of youth and the next generation.  I think that I can speak for all of the young people in attendance when I say that Mandela’s tribute made me feel an inherent sense of pride at being a young person.  The tribute set the stage for the youth of the Congress to contribute, be heard, and be valued.  All we need to do is prove that we deserve it. 

            A visual performance that included acrobatics, dance, video and impressive audio power wrapped up the ceremony.  The performance was undoubtedly entertaining, yet also presented an important message that again stressed the importance of young people’s involvement in parks.  It began with a little girl’s first experience in an Australian rainforest- an experience that she carried with her for the rest of her life.  Even when living in the city, she was able to remember the feeling she had in that rainforest and resultantly escaped back into nature whenever possible.  The performance beautifully represented all of the research that has been put into the ideas of significant life experience, place-based learning, and connection between experiences in natural as a child and continued environmental consciousness later in life.  After a series of serious, professional (and frankly, somewhat dry) speeches, the final performance reminded the audience of the true beauty of nature- that it is playful, positive, care-free and fun.

                                  Registration complete- World Parks Congress, here we come!

                                                                Opening Ceremony

"The Moment That Seizes Our Heart" - by Mila

Imagine putting 40 strong youthful voices from 16 countries in a room together for a day to discuss parks, protected areas, youth engagement, and connecting to nature.  Going into it, I knew that that was what the Global Youth Ambassador Pre-Congress Workshop was all about, but it ended up being much more than is possible to describe in an emailed invitation.  We were challenged, stimulated and I was exposed to perspectives on parks that had never before crossed my mind.  In the end, I realized that the challenges Canadian parks face are undoubtedly mirrored in some instances around the globe, yet differ entirely from others.  Valeria from Mexico spoke passionately about the security issues in her country that prevent people from experiencing the outdoors- she explained that driving in Mexico is a risk to life that people are not willing to take in order to visit a park.  Hearing from Valeria made me reflect on the challenges we so frequently speak of in Canada and made our struggles almost seem petty in comparison.  We often get wrapped up in discussing the obstacles that prevent Canadian youth from getting outside (things such as cost, not owning a car or not knowing where to go); these are undoubtedly real issues, but hey, at least we have safe roads.   Overall however, the issues that parks face to engage youth in nature are paralleled around the globe, and the workshop proved to be a fantastic opportunity to bounce ideas off one another and become connected to a network of global youth working towards the same goals. 

            The day was kickstarted with a talk from Alan Latourelle, the CEO of Parks Canada.  I’ve had the opportunity to encounter Alan a number of times now, and one thing has remained very clear with each encounter.  Alan lives and breathes parks and conservation and believes in what he’s doing right down the core.  It is refreshing to see such a passion and spark in the leader of a government agency who undoubtedly has to deal with endless policy, restrictions and negativity on a daily basis.  Alan spoke about the “moment that seizes our heart” when experiencing something in the outdoors for the first time.  It can happen on the summit of a mountain after a long hike, swimming in a glacial lake, or while having a picnic in a local urban park.  No matter how it happens, this feeling is one that every Canadian deserves to have, and is why 5000 delegates from around the world are coming together for an event that has been ten years in the making. 

            We heard next from Carl Solomon, an Australian with an extensive personal profile that includes founding Right To Play and directing tourism for New South Wales Parks & Wildlife.  What resonated with me most in Carl’s talk was the idea of “inspiring learning” instead of education.  He also stressed the importance of having a clear vision, laying out a road map, keeping it simple, and having the conviction to do things differently.  Carl is clearly an innovative thinker who has had huge amounts of success in his life from sticking to these key strategies and, as he stated, having some fun along the way.  Carl’s experience with both the environmental side (by working with parks) and the social justice side (from Right To Play) made me reflect that they are one in the same.  The cultural, social, human side is wholeheartedly intertwined with the natural, outdoorsy, environmental side.  Choosing between a path in social justice vs. the environment is something that I still toy with constantly, and Carl made me realize that it does not have to be a choice, and in fact, it shouldn’t be.  Damien Mander’s keynote address touched on the same concept.  Damien founded the International Anti-Poaching Foundation that works in Mozambique and South Africa to implement direct-action anti-poaching techniques.  His organization approaches the conservation issue from a social perspective by seeing it as a social problem; villagers see poaching as a way out of poverty, yet so many men die and end up leaving their wives and children alone.  Damien’s experience reiterated what Carl touched on- humans and the environment influence and affect one another and creating a separation between them only worsens the situation for each.

The 40 youth and 5000 total Congress participants all started their journey somewhere, and more often than not it was a profound, personal experience in the outdoors.  Emma spoke about family camping trips in Paraguay that she went on as a kid that sparked her passion for environmental stewardship.  For myself personally, I’ve had countless moments that have seized my heart in the Canadian wilderness, and I have no doubt in my mind that they are what brought me to be among such an amazing group of people right now.  In my view, these moments are why we are here connecting, collaborating and inspiring.  These moments need to be shared, they need to be celebrated, and they need to be felt by all, because the future of our earth and our people depends upon it.  What I hope to gain from the World Parks Congress are real, tangible action strategies that seize the hearts of people around the world and connect our generation to the incredulity of the outdoors.

                                   Global Youth Ambassadors at the pre-congress workshop

Cliffs at Sydney Harbour National Park 

                                       Full moon over the Sydney Opera House

Urban park in Sydney