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Welcome to the seventh edition of the Blue Futures Pathways (BFP) newsletter - your regular reminder of what is happening for youth, employers and educators within Canada’s Sustainable Blue Economy. If you missed the last edition, you can check it out here.
In this edition, SOI founder and president Geoff Green shares his thoughts about the Sustainable Blue Economy at COP26. We’ll also catch up on the BFP-supported eDNA workshop by RKS Laboratories and team that involved 19 Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in B.C. this month. As usual, we’ll highlight new resources, jobs and stories of youth in the SBE on the PORT (Portal for Opportunities, Resources and Talent). Happy reading!
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COP26, the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference, took place from November 1-12 this year. We’ve been following the social media posts of SOI alumni who were there in person and keeping up on the pledges and commitments made during the conference. Read the reflections of SOI Foundation’s founder and president Geoff Green, on why it’s time to invest in youth in the Sustainable Blue Economy by clicking the 'read more' button below.
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“We hope that discussions at home and abroad leading up to and during COP26 have signaled that world leaders are taking the ocean’s role in a sustainable economy more seriously.”
Geoff Green.
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This month, 19 First Nations and non-Indigenous youth in B.C. took part in a weekend workshop organized by Dr. Christoph Deeg and RKS Laboratories about Environmental (e)DNA and micro trolling. The workshop is part of a series of training being offered on the west coast, particularly to First Nations communities in the region, over several months. It receives funding support from SOI Foundation’s Blue Futures Pathways program.
Studying eDNA allows researchers to know the species, large and small, that are present in an environment without having to capture them. The technique can be applied towards water quality monitoring (to ensure safe drinking water and proper sewage treatment, for example), ecosystem monitoring, and assessing the impact of industrialization on wildlife.
Does your organization have Sustainable Blue Economy opportunities for youth and need support? Connect with us!
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After an engaging first training session on project management for Blue Futures Pathways interns, we’re gearing up for the next one on gender equity in the ocean sector!
The second training session will take place on November 30 at 11 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. AT. The session will be facilitated by CarolAnne Black, author of Gender Equity in Ocean Science, a report commissioned by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Not a BFP intern? Sign up for the internship program to access this training and more. It’s open to youth ages 18-30 in Canada - and it’s free!
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There are many opportunities available in Canada’s ocean and water sectors. Some full-time, some part-time, and some are aimed at co-op students. You can find these below and others on the PORT's job board:
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Are you a youth, educator, or employer looking to get involved in the Sustainable Blue Economy? Check out these opportunities to learn, share your ideas, or grow your network:
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The fourth Blue Futures Pathways learning module in the series “Our Blue Planet” is now available. This module focuses on the cryosphere.
There are six modules in total that will support youth ages 14-30 as they navigate their pathway into a Blue Career.
Each module explores how ocean, freshwater, ice, and wastewater play a role in the Sustainable Blue Economy through a lens of western science and traditional knowledge. Click the button to sign up.
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Our friends at Ocean School recently released a video module called The Harvest. This module celebrates the reciprocal relationship between the Haíɫzaqv and keystone species like herring and salmon in what is now known as B.C.’s central coast - a relationship that’s over 14,000 years old! Learn about the cycles that connect land and sea, and how traditional ecological language can guide us into a more sustainable future.
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Meet Isabel Fleisher, the Great Lakes Community Monitoring Program Coordinator in Toronto at Swim Drink Fish.
Being in, on or around water always makes Isabel feel incredibly happy. So when she started learning about overfishing, pollution and the effects of climate change on the world’s waters, she wanted to help.
“I had to be involved in the solution to these problems so that the things I care about are protected for generations to come,” she said.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology in Halifax, Isabel spent some time working as a marine conservation educator and SCUBA instructor in the Caribbean.
But she’s recently returned to the freshwater sector because she wants to address the water quality issues she’s seeing in her own backyard.
“Growing up in Toronto, I was taught that the waters were not swimmable, and even though there have been leaps and bounds of improvement to water quality in the city, the stigma that the water is unswimmable remains,” she said. “I want to help change this stigma, while also supporting continued work to make Toronto’s waters swimmable.”
She landed a job at Swim Drink Fish through an internship with the Ocean Bridge Direct Action Program.
“Joining a supported internship program allowed me to get my foot in the door, and I encourage anyone to look for similar opportunities,” she said.
She loves that her job allows her to practice participatory science. The community-based water monitoring program relies on community support and advocates to collect key data for restoration.
“It’s so special to get to engage such a variety of people in water literacy, while collectively working towards cleaner waters.”
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Blue Futures Pathways is made possible thanks to support from:
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Mitacs, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, ECO Canada, and the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship.
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