The Convention on Biological Diversity’s 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) will bring together 196 countries in in Montreal, Canada, Dec 7 to 19, 2022. In preparation, parents in For Our Kids Montreal organized a Biodiversity Collage Workshop to better understand the systems leading to biodiversity collapse and brainstorm ways families can be part of the solutions.
Preparing for COP15: Biodiversity Collage
Jennifer Smith, parent organizer in FOK-MTL shared this: "In light of the COP15 conference on biodiversity coming to Montreal and the imminent threat of biodiversity collapse, I encourage anyone who can to attend a Biodiversity Collage workshop. The Biodiversity Collage workshop really put into perspective how interconnected humans are with nature. So many human activities are derived from biodiversity, and all human activity can impact it. Participating in this workshop as a small group really allowed us to understand the relationships and come to the solutions ourselves. There is really nothing like that lightbulb moment when your group figures out together – with gentle guidance from the facilitators – how a tiny shift can ripple through a whole ecosystem and how everything is interrelated. As someone who has a background in biodiversity protection, I felt that this workshop was able to bring home some difficult-to-understand concepts in a way that could never be achieved through a textbook.
I attended with my kids, 5 and 7, and they were really engaged with seeing the relationships among the different species. For them – and for all of us really – it was similar to a cooperative board game that allowed us to see these relationships ourselves. When the workshop started to get more complex, one of the facilitators pulled out some colouring sheets that kept my kids busy while the older participants were able to tease out the more intricate relationships between human activities and biodiversity. We were able to incorporate these colouring sheets later, as they depicted some of the core concepts of the collage, and my kids seemed excited that they were able to contribute to the final solution.
We left feeling hopeful. Yes, the threat of biodiversity collapse is a huge crisis to tackle. But we can be part of the solution as individuals and collectively, pushing our governments to do more."
Participate in a Biodiversity Collage
Many French language workshops in Quebec are scheduled - check out Facebook or LinkedIn or on demand here.
If you'd like to attend a virtual workshop in English, you can register here and a volunteer facilitator from Biodiversity Collage will get in touch!
Put pressure on Canada to do its fair share
A major focus of COP15 will be to finalize a new plan to protect nature, called the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It's expected to include the target of protecting 30% of the world's lands and oceans. Meeting the target will be a critical step in fighting the biodiversity loss and climate change crises. Especially since countries are falling short of previous global targets. And as the CBC recently reported, "Canada continues to struggle to meet its own biodiversity goals."
You can participate in Nature Canada's NatureBus Tour, collecting your messages of support for a plan to restore nature. And join For Our Kids, to stay informed of other ways parents are taking action and how you can join in.
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