Mayor Nenshi Celebrates Eco-Youth Achievements at 26th Annual Mayor's Environment Expo

Mayor Naheed Nenshi was on hand to meet with the next generation of environmental enthusiasts, as he hosted the 26th Annual Mayor’s Environment Expo this week.

The Mayor visited with several youth Eco-Leaders and interacted with their projects, which included topics like planting vertical gardens and creating recycled art. Twenty Calgary schools participated in The City’s six-month Eco-Leaders program.

“The innovation and enthusiasm we see here today inspires me,” said Mayor Nenshi. “It’s a reminder that, no matter our age, we can all commit to making a change in our own lives to make Calgary a greener place to live. These students are taking action in their schools, homes, and communities to always be better in protecting our natural environment.”

The City also announced winners of its annual youth environmental awards program today.

The Jack Leslie Youth Environment Grants were awarded to:

• Sir Wilfrid Laurier: With their grant, students will restore an unused piece of land into a community garden, and harvest the plants and herbs grown to make salad dressings to be sold back to the community and fund their school garden program.
• Cristina Acevedo and Morgan Weatherbie: In partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary and Alberta Parks, Cristina and Morgan will develop the Kids Nature Camp to give low-income elementary school children an opportunity to get away from the city and learn about nature and sustainable behaviours.

The winners of the Mayor’s Environment Youth Photography Contest were also announced. The overall winner of this year’s Youth Photography Contest is Liam Swenson of Crescent Heights High School. Liam received first place with his photo of Rotary Park in the “Into the Woods” category for its unique composition and dynamic range.

Over its 26-year history, the Expo has educated more than 50,000 participants through interactive exhibits, displays and workshops. The Expo mandate is to develop well-educated environmental stewards that practice and promote environmental sustainability beyond the classroom.

Please see the associated backgrounder in the online newsroom for additional details.