The Redfish School of Change
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
Happy National Volunteer Week
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
Senate Needs To Protect Our Health and Environment
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.
Read more
Ecotoxicity and the ‘enormity of tiny-ness’
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
Book Review | Unprecedented Crime: Climate Science Denial and Game Changers for Survival
The authors do a good job of indicting as criminals the corporations, the governments at national and other levels and even the media for their concerted efforts to avoid dealing with climate change.
Read more
Park Protection Needs Vigilance
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
What Are We Doing?
I received a Saanich Parks newsletter and on page 3 is an article in which the Nature Conservancy of Canada is announcing the Garry Oak Meadow Marathon. Throughout February and March parks and conservation groups across southern Vancouver Island are hosting volunteer... Read more
Municipal Survivor Climate Challenge
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
Youth Climate Strike Movement Builds in Victoria
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!
Read more
Green New Deal
“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.”
Read more
Improvements to Saanich Tree Protection Bylaw
Some good news. According to the Saanich News on-line (Wolfgang Depner), there’ll be a debate about this Notice of Motion regarding improvements to Saanich’s tree protection bylaw next Monday 11th March, at Saanich Municipal Hall. Meeting starts 7 PM.... Read more
Sooke Hills Wilderness Park Highway Proposal Update
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
Together Trees Stand, Divided They Fall
It was such a disappointment to see the media slant a celebratory good news story into a negative piece of journalism by sensationalizing one council member’s comments. As community members and volunteers, we can honestly say we are very pleased at how receptive... Read more
Urban Forest Master Plan To Be Implemented
Thank you to Victoria Council (technically the Committee of the Whole) for approving $1.26 million in new funding for our urban forest, in addition to the $110K already approved to update the 2005 Tree Protection Bylaw. Finally, the Urban Forest Master Plan adopted in... Read more
Re: Generation – Why older people must stand in solidarity with the youth climate strikes
“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.”
Read more
Healing the Pain of Climate Despair
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.
Read more
Why we still need to love this planet
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.
Read more
Youth Rising For Climate Justice Rally
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
National Geographic Video: Forest Garden With 500 Edible Plants Could Lead to a Sustainable Future
This is brilliant! It clearly shows how nature has set us up to thrive pre colonization…when people were free to live in harmony with the land. If we truly want to address climate change and food security, let this serve as a simple example of what is possible... Read more
Historical Garry Oak Ecosystems of Greater Victoria and Saanich Peninsula
This map, shared by landscape architect and planner Moira Wilson, offers helpful information and a challenge to regenerate and expand what remnants remain of this precious ecosystem in our region under pressures of population growth. Read more
Protect Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park
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.
Read more
The Importance of Trees in an Urban Setting
Last year there was quite a bit of talk about the heat in Montreal and the fact that so many people were dying during one of their heat waves. That was directly attributed to the lack of trees and their ability to significantly lower temperature. Read more
Honouring the Trees
On Sunday, Jan. 20th, a group of neighbours and citizens gathered in front of the gate at 1201 Fort Street. They offered their thanks and goodbyes to the 29 beautiful trees expected to soon be removed. The developer has sent notices of blasting work to begin in early... Read more
Solutions to the EDPA
Insuring gaps in protection and proactive conservation seen in the light of a climate change emergency is logical, insulates from us the impacts of climate change and saves money.
Read more
Beautiful Tree in Downtown Victoria Slated For Removal
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
Skaana Podcast: Sea Shepard Captain Paul Watson
Captain Paul Watson (@CaptPaulWatson) founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (@SeaShepherdSSCS) on the Sea Shepherd’s journey from outlaws to law enforcement and his battles to save the fish, the whales and the oceans.
Read moreGrizzly Bear Hunting Banned
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
Planting Our Future – A Tree Toolkit for Communities
Although this document was created in 2008, the information remains relevant and provides useful planning tools and strategies that can be used to help communities to enhance the value of their urban forest. The benefits of trees are clearly listed, issues and... Read more
Solstice a timely reminder of our place in the universe
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.
Read more
The Value of City Trees
Some cities really understand the value of trees. Melbourne is planning on doubling its canopy by 2050. Athens wants to plant more trees to help it deal with urban heat islands, and flash floods. Seoul recently planted more than 2000 groves and gardens.
Read more
Increasing Benefits of Trees
According to i-Tree, this Western Red Cedar recently cut down at 600 Foul Bay Road in Victoria, measured five feet in diameter, would have provided the following benefits this year (and each year this tree survived the benefits would have increased):
Read more
A Plan to Keep Trees Standing and Speaking for the Sequoia
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
Hardest Working Community Members
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?
Read more
Habitat and Housing in Harmony
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.
Read more
The Environment Should Be Front Page News
‘Good evening. And now, here is the environment news.” Well, that is a daily news segment we won’t be coming across soon — although we should. But we do hear or see the business news on a daily basis, in fact many times a day.
Read more
The Human Benefit of Trees
Kudos to Michael Meagher for this Letter to the Editor in the Nov. 22nd Times Colonist. “Anyone for a tax reduction on properties that contain trees?”
Read more
Let’s Make It A Great Day Again
It was a great day when the council and mayor the City of Victoria approved the Urban Forest Master Plan in 2013. It is comprehensive, sustainable, and inspiring. The trouble is – it hasn’t been implemented. This plan recognizes the disconnect between what has... Read more
An Antidote to Despair
We are in a climate crisis. Daily we witness or hear about climate disasters all over the world. A recent windstorm in Italy wiped out over a million trees that were 200 years old. Currently in California drought conditions have caused horrific wildfires resulting in a loss of lives, of homes, of trees, plants and wildlife.
Read more
Suggestions For Tree Health and Preservation
Trees perform important eco-services, such as creating oxygen, cooling the air during our increasingly long, hot summers, reducing storm water, and most importantly, they store carbon. Big trees store a lot more carbon than saplings do. Big trees do more of everything on that list than saplings do.
Read more
Development With Vision
Victoria’s lush natural environment is what the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral is to Paris, a crowning jewel. No one would suggest taking the Notre Dame apart stone by stone to the ground and selling it off, however, that is exactly what we are doing to our... Read more
Healthy Saplings Lead to Healthy Ecosystems
The first three years, especially the first, are the most critical to tree saplings as they don’t have a developed root system to gather water, ward off pests, avoid being trampled or damaged. We lose the benefits mature trees provide when we replace them with... Read more
Losing trees in Victoria: one mature tree equals 269 saplings
We should all be concerned about global warming. We can see the changes happening now; our summers are longer and a lot drier. But I wonder if the City cares. Because I don’t see much evidence they’re trying to save our mature trees, one of the few factors that reduce... Read more
Why Trees Matter, A Lot!
Mankind has embarked on a huge, uncontrolled experiment – we have destroyed about 80 per cent of the world’s forests. More are destroyed every minute. How long can we last without them? Instead of waiting to find out, many people are planting thousands, even millions of trees.
Read more
Proportional Representation: Getting More of What We Want
Would you like to live in a fairer, more compassionate world where community issues are are given consideration and you are inspired to have someone and something to vote for? This fall we will have a historic, once in a generation opportunity to say goodbye to First... Read more
Community Trees: Questions for Candidates
Thank you to the candidates who responded to our tree preservation questionnaire and put themselves forward to run in the 2018 municipal elections. Congratulations to all! Updated October 19th with new responses Dr. Jennie Moore of BCIT recently estimated the... Read more
One-Planet Questions For Candidates
As the Oct. 20 municipal elections loom, I suggest we should be asking all candidates about a very serious issue — in fact, in my view, the most serious challenge we face in the 21st century, both globally and locally: How do we make the changes that move us toward being a One-Planet Region?
Read more
Skaana Podcast: Saving Scarlet, surrendering on Scoter, grieving with Tahlequah and praying for pregnant orcas. A news update on the southern residents
Listen to the podcast here! Saving Scarlet, surrendering on Scoter, grieving with Tahlequah and praying for pregnant orcas. A news update on the southern residents with Skaana host: Mark Leiren-Young (@leirenyoung). Read more
All Things Trees: A Collection of Articles Worth Reading
From climate change to local developments, these links contain lots of great information about trees and keeping our forest communities green.
Read more