CC-IUCN-Youth: It's A Small World After All

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?