If navigating the final year of high school wasn’t busy enough, one Colwood teenager chose to add to her workload – organizing her very own environmental expo.
Single-handedly, Grade 12 Belmont Secondary School student Taylor Gossman brought together a number of local environmental groups under one roof, to allow the community to learn more about their work and how they can help.
Her initiative and commitment to raising awareness about climate change were recently celebrated at the Citizens Environment Network's annual environmental stewardship awards in Colwood (CENiC), organized to coincide with Earth Day.
“I really just wanted to make sure that people didn't feel alone in the battle against climate change, because so often it's such an isolating thing,” the 17-year-old told the crowd gathered in Herm Williams Park, which also included her proud parents, grandparents, great aunt, her pet dog and cat Mocha.
“I wanted to give people in my community the opportunity to interact with other like-minded individuals, to interact with organizations that I thought might benefit from it and have people feel less alone in the ultimate battle.”
Alongside her award, Gossman also helped to plant a tree in her honour, which CENiC hopes will inspire others to follow in her footsteps.
“I was very honoured,” Gossman told the Goldstream Gazette about hearing the news of her award. “It was a bit of a surprise.”
But this is just the beginning for the environmentally conscious teenager, who will head to the University of British Columbia to study geography, environment and sustainability.
"So I'm going to get that degree and hopefully do something to help the environment in my career," she said.
Also recognized for their efforts to help the environment were Women in Need (WIN) Resale Shop, located in Colwood on Goldstream Avenue, which raises money to provide programs and services to support women, trans, non-binary, Two Spirit people and their families.
“All happening while contributing to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable economy,” said CENiC’s Carol Brown about WIN’s shop, which sells secondhand items, saving them from landfill.
Receiving the environmental stewardship award in the organization category was the West Shore RCMP for their use of electric vehicles (EV) in their working police fleet.
One of only two detachments in Canada chosen to take part in the EV pilot project, Brown explained that the use of EVs has helped West Shore RCMP reduce its carbon footprint and gas consumption.
“We very much appreciate that the RCMP took the initiative to request the pilot project and hope that the results lead to the expansion of EV police vehicles at other detachments,” said Brown.
Rounding off the celebration was Mayor Doug Kobayashi, who was full of praise for the “phenomenal” work being done to support the local environment by the award winners and the community as a whole.
“There are so many good things being done by citizens,” he said. “This is how it all starts – small success, small success, small success, equals big success.
“Each and every one of you is making a difference.”
