Matthias Spalteholz
2023 Youth Climate Activism Video Entry
Matthias Spalteholz receiving his YCAA certificate from Marion Pape.
Matthias is a 16-year-old passionate youth climate activist from Vancouver Island, BC,. He engages in environmental activities such as beach cleanups, dock removal projects, and tree planting. Matthias has organized successful beach cleanups, resulting in the removal of abandoned boxes, Styrofoam-filled tires, and lumber. He is currently planning a beach cleanup for larger docks, requiring more resources and logistics.
Matthias is involved in other climate-related initiatives like being a guest speaker, restoring Mahon Creek, and starting a green team. He has also contributed to creating a network of electric vehicle charging stations in Canada through a petition that Elizabeth May presented to the House of Commons.
Matthias believes in taking collective action and highlighting progress to create a sustainable and resilient future.
As part of the submissions application we asked participants to answer these 3 questions in addition to their essay or video.
What future goals do you have around your environmental and climate work, and do you have any future projects in mind?
A future project I am currently working on is to clean up an even bigger dock that has washed up on Bamberton Beach. These docks are very large so they require significant logistics to remove. I am currently applying for funding to hire a barge and organize a large number of volunteers to disassemble and remove the docks, which are causing a problem both for the marine environment and the community.
If you could share with us one message of hope for our planet, what would it be?
If individuals come together and contribute, even with small solutions, the collective impact can be significant. By collaborating and combining our efforts, we have the potential to create a many solutions that can address environmental challenges.
Who or what inspires you to work on climate change?
Many things inspire me such as the nature surrounding Vancouver Island and a program that I am in at Claremont Secondary School, called Institute for Global Solutions, where we talk about real world problems and solutions that we can take part in personally and as a community. I enjoy the discussions we have as part of our learning.
