Author Randa Handler along with Premier Digital Publishing is teaming up with the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition to help celebrate the release of three wonderful books for young readers: If I Were King; Cubbie Blue and His Dog Dot; What’s Up with Mike?

For every book purchased, 25% of profits will be donated to support the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition’s work to engage young people meaningfully in the issues that affect their future.

Each book tells a beautiful story alongside captivating artwork that will capture the imaginations of young readers, help them find their voices, and encourage them to speak out in favor of social justice.

• If I Were King is a powerful yet entertaining vehicle for teaching children to appreciate nature, diversity, and the power of one.

• Cubbie Blue and His Dog Dot is a fantastically fun story about the importance of collaborating with people we may not agree with in order to right wrongs, overcome differences, and build lasting positive relationships.

• What’s Up with Mike? demonstrates the importance of helping those in need by reaching out and performing small daily acts of courage.

Help us spread the word about these three books and, in doing, make a profound difference for the spirit bear while igniting compassion in the hearts of young readers – our future leaders.

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition has joined forces with partner Emerald Foundation to help mobilize the community of Fort McMurray, Alberta, to celebrate environmental successes and inspire a continued commitment to keep improving their ecological bottom line.

Youth Coalition founder Simon Jackson spoke to hundreds of community leaders about the future of the spirit bear and the importance of community leadership in tackling conservation challenges.

With the debate on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline that would send oil tankers through the spirit bear’s habitat currently monopolizing the news, attendees of the first Fort McMurray Emerald Day were informed that their voice matters on this issue and all issues.

Jackson preached balance, innovation and youth engagement during his address and those who attended responded with overwhelming support for protecting the spirit bear and a desire to engage with global partners in honest debate to find new solutions for tackling the environmental concerns.

We know we need to protect nature. It’s what sustains all life on this planet.

While the threats facing our world are almost too many to count, hope is not lost. There are seven billion of us – each with a passion; each with a skill set. And when we each do our part – when we do one good thing – anything is possible.

For this reason, in partnership with The WILD Foundation and The Murie Center, the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition is creating CoalitionWILD – a new social movement of people under 30 to working to create a wilder world.

The initiative seeks to inspire and empower young people to create a new movement for nature – one that unites people across political divides, from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe – by providing a social media platform for innovative ideas, on-the-ground projects, activities and events.

Simply put: by focusing attention on the power of younger generations to initiate change, we want to take the lessons learned through the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and help catalyze thousands of new ventures that will establish a new vision for a wilder world.

JOIN OUR NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENT; JOIN OUR WILDER WORLD CHALLENGE!

How are you creating a wilder world?

Show us your project! Share your idea!

Submit your project for a chance to win an opportunity to present your idea to the world at WILD10 in Salamanca, Spain in October 2013 AND compete with your peers to receive funding and a year of mentorship from global leaders.

Projects can range from local to global in scope and can include anything that you think makes the world a wilder place – however big or small. Each idea will help show the world how our generation can celebrate and protect nature through a new generational movement. Your submission doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy – just do whatever you feel best showcases your ingenuity.

ENTER TODAY: www.coalitionwild.org

CoalitionWILD’s Inspiration: WILD10

The CoalitionWILD movement to create a wilder world will launch at the 10th World Wilderness Congress (WILD10) in Salamanca, Spain from October 4-10, 2013.

Join us for the launch in Spain and take part in WILD10. If you can’t join us in person, catch the Congress on-line thru WILD10 EnVivo.  Meet other change-making CoalitionWILD members from around the world in Spain and take advantage of every opportunity to develop your personal and professional leadership skills.

www.wild10.org

Spirit Bear Youth Coalition’s founder Simon Jackson has been selected to receive the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his years of volunteer work to save the spirit bear.

Jackson offered these comments:

“It is a tremendous honour to be recognized by my province and my country – especially to be selected along side so many true leaders and community heroes. I know there are many others deserving of this medal, but I accept it on behalf of every single Canadian who has stood up and given the spirit bear a voice. We collectively have worked to save this remarkable creature and any recognition I receive is truly a recognition of every individual who has helped create and shape the movement to save the spirit bear.”

The Diamond Jubilee Medal will be awarded by the Premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark, at a ceremony in Victoria on February 26th.

SCHOOLS: REGISTER TODAY!

Spirit Bear Youth Coalition founder Simon Jackson will join Degrassi‘s Luke Bilyk, rapper Lil Jaxe, actress Kristin Chenoweth, Flashpoint‘s Sarena Parmar and a list of teen superstars for the largest youth-run empowerment event in Canada – Count Me In Conference (CMIC).

The groundbreaking event, uniting 1,500 students from across Ontario and reaching more than one million students world wide, will influence youth-driven social change. More than 20 celebrity speakers, entertainers and young activists from around the world will take centre stage at The Mississauga Living Arts Centre on Wednesday April 17, 2013.

Count Me In Conference is being organized entirely by a team of teenagers. It has been designed as a field trip for students in grades 8 through 12.

CMIC is a branch of the Canadian organization “Count Me In”. Toronto-born teen icon Shane Feldman started Count Me In as a school project when he was 13 years old. Now at 18, Shane is proud to be leading the Count Me In movement, recognized today as the largest initiative of its kind.

The House of Commons have acknowledged Feldman for his work and he was recently honored with the Citizen of Character Award.

Count Me In Conference will impact teens with an inspiring line-up of speakers and entertainers, uniting to share powerful messages promoting volunteerism.

CMIC 2013 Speakers and Performers include:

Luke Bilyk – Host of CMIC 2013; Actor (“Drew Torres” on Degrassi).

Jake Zeldin – aka “Lil Jaxe”, 13 year old Canadian rapper.

Sarena Parmar – Plan Canada Ambassador; Actress (Flashpoint, Degrassi).

Kristin Chenoweth – Tony and Emmy® Award-winning actress and singer. (*via video)

Wesley Prankard – 14 year old activist, founder of “Northern Starfish” Attawapiskat initiative.

Maddie Cranston – 9 year old Ocean Warrior, activist, and environmentalist.

Scott Hammell – Guinness World Record setting escape artist and stuntman.

Simon Jackson – Founder of “The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition”, based in Vancouver.

Annaleise Carr – Youngest person in history to swim across Lake Ontario.

David Edward Garcia – Stand up comedian, one of the top youth speakers in North America.

Talia Leman – 17 year old published author and founder of “RandomKid”.

Mark Black – 4-time marathon runner, heart & double-lung transplant recipient.

Trevor Bodogh – Extreme athlete and bicycle action performer.

Bill Johnson – Speaker, Teacher, Pilot, and Youth Leadership Expert

Shane Feldman – Founder of “Count Me In”.

Notable Canadian supporters of Count Me In include singer Victoria Duffield, actress Ashley Leggat, politician Peter Kent, Canadian Idol winner Ryan Malcolm, and the cast of Degrassi.

With the support of Presenting Sponsors TD Bank Group and Fabricland, Count Me In Conference will bring together Canadian charities and organizations showcasing a selection of opportunities for students to match their interests with community services.

Significant charity partners who have joined Count Me In to make this event possible include World Vision Canada, Right To Play, Canadian Cancer Society, and Plan Canada / Because I am a Girl. Working together under one roof, these organizations hope to ignite a spark within the youth audience. The nature of Count Me In is to inspire youth to connect with one another and with their communities. The day will shine a light on the importance of community connection, teamwork, leadership and charity involvement.

Tickets to the conference are free for educators and $11 per student. Teachers are encouraged to register their schools online (cmiMovement.com) in January, as there are a limited number of tickets available. For maximum impact, schools are asked to send a combination of student leaders and “at-risk” student delegates to the conference. The event will run from 8:45am to 2:45pm, and is a cocurricular field trip.

Most major political and news commentators in Canada have declared the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to the BC coast dead.

The project that would send super tankers loaded with oil through the spirit bear’s last intact habitat has run into a seemingly endless series of hurdles, but non greater than opposition from First Nation bands along the proposed route.

Though the National Energy Board’s Joint Review Panel on Northern Gateway has yet to announce it’s official position (and will by the end of 2013), most believe that political opposition in BC is now too high for the prime minister to force the pipeline to move ahead even with regulatory approval.

And with First Nation-led court cases very much on the horizon, years of legal wrangling will kill the project if the political climate doesn’t stop Northern Gateway first.

Even Enbridge is looking at alternative routes, including sending the oil to refineries in the east and investigating rail options. As John Ivison of the National post wrote recently: “‘It’s not just about Gateway,’ said CEO Al Monaco, as if Enbridge is resigned to the idea the pipeline is doomed to failure.

The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition has been of the belief since the fall that the spirit bear will no longer be threatened by oil spills and hopes to encourage youth across Canada and around the globe contribute positively to the still unresolved energy debate and how, as a society, we can strike a balance between the economy and the environment.

Dear Friend of the Spirit Bear,

For nearly two decades now, we have been working to save the spirit bear. I am excited to tell you that the end is in sight! By this time next year, I believe we will have accomplished most of what we set out to achieve.

Thanks to your support, it’s been one heck of a year. With the help of our partners, we worked to create a de facto sanctuary from trophy hunting for coastal bears within the regions most critical to the spirit bear. In fact, this past fall marks the first time in recent memory that no bears were killed, thus reducing the threat to the Kermode gene pool. (READ MORE)

We also worked hard to reduce the long-term threat of an oil spill within the spirit bear’s last intact habitat. Your support enabled us to spearhead the conversation around the importance of balancing the economy and the environment, creating non-traditional support to ensure projects like the Northern Gateway don’t increase their environmental footprint by threatening an endangered species with the route they choose. (READ MORE)

And we are even making progress to lessen the threat of habitat loss within the unprotected third of the spirit bear’s critical ecosystem. With government committing to reducing the level of annual logging, this watershed may soon be no longer threatened by large-scale development.

In 2013, we have three remaining critical tasks:

1. We must make sure the BC government recognizes the de facto bear sanctuary created by ensuring “kill quotas” are not enforced and using the territories purchased as the basis for a legal sanctuary, per the wishes of Coastal First Nations.

2. We must create certainty that any oil pipeline built to BC from Alberta will not threaten the spirit bear and equally work to ensure young Canadians help shape the national debate on energy, the environment, and the economy – as it is their future being negotiated.

3. We must ensure the government legislates its commitment to lower the number of trees harvested in unprotected areas of the spirit bear’s habitat and work with elected leaders and First Nation communities to create a plan for using The Spirit Bear animated movie to resolve the threat of habitat loss for good.

It is an aggressive agenda, but one that we are committed to achieving within a year. If we do so, we will be in a position to put ourselves out of business.

With the start of a new year, please remember the bears. Consider a donation to the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition in the name of a loved one, as you figure out what to give those you care about. Such a gift will go a long ways towards making 2013 the year we finally save the spirit bear for generations to come. As a volunteer run organization, every single dollar counts! Your continued support and belief in our work fuels our hope that we can and will save the spirit bear.

On behalf of everyone at the Youth Coalition, thank you for all you’ve done for the bears in 2012. I wish you and your families the very best for the coming New Year.

With thanks,

Simon Jackson, Founder

Whether you’re looking for the perfect image for your home or the perfect gift for a loved one, Spirit Bear Youth Coalition founder and award winning photographer Simon Jackson will be donating 100% of profits from the sale of all photographs on dsjacksonimages.com to support our work to save the spirit bear.

From prints to cards to calendars, there is almost certainly an image perfect for you or someone you know and in purchasing one of Jackson’s photos, you will be doing your part to help ensure the future of the Kermode bear.

Visit dsjacksonimages.com today!

Does your school or a school in your district have an interest in bringing in an internationally renowned speaker to motivate students to create a better world?

POWER OF ONE SPEAKING TOUR

Time Magazine’s Hero for the Planet and acclaimed motivational speaker, Simon Jackson, will be visiting schools across Canada in support of two of the most renowned conservation organizations in the country: the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada.

Through almost two decades of working to save the spirit bear and engage youth in environmental issues, Simon has become a model of the power of one.

Simon founded the Youth Coalition at the age of 13, growing it into the largest youth-led environmental organization in the world, and helped establish the largest land protection measure in North American history. His work for the spirit bear models and builds on the leadership of Dr. Jane Goodall, who personally selected Simon to sit on JGI Canada’s board of directors when he was just 20.

In the telling of his unique story – the focus of a recent made-for-TV movie – Simon illustrates how he overcame roadblocks, sceptics and bullying in school to help make the spirit bear one of the world’s foremost environmental issues.

His speeches avoid divisive politics and instead underscore the importance of balance, collaboration and innovation.

The lessons he learned and the insight he gained is not just the recipe to save the spirit bear or the chimpanzee, but also a blueprint for any student to take a stand for a better world through their own passion and skill set.

Simon’s message is inspirational, motivational, and educational: not only will you want to catch the spirit to save the bear and become a chimp guardian, but you’ll be a believer in the power of one.

REGISTER BY MARCH 1st: letters@spiritbearyouth.org

THE DETAILS

Audience:

Simon speaks to audiences of all ages and all sizes, but his message resonates most powerfully with students between grades four and twelve, as well as university and college students.

Dates:

This unique tour will take place in March, April and May. We ask for schools to register their interest and once we know the cities and schools participating, we will work with you to develop the speaking schedule. We require a minimum of four schools per city to register in order to have Simon visit.

Leadership Opportunity:

Every school that brings Simon into speak will be given the opportunity to participate in the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots program – providing teachers and students with the opportunity to build on Simon’s message and follow in the footsteps of Dr. Goodall in becoming a positive agent of change.

REGISTER TODAY!

If your school or if schools in your district are interested in being part of Simon Jackson’s spring 2013 Power of One speaking tour, please register your interest by contacting the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition: letters@spiritbearyouth.org.

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Spirit Bear Youth Coalition | www.spiritbearyouth.org

Jane Goodall Institute of Canada | www.janegoodall.ca

Simon Jackson | www.speakers.ca/jackson_simon.html