Doorway to Conservation
Why should we conserve the planet? This is a question we ask a lot here at the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCCA), it is constantly on our minds. There are hundreds of reasons as to why we should conserve our natural habitat. Many argue that conservation not only protects native species of plants and animals but is also vital to our survival as humans on this planet. These reasons exhibit the many ways in which a healthy environment is crucial to us and the earth. So why is environmental consciousness still not a priority in the lives of so many people? Is the survival of the human race and its future generations not incentive enough to get us to change our ways for the better?
This could be because people don’t know how to start when it comes to conservation in their own lives. I believe that the ASCCA helps with that by removing many of the obstacles people face in becoming involved with environmental sustainability and encourages those who are already involved to do more. It allows people to be educated on issues surrounding conservation and gives a chance to stand with a community of people working towards the same goals. The ASCCA also gives hope that we can have a positive influence on our natural world. To many, it is a doorway to conservation, to some, it is a window to take a glance and see the fragility of the world that is out there.
The ASCCA opened this doorway for me. I have volunteered with a lot of different day camps but the ASCCA Nature Safari Day Camp is the only one I have stuck with throughout the years; it is the one that has most resonated with me. It is the one that has taught me the most about the kind of person and the kind of leader that I want to be in life. It is the one that has given me the strongest mentors, lasting friendships, a love for the outdoors
and a passion for conservation. I used to come every summer for a week of day camp, then after leadership camp, I started volunteering for a couple more days each year. This summer I have been lucky enough to work full time as a summer student and I can easily say that it is the best job I have ever had. I get to work in the front gardens alongside an experienced volunteer gardener. I was able to work with day camps and pass this knowledge onto the next generation of campers. Nature Safari camp and the ASCCA allows kids to get involved in conservation, to learn about what that means and to implement those principles in their own lives as well as encourage family members and friends to do the same. The ASCCA opens the doorway for people from all walks of life to get involved in conservation and have a positive impact on the world around them, but it is up to you to take that first step through the door.
I would like to thank the United Nations Association in Canada’s Green Spaces programme for providing funding support for my summer placement.
By Tristen Mysyk
