Our Positive Climate Future: According to NWF’s Youth Advisory Council, Part Two

In an effort to thoughtfully consider youth perspectives when shaping strategies to address climate change, protect wildlife, and serve youth, the National Wildlife Federation's Education and Engagement team convened the first iteration of its Youth Advisory Council in 2023.

This year, NWF decided to introduce our 2025 Youth Advisory Council members through a two-part blog series. In part one of this blog series, we asked our cohort to share how they hope to contribute to a positive climate future. This is part two of our blog series, where we continue highlighting how our 2025 Youth Advisory Council members hope to contribute to a positive climate future. We also asked these young leaders to share their visions for humanity's creative response to climate change. Check out their thoughtful responses below!

Question: How do you hope to contribute to a positive climate future?

Climate Advocacy Across the Workforce

I hope to contribute to a positive climate future by bridging the gap between nonprofit advocacy and corporate sustainability. I'm passionate about interdisciplinary action and firmly believe that lasting climate solutions require collaboration across all fields of work. In the future, I want to help businesses embed sustainability into their core strategies as a guiding value to drive meaningful, systemic change so that both people and the planet can thrive together. - Olivia Yim

Through working in environmental policy and law, I want to develop and advocate for policies that will alter how we respond to conservation and climate issues. In my career, I will change the politically-charged atmosphere that comes with speaking on environmental topics by breathing new life into how the public engages with these crucial matters. - Kaitlyn Thomas

Question: If anything were possible, what do you think could be humanity's most creative response to climate change and environmental damage?

Healing Our Relationship with Nature and Keeping Each Other Safe

If anything were possible, I believe humanity's most creative response to climate change and environmental damage would center on rehabilitating our relationship with nature. Instead of managing or controlling it, we must re-learn how to live in right relationship-seeing ourselves as part of the ecosystem, not apart from it. This transformation calls for an upstream approach that integrates ecological values into how we play, learn, commune, and work. It also requires interdisciplinary, intergenerational collaboration-bringing together scientists, artists, educators, youth, elders, and community leaders to co-create just and regenerative solutions. - Alicia Fontenot

I believe the most creative response would be to get to know our neighbors. At this time, federal policy reminds us that "we keep us safe." This means that despite the circumstances that are out of our control, we have the power to help one another in this time, and this can start by getting to know your community. With recent floods and fires that have devastated my homelands in New Mexico, it is local communities that have stepped up to keep one another safe because they know who their communities are and what their needs are. - Kianna Pete

Climate Education for a Better Future

Climate and environmental literacy should be taught as a key subject in all schools across the world, beginning in kindergarten, if at all practicable. One classroom at a time, educating the next generation about living in harmony with the environment has the potential to completely change civilization. - Ashley Chumakunetsa

Sustainable Cities and Urban Environments

I believe that the Earth's environments have enough of a bounty for all of humanity to be taken care of, and that our issue is the uneven distribution of the essential resources for life. The creativity would come from how we collectively redesign our world to take care of each other instead of damaging the environment for the sake of profit. - Estelle Long

Cities are not only homes for billions of people, but also for that grackle showing off his best car alarm impression and those moths flitting around the glowing street light. If anything were possible, it would be fun to organize community-wide urban rewilding projects. These projects could look like bug hotel building days at schools, town halls where residents help co-design the latest wildlife bridge, and community science programs that train everyday people on how to monitor local bird populations. Environmental stewardship can help us deepen our mutual connection to one another in our pursuit of more livable cities for all. - Mandy Tran

Conclusion: A Positive Climate Future is Up to All of Us

Since our founding, NWF has valued and prioritized partnerships and collaboration to achieve our goals for wildlife, people, and ecosystems. Through our Youth Advisory Council, we are proudly supporting a new generation of environmental advocates. We are steadfast in our commitment to prioritize multigenerational strategies as we lead efforts to catalyze positive changes for people, wildlife, and all of our shared natural resources.

NWF is honored to collaborate with this cohort of accomplished and driven youth environmental advocates. If you consider yourself a youth environmental advocate or want to become one, we welcome you to join the NWF's EcoLeaders community. Account registration is free, and you'll have full access to our green career and environmental educational resources. We invite everyone to sign up for EcoLeaders Insider news, for bi-monthly updates and announcements regarding our Youth Advisory Council membership and more.