May 29, 2023
OTTAWA, May 29, 2023 – Empowering youth ages 15 to 18 to engage in impactful service in the name of conservation is at the core of Canadian Wildlife Federation’s (CWF) multi-award-winning program, WILD Outside, which is now registering new participants in 17 cities across Canada.
Victoria, Hamilton, and Peterborough became the three latest cities to offer the free WILD Outside program, which offers participants opportunities for personal growth while developing their own conservation ethic through service-learning projects. So far over 1,300 participants have contributed over 35,000 service hours, completing over 350 community projects including repurposing plastic waste, planting pollinator gardens for seniors, installing bat houses, and removing invasive species.
“Through participation in the WILD Outside program, youth across Canada have been actively involved in developing and delivering impactful conservation projects in their communities even during the pandemic,” said Kira Balson, WILD Outside Youth Leadership Manager. “The fact the program keeps winning awards is a testament to both the youth leaders facilitating the program and the participants who have committed themselves to making a difference for conservation in Canada.”
WILD Outside was developed and delivered by CWF in cities coast to coast and is funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canada Service Corps program.
WILD Outside is a free, fully accessible, and inclusive program. It is available in the following cities: Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Kitchener/Waterloo, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Peterborough, Montreal, Moncton, Halifax, Charlottetown, and St. John’s.
For more information, check out the youth projects on Instagram or visit WildOutside.ca.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending legislative changes and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
About the Canada Service Corps:
Canada Service Corps (CSC) promotes civic engagement among young people from 15 to 30 years old through access to meaningful volunteer service opportunities that help them gain essential life skills and experience. Organizations across Canada are delivering CSC-funded volunteer service placements and micro-grants for youth-led projects. They work in a variety of areas, including reconciliation; building an inclusive Canada; preserving the environment; promoting civic and democratic engagement; strengthening youth resilience; and potential youth-identified new themes. For more information on Canada Service Corps, including opportunities currently available for youth, please visit Canada.ca/CanadaServiceCorps.
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Contacts:
David DeRocco
Sr. Manager, Marketing and Events
davidd@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 Ext 279
Heather Robison
Media and Community Relations Officer
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org
(613) 599-9594 Ext 212
QUOTES
“Canada Service Corps aims to help youth create a better future for themselves and their communities through programs like WILD Outside created by the Canadian Wildlife Federation. The program offers opportunities for youth to experience the outdoors and learn to protect their communities’ natural resources. In this way, young people will help preserve our natural landscapes for future generations through wildlife conservation.”
Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
“The best way to ensure that this generation of young Canadians has a connection with the natural world is to have truly experienced it. Through meaningful service learning, young adults will develop diverse skills while learning about themselves and the impact that they can have on the natural world. At the same time, they will be making a real impact in their home community and in communities across Canada. The success the program has had in attracting participants through the pandemic demonstrates the passion young Canadians have for environmental education and wildlife conservation.”
Mike Bingley, Director of Education, Canadian Wildlife Federation
“Throughout my time with this program, I was able to contribute to the conservation of ecosystems and help keep the capital of Canada green. I also had the chance to learn new skills and new knowledge, meet new people as well as try new activities. But most of all, I had so much fun that completing service hours was the last thing on my mind.
Roxana Gorodnichy, Age 17, Ottawa WILD Outside program participant
WILD OUTSIDE PROGRAM AWARDS:
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