Langford student, 11, launches environmental club and inspires all ages to protect planet
Avery Stepaniuk had watched nature documentaries with her mom before, but this time felt different.
"I was sad about the earth," Avery says. "Because [I saw] there were fires going on and the ice was melting."
While many might feel overwhelmed or hopeless, the 11-year-old felt curious.
"I was like, 'What can I do [to help]?'" Avery recalls thinking.
It was a question her mom had heard before.
"She has a can-do spirit," Lisa Clarabut smiles.
Like when Avery learned that a lot of animals weren’t as lucky as her pet, she used her birthday money to donate to the SPCA. Or when her grandma was battling cancer, Avery set up a lemonade stand to raise money for research.
"She likes to do something good for the world," Lisa says.
So when Avery learned about the state of the planet, she wrote a list of things she could do to help it, which included making a couple climate change posters to inspire her fellow students, and asking her Grade Five teacher if they could be hung in the classroom.
"I thought it was really inspirational that this child had these big ideas," teacher Matthew Barker says.
Barker says Avery’s list of ideas also included the creation of some sort of environmental club at the school.
"I want everyone to know that our world is not OK," Avery says. "We need to stand up for it."
So Avery started brainstorming ideas with her mom, before getting approval from the principal at Pexsisen Elementary to launch a club, enlisting members over the morning announcements and launching weekly meetings during the lunch hour.
"Avery is a really remarkable student," Mr. Barker says. "She is just a natural leader."
Avery and her Eco Club team are committed to achieving weekly goals, from making organic compostable bird feeders to support the local wildlife, to creating informative posters to hang in the hallways, to picking up garbage around the school grounds.
"I hope more people are inspired to do what we do in a day," Avery says.
Because if we want to make a better tomorrow for young people — Avery says —all people need to do is something tangible today.
"It’s not going to get any better unless we change," Avery says.
If you know any inspiring children you can nominate them for CFAX-1070's "Community Kids" award for a chance to be featured on CFAX Mornings Live with Al Ferraby and to win $250 to donate to a charity of their choice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.