Hello

Growing up in the picturesque landscapes of British Columbia, my love for the outdoors and environmental advocacy was shaped by my parents, avid outdoor enthusiasts. Our family spent countless hours camping, biking, and skiing, making the wilderness a second home that formed the foundation of my life. Beyond planned outings, my childhood was marked by unstructured play and exploration in nature, a freedom that I believe is diminishing in today's world dominated by technology and helicopter parenting. Inheriting my parents' commitment to sustainability, I learned about gardening, supporting local economies, and water conservation from an early age. However, my awareness of privilege grew as I recognized the resources that facilitated our lifestyle. This realization fueled my determination to address disparities, leading me to initiate an outdoor learning program for children in a low-income neighborhood where I taught. As my teaching career progressed, my focus shifted to eco-justice, incorporating social justice, Indigenous knowledge, and reconciliation into environmental education. This evolution culminated in a master's project inspired by personal experiences and a deepening understanding of eco-justice, driven by the urgency of the current climate crisis, which I have witnessed firsthand through forest fires, drought, and changing climate conditions affecting my community and loved ones. My commitment to preparing children for these challenges underscores the significance of my project in navigating the complexities of our changing world.

Ultimately, this work serves as an invitation to action, inviting educators to join in the journey towards a world where eco-justice principles guide our interactions with the natural world and each other, paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable future.

- Jenn

Pumpkin Portrait [photo from personal collection]

Acknowledgment

I want to begin by acknowledging the profound significance that the natural land has had on my understandings of eco-justice and enabling me to do the following work. The interconnectedness I maintain with all living beings and ecosystems was a constant grounding point for me throughout this project. This work was been undertaken on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the WSÁNEĆ Peoples and the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations, whose enduring connection to this land spans countless generations. Their stewardship of these territories has instilled in me a deep reverence for the environment and a commitment to eco-justice.

I am a settler on these lands. On my mother’s side, I am of mixed European descent. On my father’s side, I am of Macedonian, Scottish, and English descent. I was born in Vancouver on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations; however, I spent most of my childhood and adolescence in the Okanagan on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx/Okanagan Peoples. These beautiful and diverse ecological lands have offered me a connection to nature from the oceans to the mountains, to the deserts. I am forever grateful to be an uninvited guest on these lands on which I have lived and currently reside. I thank Gordy Bear of the Cree Nation and Mitchel Harley for teaching me how to introduce myself in a good way.

My experiences with this land have been instrumental in shaping the direction of my master’s work, my work as a teacher, and my personal life. The lessons it has offered in sustainability, respect for all living beings, and the interconnectedness of ecosystems have inspired the focus of my project on eco-justice practices in early childhood education. I intend to use the wisdom of this land as a guiding force in nurturing children’s understanding of our shared responsibility for the environment.

Contact

Forever learning and growing. I always welcome new insights, connections, and opportunities.

Let's connect.

jennifer.loukras@gmail.com

@wildcoast.educator