Mayor's Environment Expo draws 2,000 students to City Hall
The 37th annual event showcases youth environmental projects from conservation to climate action and sustainable living.
About 2,000 students filled Calgary City Hall on Tuesday for the 37th annual Mayor's Environment Expo, an event that transforms the municipal building into a showcase for young environmental leaders tackling pressing issues from conservation to climate action to sustainable living.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas spent the morning engaging with presenters about projects ranging from sustainable food systems and biodiversity initiatives to hands-on environmental solutions. "I am so impressed by the talent of the projects on display here," he told reporters. "This is leadership in action. Calgary's next generation showing they're not leaders tomorrow, they're leaders today."
One standout: a group of Grade 6 students from W.O. Mitchell School presented a project on "forest bathing"—the practice of immersing oneself in nature for self-care. Inspired by a class visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in southeast Calgary, students including Addison Wallace, Benjamin Araneda, Rafael Bellorin, and Madison Scalzo created a forest bathing trail in northwest Calgary and recorded nature sounds from all four seasons. Attendees could listen to the recordings at their booth.
Another project by Grade 3 student Pelly Zannis from Earl Grey School explored minimizing watershed contamination.
Farkas emphasized that officials have as much to learn from students as students have to gain from the expo. "They're dealing with these challenges here now, and they want to be part of the future and part of problem solving," he said. "Getting an extra set of eyes and a different perspective from Calgary's youth is so important for us. I have a lot to learn and they are here to teach me."
The expo offers a rare moment when city leadership pauses to listen—and genuinely listens—to what the city's young people think should change.