“I learned that you are never too small to make a difference,” said climate activist Greta Thunberg. Her words have inspired many young people, including me, to take action in areas we’re passionate about. I’ve always loved science and wanted to help others, inspiring me to strive to pursue a career in healthcare. I’ve also been deeply committed to environmental issues and climate action. As I start my Health Sciences major at Queen’s University this September, the experience I gained this summer has deepened my understanding of climate change and allowed me to discover connections that I will carry to my future career.
During the summer, I was the City of Cornwall’s Community Climate Action Intern. I also concluded my two-year term as the chair of the Cornwall Youth for Climate Action Working Group.
My internship supported my future because Climate Action is directly connected with healthcare. I sincerely believe that fighting the climate crisis and protecting the environment should be a team effort. Individuals from all sectors, including healthcare, should be equally invested in protecting planet Earth because it is our home.
I had the opportunity to attended webinars about climate action topics – wildfire awareness, biodiversity protection, and the importance of tree planting. These sessions included how climate change affects human health. During one of them, a keynote speaker from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)—an organization that greatly inspires me and that I hope to join one day—shared an interesting fact: healthcare providers can prescribe time in nature as a treatment for various psychological and physical health conditions. This shows how interconnected we as human beings are with the environment and why it is so crucial that we take care of it!
My supervisor, Angela Parker, the City’s Sustainability Coordinator, was an inspiring example; she cares deeply about animals and plants! I learned about plants and insects while tending to our local pollinator gardens. This hands-on learning created a genuine sense of care and compassion for living organisms. As a result, I have also enhanced my attention to detail, which will be beneficial in the patient interactions.
Furthermore, I conducted extensive research this summer. I applied my academic skills to real-world contexts by composing a planting plan, creating a climate action plan update, and writing literature reviews on various topics, such as biodiversity strategies, green building standards, and light pollution policies. Learning to quickly find, summarize, and evaluate information and properly cite my work are skills that I can apply to health science research.
Working as a Community Climate Action Intern for my city allowed me to understand the needs of my community better and inspired me to continue striving to make a difference. For instance, a tree planting initiative aimed at cooling vulnerable neighbourhoods made me more aware and open-minded about the effects of climate change on people and how it affects everyone differently. This experience has helped me develop a sense of open-mindedness that I will carry with me.
To conclude, I think that this position has been exceptionally valuable to me. I’ve developed my perspectives and contributed to an area that is truly important to me, the environment. I will cherish and continue to grow the knowledge and skills I have acquired from this summer position.
For more information check out www.transitioncornwall.com and climate action at www.cornwall.ca
