FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ahead of COP31 and Canada’s 2027 Our Ocean Conference in Halifax, The ChariTREE Foundation celebrates the power of children’s environmental education to inspire hope and ocean stewardship.
BOWEN ISLAND, British Columbia — November 1, 2026 — As world leaders prepare to gather for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, The ChariTREE Foundation is highlighting something simple but powerful: helping children fall in love with nature is one of the most meaningful ways to inspire the next generation of ocean protectors.
From supporting protection efforts in British Columbia’s Great Bear Sea to encouraging hands-on coastal learning, The ChariTREE Foundation believes that protecting our oceans begins by helping children develop a lifelong connection to the natural world.
Turning Climate Anxiety into Hope and Action
Read the full article: How to Host a Kids’ Beach Clean-up Party – EcoParent Magazine (Photo credit: EcoParent Magazine)
“More than 1.1 billion children face overlapping climate threats, according to UNICEF. But environmental education offers something powerful: hope. When we give children opportunities to explore nature, discover ocean wildlife and take action to protect our waterways, we help turn climate anxiety into confidence, resilience and a lifelong love of the natural world. Let’s inspire the next generation of ocean stewards,” says Andrea Koehle Jones, founder of The ChariTREE Foundation, children’s author, and climate education advocate.
The statistic comes from UNICEF’s 2026 Children’s Climate Risk Report, which highlights the growing climate risks affecting children worldwide.
5 Fun Ways Kids Can Help Protect Our Oceans
1. Host a Beach Clean-up Party
Gather friends, classmates, and families to safely collect litter from a beach, riverbank, or lakeshore. Make it fun with a nature scavenger hunt!
2. Become an Ocean Detective
Explore tide pools, observe shorebirds, discover marine wildlife, and learn about the fascinating creatures that depend on healthy oceans.
3. Take Away the Litter. Leave Behind the Nature.
Teach children to remove safe plastic waste while leaving shells, sea stars, crabs, kelp, and other natural treasures undisturbed. Adults should handle hazardous debris.
4. Create Ocean-Inspired Art
Turn clean, recovered materials into colourful marine-themed artwork while learning about plastic pollution and protecting aquatic life.
5. Give Children a Voice for the Ocean
Encourage young people to write letters, make posters, or share their wishes for healthier oceans with community leaders.
Make Ocean Conservation Fun: A Beach Clean-up Party for Kids!
For parents, teachers, and community groups, Andrea Koehle Jones shares a practical five-step guide in her article published by EcoParent magazine in March 2023:
How to Host a Kids’ Beach Clean-up Party: Helping the Planet & Having Fun Doing It!
The guide includes party-planning tips, environmental scavenger hunts, eco-friendly activities, and creative ways to inspire the next generation of ocean advocates.
Children don’t have to live beside the ocean to make a difference. Exploring and caring for rivers, lakes, streams, and local waterways can help young people discover how connected our natural world really is.
From Canada’s Great Bear Sea to Global Ocean Conservation
The ChariTREE Foundation has long advocated for protecting marine biodiversity and Canada’s coastal ecosystems.
The foundation has welcomed progress toward Indigenous-led protection of British Columbia’s Great Bear Sea, recognizing the importance of safeguarding marine ecosystems, wildlife, and coastal communities for future generations.
Protecting these remarkable waters also provides opportunities to inspire children to appreciate the importance of healthy oceans, Indigenous stewardship, and biodiversity conservation.
Read more: Great Bear Sea Waters Move Closer to Federal Protection.
Looking Ahead: COP31 and Our Ocean 2027 in Halifax
As countries gather at COP31 in November 2026 and Canada prepares to host the 12th Our Ocean Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 9–11, 2027, The ChariTREE Foundation encourages policymakers, educators, and communities to recognize children’s environmental education as an essential part of long-term marine conservation.
By encouraging curiosity, outdoor exploration, and hands-on environmental learning, families and educators can inspire children to see themselves as part of the solution.
After all, every little action can make a difference, and every child deserves the opportunity to help create a healthier planet.
About The ChariTREE Foundation
The ChariTREE Foundation is a volunteer-run registered Canadian charity and United Nations Climate Observer organization based on British Columbia’s Pacific coast. Founded by children’s author and award-winning Canadian environmental education advocate Andrea Koehle Jones, the foundation supports nature-based climate education, marine stewardship, biodiversity conservation, and environmental learning opportunities for children in Canada and around the world.
Website: https://www.charitree-foundation.org/
Media Contact:
Andrea Koehle Jones
Founder & Executive Director
The ChariTREE Foundation
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