Speech to T8N 100 Women Who Care by Meghan MacDougall

Hi everyone, My name is Meghan MacDougall, and I’m happy to be here tonight to represent BLESS,  which stands for Big Lake Environment Support Society.  

I think it goes without saying perhaps, that we live in a time where the magnitude of environmental issues and concerns facing humanity are colossal. We hear about it all the time, however we also see and experience it too. I challenge you to consider the ways in which the environment has drastically changed within your lifetime. Right? We have all seen urban sprawl and habitat loss, you have all seen pollution, you have heard of global environmental issues like deforestation, or species extinction, and you may have even heard of issues like the biodiversity crisis and climate change.

As someone who studies wildlife biology, I am no stranger to how hearing the negative all the time can lead towards a sense of hopelessness. At the same time however, I continually find myself in awe of nature's resilience, as there still remains much to save, even on a local scale. I have also been very encouraged by the role community conservation initiatives have towards countering environmental challenges. 

Just for a bit of background, our organization works on initiatives to preserve and protect the Big lake ecosystem right outside st.Albert- also known as lois hole provincial park. This is an incredible area right outside our community where there are around 260 bird species recorded annually, as well as many amphibians like boreal chorus frogs, salamanders, wood frogs, insects, mammals like foxes, moose, beavers, and even fish- so lots of biodiversity to protect.  Despite all the changes we have seen in our world, this nature being here- between the urban centres of edmonton and st. albert-  is a direct testament to natures resilience, but also the power a group of determined people with a collective vision can hold.

However conservation success stories like this don’t happen on their own, they don’t happen overnight, and they require constant advocacy. Stewardship relies upon values, where ultimately appreciation for nature and the environment is paramount to preserving it. This needs to come from somewhere. If people are disconnected from the environment, how can we ever expect those people in the future will advocate for it?  

This is where we come in, our organization provides free summer nature programming for children in our community. I have run our nature program for the last two years, and will be returning again this summer. We aim to provide memorable hands-on learning experiences for children within the provincial park. These experiences help foster a sense of curiosity and attention to detail in the environment from a young age, which is important towards influencing how these children will view the purpose of these environments as adults- that these are complex ecosystems… home to many critters and wonders! Last year we saw around 2000 children throughout 9 weeks of programming. Some of which would regularly drive out from south Edmonton just to participate in activities for the day.

The program focused on a different aspect of the natural world every week- some weeks were spent bringing up buckets of water from the wetland and skimming the water column with nets to learn about the amazing insects, and tadpoles calling the wetland home.

Other weeks were spent on the boardwalk playing games where children learned to correctly use binoculars and identified local waterfowl species.

Another week we focused on mammal tracking, where children were instructed on learning tracks and signs for mammals in the environment, and then we go on a walk and they identify everything they have seen.  

This program is not only a great experience for children where they will hopefully carry positive memories of time spent outside for years to come, but also important for fostering connection to the land within our next generation of leaders and policy makers.

 I personally believe this is of critical importance in the timeline in which we live. We don’t need to look very hard to see current examples of conservation initiatives and public lands being undermined by powerful influences. I would argue because of this, there has never been a more important time to provide accessible and free community based education around protecting nature for generations to come. Providing these opportunities for young people to get outside and foster their own sense of stewardship is critical for the future of parks, public lands, and many species depending on it.

I am here today to ask for assistance in covering programming costs such as equipment, learning tools, and funds for events we put on. To run our programs well we need things like  children sized binoculars, magnifying glasses, insect nets, funds to cover visual learning aids/ printouts, or even funds for educational artifacts such as fur swatches. Sometimes we also put on events, such as our owls up close event where we have the raptor society bring in owls that kids can see up close and get their picture taken with. Overall, funding helps us run this amazing programming which provides children with life-long memories, and knowledge of their local environments.

With that being said, I would like to thank you all for your attention, and for the opportunity to speak on behalf of BLESS tonight. I hope everyone has a good evening, and that everyone is able to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather ahead.