Youth involved in conservation and cultural caretaking are the stars of exciting new State of the Bay videos released this week by the Georgian Bay Mnidoo Gamii Biosphere (GBB). The series showcases inspiring young people working in the fields of science, Indigenous knowledge, and conservation research. The videos are designed to reach other youth with key messages from the 2023 State of the Bay report. Working with cinematographer Graham Perry, GBB is proud to share stories of youth-led caretaking related to the themes of climate action, road ecology, and fire ecology. All three videos can be viewed on GBB’s YouTube channel.
Since 2008, the State of the Bay program has brought together multiple sources of information to communicate environmental changes in eastern Georgian Bay, known in the Anishinaabek language of the territory as Mnidoo-gamii, Great Lake of the Spirit.
With significant help from many cultural advisors, the third edition of the State of the Bay magazine released in 2023 took a new approach—one that values both Indigenous knowledge and western science. Like the magazine, the new videos share this approach to storytelling by lifting up Indigenous voices. In “Learning From Fire”, Gracie Crafts (Niizhogiiziskwe) says: “My hope for the future is just validation of Indigenous ways of knowing and science and wanting to make sure that that’s carried forward and through future generations and that we’re going to be able to continue to revitalize it.”
The videos will be shared widely in presentations, workshops, and in classrooms across and beyond the region. An educational resource “Lesson in a Backpack” is being developed for high school science classes that will help students learn from the videos and their key messages. Planning is underway for an additional series of videos, with support from recent grants and donations.
“We wanted a way to really connect with a youth audience and the videos seemed like a great way to do exactly that” says Katrina Krievins, Aquatic Conservation Programs Manager with GBB. “We hope local youth will see themselves in these videos and be inspired to pursue meaningful careers or volunteer opportunities in the environmental field.”
All three videos are available to watch on GBB’s YouTube channel. For information on upcoming State of the Bay events, visit www.georgianbaybiosphere.com/events.
