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Growing up I was lucky enough to travel to numerous places around the world. I traveled to Spain, France, and Italy. I was fortunate to visit Costa Rica numerous times. Traveling to these countries at a young age opened my eyes to new cultures, environments and unfamiliar lifestyles. Looking back now, one of my first trips to my grandmother's house in Costa Rica impacted my environmental worldview the most at a young age, and still to this day. For some context her house is located in a natural reserve and is less than a kilometer from the beach. Between the beach and her house is a narrow path almost swallowed by a beautiful tropical forest, filled with exotic birds, iguanas and monkeys. Every time I visit I am in awe of the majestic trees that seem never ending and the harmony of animals living with one another.  I vividly remember taking it all in and thinking how beautiful the coexistence of nature and our existence was. I believe that the environment is something not to be taken for granted and destroyed for our own benefits and resources but something to preserve and protect.

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I grew up speaking French and learned English as my second language when my family and I moved to Alberta. An expression that I heard at a really young age and that really stuck with me because I found it so intriguing was “Mère Nature” , which translates directly to “Mother Nature” in English. I remember first hearing that expression and thinking it quite literally meant that nature was everyone's mother because it cared and provided for us. Looking back I find that it established a certain way of thinking early on in my life, the importance of “Mother Nature” towards us. Speaking multiple languages helped me increase my knowledge of other cultures and learn about their environmental ideology.

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Personally, a value that has a lot of importance to me is Respect. In my opinion, I find respect is often an overlooked value. When people mention respect I believe the majority of people think of it as respecting other people, their parents or teachers. In my experience when respect is mentioned we immediately think of respecting rules or laws that are set in place. I find that the aspect of respect for our planet and environment and all living beings is often undervalued. Littering is a relevant example of us disrespecting our planet. Having respect for our environment appears so simple yet most people do not make the effort. Personally, I do not think it is possible for everyone to make drastic changes and completely alter their lifestyles to become more eco-friendly. However small changes go a long way. It made me realize that nature’s resources are not infinite and everyone has a responsibility to play a part in preserving our environment.

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Growing up my parents have always valued our environment and the health of our planet. They did not go to the extreme and bike everywhere, but they did the simple things. Whether that was composting or avoiding purchasing single-use plastic items. When I was younger I did not think much of this because I thought that it was the norm for all families all over the world. However I got accustomed to being mindful when purchasing goods and quickly realized that my family put a lot of value on making an effort to conserve our environment. In particular my mother would always put a lot of emphasis on sustainable living. Naturally, I picked these habits up because they were integrated into my life. Reflecting on it now, the way I was raised definitely influenced my environmental worldview without me even realizing it.

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I grew up in Montreal, Quebec, a province that relies heavily on Hydroelectricity for its electricity production. Hydroelectricity is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water to generate electricity, such as water that flows over a waterfall. I remember seeing the huge stations and wondering what was happening in them. From an early age it gave me perspective on the importance and benefits of our natural resources. It also gave me a sense of how we can benefit from the environment without causing it harm and or polluting it. It was using the water to our benefit but without creating atmospheric pollution. However there are downsides to hydroelectricity such as flooding existing lands and loss of habitat.

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While getting older my parents thought it was important for me to learn about other cultures and understand how different cultures have unique beliefs and ways of living. It was interesting to see how all these different cultures had specific norms and expectations regarding environmental behavior. An example of this was when I went to a summer camp (YMCA Camp Chief Hector), named after Stoney Chief Hector Crawler. While at the camp I learned all about the traditional ways and rituals of the indigenous people. For instance, sleeping in a teepee or participating in smudging. During my time there I acquired a knowledge of their environmental view, their way of honoring the land, and having strong spiritual connections to the land and a deep respect for nature.