During Obama's Farewell Speech he said "if you see something that needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do something about it." It is in the spirit of those inspirational words that I am proudly sharing with all of you that I have been accepted to the Climate Reality Leadership Corps to train to become a Climate Leader in my community.In March I will travel to Denver, Colorado to attend training hosted by former Vice President Al Gore and other climate scientists to learn about how I can help implement green initiatives and climate actions in my community, and to educate youth and meet with community leaders to spark change. It is a great honor I don't take lightly. CLICK HERE to visit my Go Fund Me page and read my story below!
Hi, my name is Stacey McIntyre-Gonzalez. I live in Pembroke, Ontario with my fiancé and my pets: two mountain dogs and a tailless cat. I work at a local animal hospital and created the blog Paws For Reaction, which is about pets and green living.
Living in an area like Pembroke- surrounded by beautiful Provincial Parks and the Ottawa River- has given me a greater appreciation for nature and the environment, and for the past few years I have focused my blog content more on eco friendly living and climate change. As a young person in this country I can not ignore the challenges our planet faces in the coming years, due to climate change. Instead of becoming defeated by these challenges I want to embrace them. There is nothing I enjoy more than a good challenge, and I want to find solutions for myself and my community to preserve the environment and nature that I love so much.
My passion for the environment has inspired me to apply for the Climate Reality Leadership Corp training so that I can be a Climate Reality Leader. Climate Reality Leaders are trained by experts in the field of climate change, and are taught how to be leaders in their community and execute green initiatives. Becoming a Climate Reality Leader requires me to travel to Denver, Colorado this Spring so that I can participate in 3 days of training. I will learn from expert speakers, including Climate Reality Project founder Al Gore, more than just the science and facts- I will learn about solutions already being used to fight climate change across the world. This is valuable information that I want to share with my community.
The training and conference is completely free and includes meals and all the training materials. To be a Climate Reality Leader means you are a volunteer, you serve your planet, and I am not allowed to get paid a fee or salary for any of the 10 climate actions that I will be committed to (a year) after I complete my training. So this is not for any monetary gain; I am volunteering to serve the environment and my community. What I need is sponsors to help fund my travel expenses: flights there and back, hotel room and travel costs to and from the conference centre/airports.The training conference is March 2-4, 2017. 
Climate Change is the single greatest challenge that my generation faces. I personally want to make up for my years of not appreciating nature in the same way that I do now- the same way I did as a kid when, I would collect frogs with my sister. I spent so many years with only concrete under my feet, I forgot what it was like to pull blades of grass through my toes. Every time I hike a trail with my dogs I am reminded about how fragile this all is right now. 97% of peer reviewed science states that climate change is real, and the studies and statistics can be so defeating. Becoming a climate reality leader will arm me with the knowledge of how to help in my community. To be able to hold my ground with community leaders, or share my knowledge with schools and businesses is the ultimate goal. I will also be able to create credible media campaigns and organize climate change events, as well as support local climate actions already taking place.To be accepted to this program is an honor and a privilege, and it would mean so much to me to receive even the smallest donation to fund my dream to become a Climate Reality Corps Leader. Thank you so much for your donation, and for getting involved in a green, sustainable future!
CLICK HERE to donate and thank you so much for your support!
Photos by Stacey McIntyre-Gonzalez Copyright©
