Hundreds of students made their way down to Calgary city hall, ready to green up the municipal building atrium with their environmental projects.
It’s all part of the 37th annual Mayor’s Environmental Expo, which runs from June 1 to 4, where city hall is turned into a laboratory of learning and innovation on the environment.
After the four-day run, thousands of students will have cycled through the interactive and informative displays, with many of the student-led projects aided by the EcoSchools program.
This year’s event comes just days after Calgary city councillors voted to rescind the City of Calgary’s climate emergency declaration, a largely symbolic gesture that demonstrated a commitment to climate-related initiatives.
Still, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas was thrilled to see Calgary youth out to learn more about stewarding the planet in the future.
“This is one day, of a few in the year, where our future leaders are in charge. They know the problems around flooding, they know the problems around drought, around climate, around emergency response, and the amazing ideas, the pitches, the projects,” he said.
“I’m absolutely blown away by the rigour, the quality of these presentations, and I have a lot of learning to do myself.”
Students showed off a wide range of projects, including sustainable food systems, biodiversity initiatives and hands-on environmental solutions.
“The Mayor’s Environment Expo gives students the chance to explore environmental issues in practical, hands-on ways and to see how their ideas and actions can make a difference,” said Nicole Newton, Director, Environmental Risk & Resilience at The City of Calgary, in a city news release.
“It’s inspiring to see young Calgarians sharing their creativity, leadership and commitment to building a healthier, greener future.”
