For a handful of students from Pearson College on Vancouver Island, November 2025 was a month of transformation. These young climate leaders journeyed far from their Metchosin campus, immersing themselves in two very different but equally profound global gatherings: Banff140 in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Their experiences—rooted in reconciliation, activism, and the urgent realities of climate change—offered lessons that textbooks simply can’t provide.
At Banff140, Esmée Ethridge, a Nova Scotia native, joined a youth gathering that focused on both reconciliation and climate action. She arrived expecting a balanced mix of Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants. Instead, she found herself among a majority of Indigenous youth, immersed in what she later described as "genuine, authentic sharing stories and songs and drumming and dancing." As reported by Goldstream News Gazette, Ethridge reflected, "It felt less like there was this division between people and less of a presentation of culture." Rather than a formal showcase, the gathering became an organic exchange—stories tied to the land, hands-on lessons like braiding sweet grass, and moments of quiet reflection in the Rockies.
For Ethridge, the landscape itself became a living classroom. She recalled dozing off, jet-lagged, on a bus and waking to a "serene snowy environment"—a powerful reminder of the vastness and fragility of Canada’s mountains. The students learned about fire ecology, met with elders, and observed the retreat of glaciers firsthand. For someone who grew up skiing, seeing the visible effects of climate change in the mountains she loved was both moving and sobering. "The knowledge I was given isn’t accessible anywhere else," she said. "Now I kind of see it as my responsibility to keep that education going." Alongside Ethridge were fellow Pearson students Shizuki Arai and Berthinah Rakatondrosoa, who shared in the experience of learning directly from Indigenous leaders and the land itself.
Thousands of kilometers away, two other Pearson students—Guilherme Ribeiro de Moraes and Paola Perez Puma—were living a different kind of education at COP30, the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Held in Belém, Brazil, at the very gateway to the Amazon, COP30 was a convergence of global leaders, activists, Indigenous groups, and civil society organizations, all grappling with the daunting challenge of climate change. Perez Puma, originally from Peru and fluent in Quechua, Spanish, and English, had followed the COP process since she was 12 years old. "For me it has always been the space where I wanted to be," she told Goldstream News Gazette.
But the reality of COP30 was complex. While the conference offered a vivid look at global climate politics, it also revealed the limits of access and transparency. As Perez Puma explained, "Observers could attend some open meetings, but most negotiations remained closed. In the beginning it was kind of disappointing," she admitted, noting that youth and Indigenous delegates repeatedly raised concerns about transparency. Still, the energy of the event was undeniable. Perez Puma found inspiration in the people she met—from the executive director of Amnesty International to activists aboard Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior. "Connecting with people that care so deeply, people are doing amazing things on the other side of the world, that’s what was so special about this experience," she said.
For Ribeiro de Moraes, witnessing civil society’s activism was a revelation. "Not only were people protesting, but civil society inserted themselves into the middle of the event," they recounted. "We actually got to see some of the outcomes of those actions." One standout example was the Munduruku people, an Indigenous community in Brazil fighting to halt exploration of the Amazon rainforest. Their protests, visible and persistent, led directly to negotiations with the COP presidency—proof that grassroots action can shape international outcomes.
These student experiences echo a broader theme that resonated throughout COP30: the need to reimagine our relationship with nature and with each other. As one attendee reflected in a piece published on December 7, 2025, "The science tells us we are currently on track for between two and four degrees of warming by the end of the century. The difference between those two numbers is the difference between struggle and catastrophe." The urgency is unmistakable, but so is the sense that solutions must go beyond numbers and negotiations.
One promising approach highlighted at COP30 was the bioeconomy program #TOGETHERBAND, which uses regenerative design to create products that support Indigenous communities. These are the "guardians of the world’s biodiversity," protecting 80% of the planet’s remaining species, yet they remain among the least resourced and most threatened groups. The program’s philosophy is simple: build supply chains that sustain life, not extract it. By co-creating livelihoods with Indigenous artisans—using sustainably sourced materials from the forest—#TOGETHERBAND aims to foster both cultural and economic resilience.
A tangible symbol of this movement is the "We Are All Forests" band. Crafted in partnership with the Yawanawá people, each band is made from waste açaí seeds, recycled Parley Ocean Plastic thread, and Humanium metal forged from decommissioned illegal firearms. The açaí seeds symbolize regeneration, the Parley thread represents the fight against ocean plastic, and the Humanium metal is a powerful act of turning violence into peace. As the program’s founder put it, "Together, they form the heartbeat of the We Are All Forests movement—driving tangible impact through circular supply chains while creating cultural and economic resilience for Indigenous peoples and spreading awareness of the challenges they face."
Yet, as the author noted, these bands are about more than just supporting communities in the Amazon. They are symbols meant to engage, educate, and inspire people worldwide—especially those who may never set foot in the Amazon or attend a COP summit. The hope is to foster a sense of interconnection, reminding us all that "we are all part of this living web."
The students’ journeys at Banff140 and COP30 demonstrate that climate action is not just about policies or protests—it’s about building relationships, sharing stories, and learning from those who have long protected the planet’s most precious places. Whether it’s a moment of silence at Bow Lake, a protest in Belém, or a bracelet made from the forest’s bounty, each act is a step toward a more resilient, interconnected future.
For the Pearson College students, the lessons learned will shape not only their own paths but, with any luck, the future of climate leadership itself.
