Photo by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels
Across the country, hundreds of young Canadians are working together to share messages of hope about climate change and make their voices heard in a unique way: by attempting to break the Guinness World Record title for the world’s longest chain of paper snowflakes.
The attempt, organized by Earth Rangers, the kids’ conservation organization, saw children from coast to coast create snowflakes and write messages of hope, concern, and ideas for the future of the planet. Thousands of snowflakes will join together to form a large and inspiring art installation, to be unveiled at the Toronto Zoo on Friday, November 5th.
“While many adults might see the climate crisis as insurmountable, kids know this isn’t an option,” says Tovah Barocas, president of Earth Rangers. “Kids understand that we can face any challenge, even one as big as climate change, if we work together.”
The snowflake chain, which will need to extend over 214 metres long to qualify as record-breaking, is especially illustrative given the disproportionate impact of climate change on the Arctic. The Arctic is warming at triple the global average, threatening the people and wildlife that call the region home. Concerns about animals like polar bears and other northern species also feature prominently in many of the snowflakes sent in by children across the country.
“Even as the climate crisis seems only to grow harder and more urgent to solve, missions like the ‘Snowflake Challenge’ help kids—and adults!—find hope and rediscover the big power of small actions,” says Barocas.
The Snowflake Challenge is part of the launch of Project 2050, a new program by Earth Rangers that mobilizes children to help meet Canada’s 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. The program provides an easy and fun way for children and their families to fight climate change by adopting sustainable habits—things they can do every day that will have real collective impact. Through a unique online platform, children can accept themed challenges related to things like transportation and waste, log habits, and contribute towards big goals that can only be achieved by working together.
The launch of Project 2050 also coincides with the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, which will see the international community commit to enhanced climate ambitions.
For more information on the Snowflake Challenge or to get involved with Project 2050, visit project2050.ca
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Earth Rangers is the kids’ conservation organization, dedicated to educating children and their families about biodiversity, inspiring them to adopt sustainable behaviours, and empowering them to become directly involved in protecting animals and their habitats.
