1. How and when did you form your group?
WILD Outside is a national conservation-based leadership program for youth ages 15 to 18. WILD Outside programs started in Regina and Saskatoon in March 2020 with funding from the Canadian Service Corps initiative. The goal is to get youth outside, connected with nature and wildlife, and feeling inspired to protect it.
2. What are your principal activities and why do you believe they’re important?
We offer 3 different activities for youth: outdoor adventures (think hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, and more), community service projects (planting gardens, cleaning up parks, or building bird houses, to name a few), and guest speakers/webinars on broad environmental topics. These experiences, which are free for all participants, allow youth to explore themselves in the natural world and create environmental stewardship habits for the future.
3. What were your successes (big or small) in 2020?
Despite piloting the program in Saskatchewan during a pandemic, the local WILD Outside groups had 45 youth register for the program in 2020. Clearly youth are still looking to get outside and make meaningful change in their communities – and that is a very powerful message! Three youth even earned their 40-hour certificates before the end of the year.
4. What would you like to achieve in 2021?
In addition to growing our WILD Outside cohorts, we hope to see our first youth complete 120 hours of service in the program. We also look forward to youth taking on more leadership roles. We are off to a good start so far this year with youth stepping up to lead environmental policy conversations, plan fossil tours, and more. We are also looking to strengthen partnerships with other organizations that have shared values and interests in order to build thriving eco-minded communities.
5. If you could have 3 wishes for improving your community, what would they be?
As youth leaders in Saskatchewan, we’d love to see more wildlife-friendly areas in and around cities, more access to affordable outdoor recreation activities for youth, and more diverse leadership in the outdoors and in conservation.
6. Are there volunteer opportunities with your organization? If so, please describe them and indicate how people can contact you.
Absolutely! We accept new youth registrations year-round. If you are between the ages of 15-18 and are interested in nature and the outdoors, head to wildoutside.ca to find out more and apply! There is no cost to join or to participate in any activities – we cover it all.
Other opportunities include adult volunteers to help supervise our events and community organizations to partner with for our service projects. For these opportunities, contact us below.
Regina: Erin Pippin (erinp@cwf-fcf.org) and Jory Cadman (joryc@cwf-fcf.org)
Saskatoon:
Raea Gooding (raeag@cwf-fcf.org) and Alayna Chan (alaynac@cwf-fcf.org)
You can also follow our national program’s account on Instagram @wildoutside.ca
Photo One: Katrina gives her paddleboarding adventure the thumbs up in Saskatoon
Photo Two: Participants Tyan (left) and Shannon inspect their finds during a pond-dipping event at McKell Wascana Conservation Area, Regina
We’re planning to highlight the work of volunteer organizations in our communities on a regular basis over the next year. Email us if you would like your organization to be profiled on EcoFriendly Sask.
EcoFriendly Sask supports Saskatchewan environmental initiatives through an online publication, an events calendar, small grants, and the Nature Companion website/app. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).
