Note of Appreciation
Dear Don Scallen and the Halton/North Peel Naturalists,
Thank you so much for sponsoring Farwa and I for the Youth Mother Earth Summit.
When we first received your email we were so happy and feel honoured that you considered us for this incredible opportunity. It was such an amazing and once in a lifetime event that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
As you know, Farwa and I both share a love for the environment, animals, and a strong passion to help the climate crisis just like you do. I am very thankful that Mary gave me your contact and that we were able to meet, that you gave such an amazing presentation at our event, and had the Halton/North Peel Naturalists choose us for this sponsorship.
Here is a breakdown of our weekend at the summit:
When we first arrived at the summit we settled into our cabins and had supper followed by some introductions and icebreakers. That evening, we met Christopher who is an Indigenous elder in the Mohawk community who shared stories from his culture and traditions with us. He is a fantastic speaker. My favourite thing that he taught us was a dance that makes the worms come up from under the ground after it rains. That night me and Farwa got to know our cabin mates who were all very kind and shared our love and passion for the environment. On Saturday morning I joined the morning birding walk activity while Farwa participated in a nature sketch activity. Before we left to do those activities, we saw a fox right in front of us. Seeing that fox was definitely a highlight of the trip for me.
Our first workshop was The Hidden World of Herptiles where we went on a hike and learned about some different species native to Ontario including the western chorus frog, spotted salamander, Eastern Red-backed Salamander, and more. We found many salamanders and spring peeper frogs. We even got the chance to hold them and observe them up close which was amazing. For our second workshop, we participated in a traditional beading craft which was tedious, but very fun. During our free time we got to go and swim in the lake, go kayaking, and go on a water slide. Farwa and I made many friends on this trip, it’s amazing how much we connected with so many new people in such a short period of time. Later that evening, we had a delicious dinner (I feel it’s important to note that this summit had the best food I’ve ever had at a camp and they had dessert with lunch and dinner). After dinner, we separated into our teams for the Great Group Challenge which had a series of many challenges including making a team flag, dance, mascot, and more. Everyone took it very seriously and was super engaged with their group (we even had face paint for our team colours). We ended the day with a campfire and smores.
Sunday morning we did a smudge. The smudging ceremony helps participants centre or ground themselves and rid themselves of negative energy, feelings, and emotions. I then attended a Wonderful World of Wetlands workshop where I learned about the importance of wetlands. It shocked me to learn that In Ontario wetlands may contain overv29 billion tonnes of carbon. My final workshop was Wetlands Save Us -Here’s How We Can Save Them. During this session we walked around the wetlands of the property and tried to replicate the water filtration wetlands with rocks, soil, and more in a water bottle. My group’s filtration system produced the cleanest water and won special nature colouring books. For Farwa’s last workshop she attended Navigating Eco Anxiety and Activism which had an amazing speaker who was very insightful. Finally, we had some closing remarks and the winner of the Great Group Challenge was announced. Out of the four teams our team (team green) won and our whole group was cheering. We did some reflections as a group and I genuinely felt what it meant when people say that being outdoors brings them peace.
Once again thank you so much for giving us the experience of a lifetime.
Please let me and Farwa know if you have any questions or would like any other details about the event.
Amisha and Farwa