WWF, IUCN, Nokia launch green online community for youth

Two of the world’s largest environmental organizations, World Wildlife Fund and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), supported by Nokia, are launching connect2earth.org for young people to tell the world what they think about the environment.

The site will also allow people to rank other entries, discuss the issues that matter most to them, and share smart ideas and solutions from their own communities. Each month users will vote on a winner who will be rewarded with a Nokia mobile phone.

The overall winner, selected by a panel of prominent conservationists, will get the chance to participate in the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona this October and present his or her ideas directly to political, environmental and business leaders from around the world.

As mobile phones become an increasingly popular way to access the internet and online communities, the connect2earth site is optimized for using mobile phones to create short films, capture photos and submit comments.

“We want to encourage young people to be involved in environmental issues and take action,” said IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre. “With connect2earth they have the chance to influence real decision makers.”

The website is aimed at people aged between 13 and 35.