The Summit is bringing together young adults and professionals with the common goal of improving the health of our ocean, October 26th 30th
Media Contacts:
Nick Drayton:
Email: ndrayton@oceanconservancy.org
Tom McCann:
Email: tmccann@oceanconservancy.org
St. Croix, USVI Today, Ocean Conservancy and partners throughout the U.S. and British Virgin Islands are convening the 2007 Youth Summit on the Oceans: Virgin Islands Future Leaders Turning the Tide. The Youth Summit is a gathering of future leaders; students, young professionals, or simply interested young members of the communities of the Virgin Islands, dedicated to improving the way we care for our marine and coastal environment. The Youth Summit is a true partnership with our Future Leaders helping to direct the content and scope of the event. It is only by their leadership and desire for improving the health of the environment and their quality of life, that this event is possible. The events of the Summit will occur on St. Thomas and St. John.
“The participants in the Summit are the future leaders for the Virgin Islands — they not only have the power to influence decisions about how resources are being managed but are the ones who will live with the cultural and environmental consequences of today’s choices,” said Nick Drayton, Caribbean Program Director for Ocean Conservancy. “The ocean provides much of the air we breathe, the food we eat and the climate we enjoy. We began a conversation with these future leaders about our relationship to the ocean and their views and concerns regarding its care over a year ago, and as we learned more from each other the vision for the Youth Summit was born.”
The future leaders will emerge from the Youth Summit both inspired and empowered to be better stewards of their islands’ resources. Hands-on workshops and participatory sessions on land, on the ocean, and under the surface will show them the unique opportunities they available through science, education, politics, and participation to improve the health of their environment.
Examples of planned activities include:
Hands-on projects at the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) at Lameshur Bay on St. John.
Tours of marine protected areas to explore methods of protection.
Speaker presentations by young, active leaders, as well as experts in science, conservation, tourism and governance.
“Think tank” sessions where the future leaders are afforded opportunities to grapple with some of the marine conservation issues with which we are currently challenged.
An event on the final evening of the Summit (October 29, 2007), where the future leaders will address current leaders and offer their proposed recommendations to our marine conservation challenges.
Ocean Conservancy is proud to be the managing partner of the Youth Summit and is grateful for the participation and support of a wide cross-section of organizations throughout the Virgin Islands, including: Coastal Zone Management Division of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, University of the Virgin Islands’ Marine Advisory Service, Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, Office of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Delegate to Congress, The British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust, Rotaract and Interact clubs of Tortola, the Junior Gardening and Ecology Academy, Virgin Islands Network of Environmental Educators and other partners and supporters throughout the US and British Virgin Islands.
Additional details of the event including programs, locations and other summit-related information will be posted at http://www.2007youthsummit.org/ as they become available.
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