#NatureForAll was officially launched in September with much excitement at the International Union for Conservation’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress(#IUCNCONGRESS) in Hawaiʻi. With overwhelming support for motion 093 “Connecting People with Nature Globally” from both governmental and nongovernmental IUCN members, as well as the inclusion of a new target in the IUCN Programme 2017-2020, #NatureForAll is set to be an important new area of work for the IUCN. And, with a growing list of over 120 partners who are now part of the #NatureForAll coalition, it is well on its way to being a force for transformational change!
Highlights of the week-long launch included:
- An inspirational opening ceremony featuring a moving speech and toast by IUCN Goodwill Ambassador and Alison Sudol,
- The launch of an awe-inspiring new video during the IUCN Members’ Assembly
- A day-long conservation campus training session that highlighted the actions people can take to initiate or scale up their own #NatureForAll Programmes.
- A #IUCNCONGRESS journey featuring numerous workshops, Knowledge Cafés, and other events that provided opportunities for #IUCNCONGRESS participants to showcase their work and discuss ways to take current best practices and innovative solutions to greater impact and scale.
- A #NatureForAll pavilion, a hub of activity where hundreds of participants gathered daily.
#NatureForall Pavilion Highlights:
Thanks to the support of Parks Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and Vulcan Productions, the pavilion hosted more than 50 performances, workshops, professional development sessions, launches , awards, and social events that provided a space for participants to reflect on content, share experiences, identify collaborative opportunities, build their networks, and celebrate their efforts to connect people with nature.
- Sessions led by #NatureForAll partners like Google Earth Outreach, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Students on Ice, the Canadian Parks Council, the US National Park Service, Parks Victoria, the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service, CoalitionWILD, the Brandwein Institute, Guardians of the Mist Guardians of the mist? other big ones we should mention? inspired participants about the actions we can all take to advance #NatureForAll globally.
- “Fireside Chats”, a Parks Canada-led air brush tattoo station, a Great Elephant Census installation, and a multi-media studio were wonderful opportunities for participants to engage informally with each other, explore new technologies, discuss the evolution of #NatureForAll, and work on collaborative film and music projects with the likes of Baba Brinkman and Justin Bogardus.
- Each evening was a party, modelled on The Canadian Museum of Nature’s Nature Nocturne drew in scores of Congress participants, and even animal mascots, to dance and share the joy of experiencing nature.
- Led by local partner Kupu , the final day at the Pavilion saw 900 students from different islands in Hawaiʻi experience the Congress, reminding us the vital role that #NatureForAll in inspiring the next generation to fall in love with nature!
““From Alison Sudol to dancers to inquisitive children to media moguls, #NatureForAll offered a vibrant energy with the strong reminder that people are part of nature. It’s a reminder of how important it is to reconnect people to nature – no matter the method.” – Former CEC Chair Nancy Colleton.”
#NatureForAll Fireside Chats engaged the diverse #IUCNCongress audience with thoughtful, constructive, and inspiring conversations about the direction of #NatureForAll.
#NatureForAll is founded on a simple idea: the more people experience, connect with, and share their love for nature, the more support there will be for its conservation in the future. The IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) conceived and implemented the movement.
It is an inclusive movement to build a coalition of partners across sectors to connect people and nature, with three main goals:
- Raise awareness and motivate people from all walks of life to embrace nature and its values
- Facilitate opportunities for all to experience and connect with nature
- Create transformational moments and pathways that become lifelong personal connections and commitments to conservation action