Youth Climate Action
Young wildlife biologist shows communities how 'conservation begins with connection'
Jacob Gerard, a 23-year-old wildlife biologist, storyteller and photographer from Ajax, Ont., has created a beautiful web-based story map called Neighbours of the North to help people protect the wild creatures that live among them.
Saskatchewan student explores industry and Indigenous land restoration concepts
Mackenzie Burnett explores the overlap between extractive industry and Indigenous concepts of land restoration. She also draws people into conversations about climate solutions in her work with Climate Justice Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Climate Hub.
From refugee to climate advocate empowering other newcomers
Milad Rajabi came to Canada as a refugee in 2023. Now a permanent resident, he helps other newcomers adjust to life here.
Montreal master's student connects young people with the ocean
Valerie Muñoz brings the ocean to land. As a member of EarthEcho International’s Youth Leadership Council, this 22-year-old master's degree student at McGill University designs collaborative campaigns to mobilize young ocean advocates worldwide through GenSea.
Vancouver event planner revels in the challenge of her role
Working with the non-profit Zero Emissions Innovation Centre, Victoria Lim helps policymakers and industry leaders make the climate safer.
BC entrepreneur prioritizes play and the planet over profits
Tinka Robev, the co-founder of Victoria's Puzzle Lab, says the business operates on the principles of 'ethical capitalism' — reusing waste from other wood industries in its products, avoiding plastic packaging and supporting its employees with generous wages and artists with fair royalties.
Young leader harnesses AI to help streamline sustainability disclosure
Fatou Dieng, a 29-year-old Montrealer originally from Senegal, was raised to see the earth as the source of all life. Now, she dedicates hers to protecting it.
Want to cut emissions? Young advocate says tax the rich — and what they own
Many are tempted to focus on taxing luxury consumption, but this University of Toronto PhD student says they should aim bigger: rather than just focus on what the rich are consuming, policymakers should also keep their investments in mind.
Charting her own course in the climate movement
Melody Li is designing her own path toward a fairer, more climate-adaptive future. In 2026, she will focus on her own project, Meals That Matter, helping people in vulnerable and marginalized communities see food that would otherwise be wasted can be redirected to provide delicious, culturally appropriate and climate-friendly meals — while keeping food out of landfills.
Helping immigrants find their place in Canada's climate fight
Aish Mann empowers newcomers to Canada to lead in the climate movement. He launched Tanah Air, a nonprofit inspired by a Malaysian concept meaning “homeland,” to help newcomers create a sense of homeland in this country..
This volunteer is creating a world that buzzes with life
Danielle Romaine is creating a beautifully flowered world that buzzes with life. The 27-year-old from Montreal, Que., volunteers with Let's Plant, a project of Sierra Club Canada in partnership with Dutchman’s Gold, an Ontario-based honey and beehive wellness company, to help plant 10 million wildflowers and plant seeds across Canada. In 2025, she ensured 500,000 seeds were planted in Quebec.
Alberta teen helps young people to influence decision-makers
Seeing parallels between Canada and his mother's hometown in India, Mihir Rao realized his own stories of the impacts of climate change on the places he loves needed to be told.
Meet the 12-year-old who found a better way to keep beaches clean
Dane Currie is cleaning up for good. The 12-year-old from St Catharines, Ont., and his Thursday classmates, the Green Herons, got tired of doing beach clean-ups, so they figured out how to stop pollution at the source. They are 2025 winners of the I-SEA National Youth Climate Activism Award for their Earth Day video.
'Earthly Bros' collect and recycle used electronics
Alexandre Bourré and his brother, Samuel, will help you declutter your home, reduce landfill waste and assist Canadians in need. The teenager from Richmond Hill, Ont., started Earthly Bros, working with the Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) to collect used electronics and make them useful to people who cannot afford new equipment.
Student up-cycles badminton birdies bound for landfill
Anya Yang turns badminton birdies bound for the landfill into useful works of art. This 17-year-old highschool student from Markham, Ontario, co-founded Birdie UP Canada to sell upcycled birdies. The group sends birdie proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund and other charities engaged in social and environmental justice.
Student launches reusable cup initiative at local coffee shops
Abby Van Helvoirt thinks globally and acts locally. This 13-year-old, Grade 8 student from Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, builds networks, relationships and partnerships to reduce waste.
Student paints a more environmentally-friendly future
Claire Lee is painting a safer future. This 16-year-old highschool student from Surrey, British Columbia, invented a recipe for high-quality, non-toxic, plant-friendly watercolour paints.
A template for a national youth climate corps
As youth unemployment soars and climate anxiety deepens, a youth training and employment program focused on climate resiliency offers hope.
An Inuit community installs Nunavut's first wind turbine
Clara Phillips is helping Nunavut return to quiet. As development project manager at Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, this 25-year-old engineer-in-training from Newfoundland is leading the installation of Nunavut’s first wind turbine and battery.
Young entrepreneur diverts discarded furniture from landfills
Saanich, BC-based Elwyn Thom upcycles unwanted couches so they are like new and resells them at deeply discounted prices. His work has diverted more than 100,000 pounds of waste from landfills.

