S.E.A.S. COMMUNITY YOUTH PROGRAM
SUPPORTING EMERGING ABORIGINAL STEWARDS
BRINGING THEIR BACKYARD TO LIFE
SEAS Community Initiative is a partnership of the Conservancy, First Nation communities and schools, and local environmental nonprofit organizations.
The initiative empowers youth of First Nation communities to be stewards of their land and natural resources by building educational capacity, creating opportunities for hands-on field experiences, and supporting youth in pursuit of their educational and career goals.
Through SEAS, the Conservancy is helping support youth programs developed by aboriginal communities, for aboriginal communities. The programs are designed by First Nation partners, rooted in local knowledge, and spearheaded by local leaders who blend traditional knowledge with western science approaches.
FIRST NATION SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Opportunities for youth of all ages are diverse but can include:
- nature-based classroom and outdoor activities
- interactive technology that brings nature to life in the classroom
- school-wide nature events and contests
- mentors from the local professionals and elders community
Through SEAS, students witness the salmon life cycle by visiting a river during spawning, and understand bear safety and ecology, and learn traditional plant medicine.
Students research herring harvest, recipes, ecology, and history, anduse remote cameras to capture wildlife on film for interpretive trail signs.
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS PROGRAMS
To compliment activities in the classroom, First Nation nonprofit organizations and band councils offer summer internships so high school students can work alongside land and resource officers in their traditional territory.
For eight weeks the interns analyze deer pellets and survey sea mammals; they set minnow traps and learn about the life cycle of salmon. As interns, students gain hands-on experience in biological science, research and resource management and get a real-life taste of what it’s like to work in these fields.
SEAS COMMUNITY INITIATIVE PARTNERS
- The Nature Conservancy
- Pacific Wild
- Bella Bella Community School
- Hartley Bay School
- QQS Projects Society
- Gitga’at Land and Resources Stewardship Society
- Cetacea Lab
YOU CAN HELP!
You can make a lasting difference for First Nation communities, ensuring their next generation of leaders are connected to the rainforest that is their home and empowered through education, mentorship and community support.
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