Stella Bowles (environmentalist)

Stella Marguerite Bowles M.S.M. O.N.S. (born 2004)[3] is a Canadian environmentalist, author, and the youngest recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia.[4][2][5] Canada also recognized Stella with a Meritorious Service Medal.[1][6] As an advocate for youth activism,[7][8] Stella co-wrote a book for children titled My River: Cleaning up the LaHave River with Anne Laurel Carter,[9] Stella gave a TEDx talk about her project on the LaHave River titled Oh poop! It's worse than I thought.[10]

Stella Marguerite Bowles

M.S.M.[1] O.N.S.[2]
Born
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Known forHer grade 6 science project brought attention to river pollution in the LaHave River and prompted three levels of government to commit $15 million dollars to clean up the LaHave River
AwardsOrder of Nova Scotia
Websitetwitter.com/stellabowlesearlgrey5.wixsite.com/stellab

Early life

At age 11, Stella wanted to swim in the LaHave River, but her mother said the water was contaminated by illegal straight pipes that flush unprocessed sewage directly into the river. Her mentor, Dr. David Maxwell, helped her start testing bacteria levels in water samples from the river. Stella drew national attention when she reported the bacterial pollution levels that she measured. Stella's project influenced the allocation of $15.7 million from federal, provincial, and municipal governments to remove the straight pipes by 2023.[2]

She attends school at Park View Education Centre.[6]

Career

Stella now presents at conferences and in schools.[2][11] She now teaches other kids how to test water in their communities.[7]

Stella is politically active. She spent a day with Elizabeth May at parliament. About meeting with May, Stella said, “[she] felt really great that she took time to talk to me” and understand Stella’s advocacy message, which is that “We only have one Earth and it’s kind of going downhill right now and a lot of people aren’t standing up, and I really want people to know that even if you’re 12 or 50 or 80, you can make a difference.”[12]

She also introduced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a gathering at St. Francis Xavier University.[12]

The LaHave River cleanup project will divert 100 straight pipes per year until 2023 when all of the raw sewage will stop flowing.[13]

Stella has also taken her advocacy abroad beyond Canada.[14]

Awards

References
  1. "Stella Bowles, Meritorious Service Medal". Meritorious Service Decorations. 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2021-01-05. Elementary school student Stella Bowles studied the contamination of the LaHave River near her home for a science project. When she discovered that untreated sewage was polluting the river, she used social media to gather support to have it cleaned up. As her online following grew, the media took notice and, eventually, all three levels of government pledged funds toward improving the water quality.
  2. "Order of Nova Scotia - Recipients 2020". 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  3. "The Order of Nova Scotia names its youngest recipient ever". HalifaxToday.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  4. Brand, Matt (2020-11-16). "The Order of Nova Scotia names its youngest recipient ever - Environmentalist Stella Bowles first gained attention for testing the LaHave River in 2015". Halifax Today.
  5. Nick Moore and Leigha Farnell (2020-11-13). "'I have no words': Order of Nova Scotia awarded to youngest recipient to date".CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  6. "Congratulations to Stella Bowles" (Press release). South Shore Regional Centre for Education. 2020-11-16.
  7. "Stella Bowles, eco-kid". CBC Kids News. 2018-08-08.
  8. "Stella BOWLES - Teenage Citizen Scientist Inspires Hope" (Interview). April 2019.
  9. Anne Laurel Carter and Stella Bowles (2019-01-01). My River: Cleaning up the LaHave River. Formac Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 978-1459505513.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  10. Stella Bowles (December 2019). Oh poop! It's worse than I thought. TEDx - MSVU Women.
  11. Stella Bowles, M.S.M. (2019-09-10). The LaHave River Project: How My Science Fair Project Created Opportunity and Positive Change in A Nova Scotia Community (Speech).
  12. Colin Chisholm (2019-10-07). "Political seeds planted by local activism for Bridgewater's Stella Bowles".
  13. Javorsky, Nicole (2019-09-25). "How One Kid Stopped the Contamination of the LaHave River in Nova Scotia".
  14. Ritchie, Sarah (2019-07-01). "N.S. teen heading to New York for exclusive college-level environmental program". Global News.
  15. Danielle d'Entremont (2018-08-07). "Nova Scotia teen wins international award for river cleanup work". CBC News.
  16. "Action For Nature - FIRST PLACE - Stella - Age 14 - Nova Scotia, Canada - Young Citizen Scientist". 2018.
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