Grow Wild Bootcamps

Attention: High School Environmental Clubs & Youth Leadership Programs

Do you know that 500+ rare, threatened and endangered wild species live in our southern Ontario backyard?  Many are at risk of disappearing in your lifetime.  

This is Canada's biodiversity hotspot and you can help save it! How do you help your wild neighbours?  Do you act locally and think globally? Are you a hometown habitat hero?  

Grow Wild youth leaders save local wild rare species - steward local wild habitat- seed and lead change in wild Carolinian Canada. Read on to find out about 3 things you can do to help 'the disappearing wild' in Canada's Deep South!

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1. Share Your Stories Now!

Post your own wild stories, action pledges and habitat campaigns on Carolinian Canada’s Grow Wild action pages. Your stories can help influence others and seed change. We share the best across the zone.  Not sure what to do?  Explore what others are doing and pledge to help them out! Tell us what your school or youth group is doing to help rare species or healthy habitats

 

2. Host a Grow Wild Bootcamp

Did you know 500+ rare, threatened or endangered wild species live in our southern Ontario backyard? They may not be as recognizable as the Polar Bear or the Giant Panda, but the Dwarf Hackberry shrub, Round Pigtoe mussel and the Spiny Softshell turtle have their own unique charm. These often overlooked wild neighbours need your help!  Here is your chance to learn more about them.

Carolinian Canada's Grow Wild Bootcamps help you do the right thing in your own backyard.  Can you name 10 local wild species?  Do you know why they are disappearing?  ...Can you help them survive?  ...Do you know how they can help you?  

Get to know your unique wild nature in Carolinian Canada.  Explore issues facing local wild, rare and endangered species. Share tools, mentoring and resources to “grow"  your own wild habitat action campaign.  Connect to the Carolinian Canada's Big Picture conservation strategy.  

The bootcamp is a 1 or 2 day indoor workshop with interactive games and you may even be able to meet wildlife!  

UPDATE:  Four new Grow Wild Bootcamps are generously supported by TD Friends of the Environment for spring 2015 in Lambton/Chatham-Kent and Windsor/Essex. Read more here

Youth Groups and Youth Leaders - Inquire about hosting a Grow Wild Boot Camp by clicking here

 

3. Lead a Grow Wild "Healthy Habitat" Campaign

Make an BIG difference in your own school or community. 

If you want to save local rare species and help your wild neighbours, Grow Wild is for you!  

On Bootcamp day 1, you will be able to set your own Grow Wild habitat action campaign.  On day 2, you will be able to refine it and get coaching and resources to implement your campaign.  After the workshops, our team can continue to help students develop their campaigns by providing additional activities and exercises.

Bootcamp sample activities include:
Intro presentation Live animal presentation	Games: Name that Reptile and Biodiversity Jenga Introduction to citizen science . . . and more! (draft schedule is available here).
Download the Boot Camp Flyer (pdf 1.57mb) Download Module 1 - Introduction to Carolinian Canada (pptx 35mb) View the Conservation Action Planning Introduciton Video (Youtube)

Contact: 

If you are interested in Grow Wild Bootcamps, please contact Lauren Selby at youth @ carolinian.org to find out about current opportunities. 

Youth groups and youth leaders are invited to inquire about hosting their own Grow Wild Bootcamp. We customize our Bootcamp to your your goals and your community.

Eligibility:  

Host group is responsible for meeting space, snack and brown bag lunch or catering. 

Limit for basic workshop: 30 participants

Cost: pricing options available upon request. We are often able to help member groups apply for funding or provide in-kind support, depending on our current programs. 

 

Make a difference and foster “Hometown Habitat Heroes” in your own school

Red Side Dace Rap Educational rap song about the plight of an endagered fish

Couple months ago I hatched, I was just a small fry Didn't know about life, but i was willing to try Swimming in this cold stream under vegetation Scared of the predators looking for salvation. (Chorus) I'm a sensitive dace! I swim at my own pace The water needs to be clean, If you know what I mean I eat my mosiquitoes Like you eat your burritos I'm a carnivore, Don't question me anymore.

The water where I'm livin in, is getting pretty gross People are throwin garbage into my stream And the chances of dying are getting too close I'm endangered now, cant you see I cant swim up river As the toxins are poisoning me!        I have a red stripe and small beady eyes But I wouldn’t judge me by my size. I may be small, but I’m very nimble Livin' in your streams that go “Dribble Dribble” There are not many of my homies around here So I’d appreciate if you spread that from ear to ear. Rap song performed by high school students during one of our Camp workshops - an example of creative outreach.

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