Good health solutions never get double blind testing so I designed a Citizen Science Double Blind Study method to inexpensively get the testing done. It was published in a medical journal of bioethics May 8 2019
Courtesy of the Times Colonist “Stop denying our Earth is dying,” read a poster held by a young woman taking part in a protest by the Extinction Rebellion group outside the BBC headquarters in London recently. Young people can see what is coming, and they are... Read more
Thanks to everyone who came out in support of our Earth Day event Monday evening and dropped by to say “hi” and volunteered at our table at the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific’s Earth Day event earlier in the day. Our line up of speakers for... Read more
Thank you to the more than 100 people who attended Community Trees Matter Network’s April 17th discussion with Dr. Cecil Konijnendijk. His inspiring presentation clearly illustrated the true value of trees from a public health and wellness perspective and why we... Read more
The 6 acres, located beside Wildwood, were once part of Wildwood and despite several changes in ownership have remained intact. Merv did some selective harvesting in line with his ecoforestry principles and practices, but the property hasn’t been touched for decades.... Read more
Meet and interact with earth-minded community groups, nonprofit organizations, green businesses and more at this, “enviro expo for all things eco!” Admission is free and includes access to our nine acres of demonstration gardens to inspire you, as well as interactive children’s activities to engage the next generation of environmental stewards.
The District of Highlands initiated the Municipal Survivor Climate Challenge in response to the catastrophic climate impacts we are experiencing and that will continue to escalate if we don’t collectively and immediately reduce our emissions. Here in BC and Canada we... Read more
One mote one note one earth one world floating pearl and blue wholly indivisible. Bearer of life in this system shouting through space, by endless schemes we partition you: Language. Colour, Coins..Philosophy. Faith. But in the context of this universe you are what... Read more
The Redfish School of Change is an Environmental Studies field program open to ES students at the University of Victoria and at Western Washington University. Now entering its tenth year, this field school takes students on a tour through the the communities on both... Read more
Thank you for your support of our Volunteer Friends of Uplands Park Society. We greatly appreciate the many ways that our members volunteer: helping to restore Uplands Park and other natural areas in Oak Bay, stopping by to appreciate those that are able to do this,... Read more
A fantasy story-poem supporting urban forest, Chantay and the Forest is offered as a fundraiser for non-profits. Storyteller Gerald Harris and artist Holly Joy Harris published the fun and lively children’s story mainly for children of primary school age. Chantay and... Read more
The possible future encompasses all the things we can imagine happening, which can take it into the realm of science fiction. This is not to disparage science fiction; at its best, it can illuminate our present world and its values, and imagine and test ideas most of us have never considered.
In recent weeks, we have seen large Canadian industries pressuring the Senate to favour their special interests over the wider health and environmental interests of Canadians. In the process, this unelected chamber is being asked to subvert the will of the elected House of Commons by delaying and effectively killing two bills.
Courtesy of the Times Colonist Persistent organic pollutants, covered by the 2001 Stockholm Convention, are described as “chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of... Read more
Check out the fabulous images/video of the diversity of wildlife living in harmony just 30 minutes from downtown Victoria. The NDP wants to put a highway through Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park. Fortunately and thankfully, the CRD board, with tremendous public... Read more
Life is lived on a bell curve. Many attributes of a population — height, for example — are distributed on a bell-shaped curve, with the average at the centre and then decreasing numbers of people as we get further from the centre.
The District of Highlands Council would like to challenge all of the AVICC Local Governments to a Municipal Survivor Climate Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to initiate a fun and friendly local government competition with each participating council measuring... Read more
Local youth and students, families and adult supporters will be mobilizing in solidarity with youth world-wide for a safe, livable climate future. Join us on March 15th!
“For more than a decade, the biggest progressive ideas about curbing climate change have relied on technical or narrow market mechanisms. They have required regulators to make emitting carbon dioxide costly. By prescribing industrial policy, the Green New Deal goes in a different direction: It throws all of American government and industry behind an attempt to make renewable energy cheap.”
Thank you to everyone who has written letters and showed up at CRD meetings to speak against the province’s desire to see a highway pushed through our precious watershed in the Sooke Hills Wilderness Park. The insanity of this proposal shows that the Ministry of... Read more
Kudos to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Friends of Public Services for taking a serious look at the Leap Manifesto and bringing an action plan to it. If we truly intend to take climate change seriously, we need more initiatives like this and support for the... Read more
“But those of us who have long been engaged in this struggle will not abandon you. You have issued a challenge to which we must rise, and we will stand in solidarity with you. Though we are old and you are young, we will be led by you. We owe you that, at least.”
The problems facing the world right now, the litany of environmental and social problems, are hard to bear. We feel despair, anger, and apathy. It hurts to engage deeply again and again with this very heavy material. And so it should. Use that pain, as it is fuel.
The proximity of Valentine’s Day and the plan by a University of Victoria student, Antonia Paquin, to create love letters for the Earth for Valentine’s Day, put me in mind of the work of Dr. Helen Caldicott, an internationally renowned Australian physician and anti-nuclear activist.
Kudos to Antonia Paquin and all the students and youth who came out this morning to the Youth Rising for Climate Justice rally at the Victoria Legislature where songs and many wise words were shared. A few of the many notable quotes: “We’re the first generation to be... Read more
Creatively United will be standing up for the East Sooke Regional Park on February 20th at the CRD headquarters, 625 Fisgard in the 6th-floor boardroom on the importance of protecting and preserving East Sooke Regional Park. Please join us! Read more for more information.
Considerable derision has been heaped on Victoria city council for endorsing a class-action lawsuit against the fossil-fuel industry, seeking financial compensation for the added costs the city will incur as a result of climate change.
As you may know, School District 61 in Victoria in their current catchment review process is wanting to make South Park Family School a regular catchment school. It is a school of choice, meaning any family can enroll their kids there, not just the ones who live... Read more
Hello CRD residents, As you know we need food and farmland that is protected and accessible to farmers over the long term. One strategy is to create a local government supported Food and Farmland Trust. It’s time! On February 20, 2019, the CRD Planning and Protective... Read more
The World Health Organization recently released a report on the top 10 threats to health in 2019. Strikingly, several are related to global ecological change, marking perhaps a turning point in the recognition of the health implications of the rapid and massive ecological changes we are causing.
The concept of a one-planet region is simple: We need to reduce our collective impact on the Earth so we — and others around the world — can live within the ecological and physical constraints of this one small planet we all share. But at the same time, we want to... Read more
This beautiful and established tree at the corner of Humboldt and Government Street by the Visitor Information Centre adds beauty, character, charm and works 24/7 for no pay cleaning the air, absorbing excess water and providing habitat for birds, yet, like the stump... Read more
A big shout out to Leslie Campbell for her excellent article in this month’s Focus Magazine on Victoria’s urban forests and the rise of the Community Trees Matter Network. We are so fortunate to have a publication like Focus Magazine telling it like it is.... Read more
Thank you for being part of the Creatively United community. We are honoured that Guy Dauncey has endorsed CreativelyUnited.org as the go-to-place to post and find local thought-provoking events, information and resources. This past year we have seen our community... Read more
Thanks to Barb Murray and the Bears Matter team for their years of hard work to ban the Grizzly Beat hunt. More than 300 grizzlies were saved this year and hundreds more will be spared each year the ban is in place. Charlie Russell was instrumental for changing how... Read more
I have never lost the sense of awe I experienced one night as a teenager as I lay down in a dark spot and really looked at the Milky Way. It was overwhelming and humbling to realize what a small part of the galaxy our own seemingly vast solar system is, and what a tiny part of all that I am.
Thank you mayor and council for your service to our community and the opportunity to address you. I’m here on behalf of the Community Trees Matter Network and the Creatively United for the Planet Society. We’d like to thank the Township and staff for being proactive... Read more
Thank you to all the people and groups taking a stand for our community trees. The Community Trees Matter Network came together out of a desire to bring more voices together in support for our urban trees and forests and to find out what resources and information we... Read more
Council already understands the many reasons to increase the urban forest in Victoria. City staff are already protecting public trees as well as they can with the budget they have. My focus is on protecting trees on private land. So far, my family and friends in... Read more
Members of the Community Trees Matter Network and the Creatively United for the Planet Society have enthusiastically encouraged the City of Victoria to strengthen its tree preservation bylaws and adopt the strategic plan and budget that will see the Urban Forest... Read more
Eileen Curteis, a Sister of Saint Ann and Victoria resident, has just released her 12th book, Exposed, featuring 58 original works of art and divinely inspired poetry and prose addressing a journey of spiritual healing and enlightenment for our time. Sister Eileen has... Read more
At the last council meeting I brought my shovel. Tonight I have my bell, to sound the alarm. We are in a climate crisis! And yet engineers and planners working for the city continue to destroy and remove trees to make sidewalks, sewer pipe lines, roads and other infrastructure. Why is so little value put on trees, our hardest working community members?
With mayors and councils making important budget decisions now, these questions are more relevant now than ever. For example, Lisa Helps sent out a campaign news release saying we could celebrate Tree Appreciation Day by planting trees in neighbourhoods all over the city, up to 1000. However, only four were planted this year, about a quarter of the number that was planted last year.
We need to remind mayor and council, that in the March 15, 2018 Council Motion, Council agreed that the new Gonzales Neighbourhood Plan needed to strengthen the language with regard to green space and tree preservation, anticipating forthcoming updates to the Tree Preservation Bylaw and implementation of the Urban Forest Master Plan.
Can you imagine a world where a walk in the forest is prescribed by medical doctors to reduce stress? Japan began studying the benefits of ‘forest bathing’ in the early 1980s. Their scientific research has shown that 20 minutes in the forest reduces blood pressure, lowers heart rate and increases the number of cancer-fighting cells in the body by as much as 40%.
There has been a development sign posted on Finnerty Road (between the roundabout at McKenzie and Arbutus Rd.). There are plans to put in bike lanes and upgrades. This sign has been up for quite some time (at least since the summer) and I have not paid much attention... Read more
What a delight to see master forester Ray Travers honoured by the District of Saanich for his work on bringing attention to Shelbourne Street’s heritage trees planted in honour of 600 local Victorians killed during the First World War. Members of Creatively... Read more
The importance of education around trees and their beneficial impact and interconnectivity with the environment became obvious decades ago while driving past productive green farmer’s fields in North America, and recalling having lived through drought in Zimbabwe in... Read more
Want your club or recurring events here? Let us know! All Month CRD Parks hikes, explorations and events for all ages. Change the World on Shaw TV, with Guy Dauncey. Interviews with local people who have big bold ideas and positive solutions for the future. Shaw TV... Read more
I recently stood before the Victoria City council and mayor to urge them to implement the Recommended Actions of the URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN of 2013 and that leaders of the local Indigenous Nations of Esquimalt and Songhees be invited to participate in this work. Affordable HOUSING a green and livable HABITAT must be part of Victoria’s Strategic Plan.
