Niagara native awarded grant for pollinator recovery program
Monarch Mayhem offers new ways to teach kids about pollinators, habitat
Growing up in Niagara Falls, Caitlin Brant fell in love with the flora and fauna of the Niagara Peninsula.
The A.N. Myer Secondary School graduate’s appreciation of nature followed her through university and led her to develop a national pollinator recovery project through the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Her Monarch Mayhem program — it provides educators with new ways to teach children about pollinators and habitat restoration — was recently recognized by Nature Canada, which awarded her a young leader grant.
The grant supports projects that celebrate the role nature plays in Canadian culture and identity.
The 27-year-old said the grant was “unexpected but very much appreciated.”
Monarch Mayhem was developed as part of Brant’s commitment to the federation’s Canadian Conservation Corps.
Participants in the national program, open to adults aged 18 to 30, take part in three distinct stages.
They must first complete a wilderness adventure — Brant spent two weeks in Algonquin Park — followed by immersive field training.
For that stage, she worked alongside biologists in Ottawa on national pollinator initiatives.
She is currently a member of a team organizing a global youth summit for a world conservation congress hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
She developed the monarch project as part of the final phase of the program, which focuses on outreach and community service.
The world conservation congress was to be held in Paris, France, in June, but has since been postponed to January 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Upon completion of the corps placement, Brant plans to pursue a career in conservation.
“I want to work with kids, teaching them all about animals and nature and what we can do to help them,” said Brant, who completed her undergraduate studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and her masters in conservation biology in England.
For further information, visit CanadianConservationCorps.ca and WildOutside.ca.