Meet Eugenia: Living Oceans’ Youth Ambassador 

Growing up in Vancouver, the ocean has always felt like part of my everyday life. It is in the views I pass on my way to school, the beaches where people gather during the summer, and the many communities built along the coast. However, the more I learned about the challenges facing our oceans, the more I realized that being surrounded by something beautiful is not the same as protecting it. 

My name is Eugenia Hajdini, and I am a high school student in Vancouver. I was born in Italy and moved to Canada when I was eight years old. Since then, Vancouver has become my home, and living in a coastal city has helped shape the way I think about the relationship between people and the environment. 

I have always been interested in creativity, leadership, and finding ways to turn ideas into something meaningful. Over time, I began thinking more deeply about how our cities and communities interact with nature, particularly the ocean. I wanted to do more than simply care about environmental issues; I wanted to find a practical way to contribute. 

That desire led me to create Waves of Change, a youth-led environmental initiative focused on shoreline cleanups, educational workshops, and opportunities for young people to become involved in their communities. My goal was to make environmental action feel more approachable. Climate and conservation issues can often seem enormous, especially to young people who may not know where to begin. I wanted to show that taking action does not always have to start with a huge project. It can begin with learning about a local issue, joining a cleanup, starting a conversation, or encouraging one other person to care. 

Through this work, I also began to understand the importance of communication. Environmental information can be complicated, and people are much more likely to engage with it when it is presented clearly and in a way that connects to their own lives. Social media, when used thoughtfully, can help organizations reach people who might never discover their work through more traditional channels. It can turn awareness into curiosity and, hopefully, curiosity into action. 

This is one of the reasons I was so excited to become a Youth Ambassador with Living Oceans. I admired the organization’s dedication to protecting ocean ecosystems while recognizing the close connection between healthy oceans and healthy communities. I was also drawn to the range of its work, from addressing marine debris and protecting wild salmon to educating the public about the many pressures affecting our coast. 

In my role, I hope to help make Living Oceans’ campaigns and opportunities accessible to more youth. I will be supporting social media and engagement by creating content, promoting campaigns and events, and finding creative ways to communicate important ocean issues. I am particularly excited to help young people see themselves as participants in ocean conservation rather than simply as observers. 

Young people already care deeply about the future of the environment, but caring and knowing how to help are not always the same thing. Sometimes, the first step is simply being invited into the conversation. I hope to help create that invitation by sharing information in a way that is understandable, relevant, and encouraging. 

I am also looking forward to learning from the Living Oceans team. Although I have begun building my own experience through environmental projects and community involvement, I know that there is still so much for me to understand about conservation, advocacy, and the work required to create lasting change. To me, youth leadership is not about pretending to have every answer. It is about being willing to learn, take responsibility, and contribute wherever you can. 

Throughout my time as a Youth Ambassador, I hope to encourage more young people to recognize the influence they already have. You do not need to be an expert, have a large platform, or wait until you are older to make a difference. Meaningful change is built through many people choosing to care and then finding a way to act. 

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Living Oceans and contribute to its mission. I look forward to sharing its work, connecting with the community, and helping more youth discover that protecting our oceans is something in which all of us can take part.