A Squamish student has won recognition from Nature Canada for a program she developed that will encourage local youth to understand and appreciate the outdoors.
Alana Norie, a 17-year-old from Hospital Hill, won a $1,000 grant to help her put together an outdoor education program in Camp Querencia.
This recognition is being given due to her creation of an environmental stewardship program for young girls.
Norie, who’s attending Victoria’s St. Michael’s University School on scholarship, was among six people chosen for the honour, an accomplishment that has caught the eye of people in higher places.
“As the honorary chair of Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative, I am delighted to see that Canada’s nature is in good hands,” said Sen. Diane Griffin, in a news release. “These young women and their projects being recognized today are a step in the right direction to help enable more young Canadians to connect with nature and assist in protecting our precious wildlife and habitats.”
A member of the Canadian Parks Council also took note.
“I believe this very promising group of young women have the passion, skills and means to fulfill and uplift the youth of today,” says Dawn Carr, Women of Nature member and executive director of the Canadian Parks Council, in the release. “By working together we can conserve, and encourage new generations to connect with nature.”
The $1,000 grant will help Norie power a program she’s created, dubbed SKIES — Supporting Kids In Environmental Stewardship.
It’ll run two sessions a week in Squamish’s Camp Querencia, with each week having a different theme. One example would be ecosystems.
A typical day can have kids go down to the estuary doing some kayaking, plant identification and exploration.
“There's just so many unique plants and animals and crazy things that we all see but we don't really know the names of or what they do,” she said.
Norie said that it’s about going beyond facts and lectures to develop experiences and a deeper understanding of nature.
Play, exploration and initiative are a key component of this, she said.
“What are we doing about this knowledge that we have?” said Norie. “What are we acting on, and how are we absorbing that information and turning it into something positive?”
There’s also a focus on solving environmental issues, such as water conservation.
“The initiative piece is really huge for that,” she said.
Her program will start on July 5, running twice a week until the end of August.
However, Norie’s ambitions won’t stop there.
Having just finished Grade 11, she’s getting ready for life as a grown-up — and she’s done her research.
She said she’s hoping to attend university in B.C. and do an undergraduate degree in environmental studies and geography.
After that, Norie has her eye on studying education, with an emphasis on experiential outdoor learning.
She added that she hopes to cut her teeth working in a classroom, but eventually aims to move to a higher level where she could be working at examining and improving schools’ curriculums.
“My hope is to be able to look at the educational system that we’re at and really try to incorporate the outdoor education piece but also the experimental and hands-on things,” she said.
***Correction: Norie said she would like to attend university in B.C., not UBC.
