Friends of the Salmon River was very pleased to sponsor a Grade 11 student from NDSS to attend an environmental youth summit weekend in Orillia in September with the Ontario Nature Youth Council.
The student, Maggie Knickle, learned a great deal about environmental leadership and she responded:
“Thank you to everyone who is part of Friends of the Salmon River for sponsoring me to attend the Biodiversity and Environmental Leadership Summit. I enjoyed this event far more than any other conference/summit that I’ve attended.
“I learned so many important and interesting things, such as: the desperate measures that we need to make to curb climate change, how and when to make our voices heard, the many different species of fish and invertebrates that live in Ontario lakes, how to live a zero-waste lifestyle, as well as many tips and strategies for surviving in the wilderness. I feel almost as if I came out of this weekend feeling like a better version of myself, and I felt even more of an urge to make an impact in my community. Something that was repeated a lot throughout my time there was that the people who actually made a difference in the world started out just like us…scared and uncertain, yet passionate and determined to make an impact. They taught me that the people who think they are crazy and brave enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who actually do.
“I was very impressed with this summit…this weekend was almost 100% lead by youth, and they were all so confident and enthusiastic. I enjoyed my time there so much that I applied to be part of the Ontario Nature Youth Council!”
The community group, Friends of the Salmon River, is proud to know that we are helping young people to commit to conserving the natural world. Hopefully there are more young people like Maggie who will make a difference in our community and provide leadership for our future.
Susan Moore
Friends of the Salmon River