With support from Trent’s Careerspace, the Bancroft Area Stewardship Council (BASC) hosted its first-ever Youth Environmental Summit, an event aimed at educating and inspiring local high school students from five area schools.  

The Summit was held at the Visitor Centre in Algonquin Provincial Park and featured guest speakers providing presentations designed to increase knowledge of biodiversity, invasive species management, forestry, wildlife research, and methods of climate change mitigation. 

“Supporting students' development for their professional futures is at the core of everything we do at Careerspace and the Trent Community Research Centre,” said Ryan Sisson, manager of Workplace Partnerships at Trent University. “Having the opportunity to work with BASC to connect professional development to environmental stewardship for passionate students has been a profoundly rewarding experience.” 

Sharing passion for land stewardship

One of the highlights of the Summit was the emphasis on Indigenous Traditional Knowledge. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from Indigenous leaders such as Margaret Haskin from the Whitney and Area Algonquins, and increase their understanding of traditional ecological knowledge, which plays a critical role in effective land stewardship. 

“The first annual BASC Environmental Summit was an amazing student experience in an environmentally inspiring setting,” said Mike Halloran, a teacher at Holy Cross Secondary School in Peterborough. “The summit provided students with an impressive cross-section of education and career opportunities linked to the environment. Students commented on the eagerness of the presenters to share their experiences, from wildlife to fish, invasive species to fighting forest fires. It was a day that helped students close the gap as they learned about future opportunities in the environment.” 

BASC was able to elevate its efforts and create an educational opportunity that encourages participants, especially young people, to develop and nurture their connection with the natural world, thanks to Trent University's collaboration. The event aims to inspire local youth to envision local career paths. 

“It was a great opportunity for the students to learn about resource management, and how they can move forward in their career paths,” said Ian Hendry, BASC Steering Committee Member. “The first ever Youth Environmental Summit in Algonquin Park was a huge success and was far beyond our expectations. The attention to details, the planning, the professionalism really shone through. It was indeed a great pleasure partnering with Trent University, and we look forward to doing this again!” 

The event left a positive and lasting impact on its attendees, and the organization hopes to continue hosting similar events in the future to inspire and educate youth on the importance of environmental stewardship. 

The Trent Community Research Centre is constantly connecting students to real world experiences, and doing a community-based research project is a powerful form of networking and professional development while gaining academic credit. To find out more about how you can get involved with TCRC and Community-Based Research, visit the TCRC website.