#protectnature — Public Fediverse posts

The #Indigenous Roots of #RegenerativeAgriculture

“All flourishing is mutual.”
– Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

August 9, 2023

"While a new wave of enthusiasm has crested in recent years, regenerative agriculture is an ancient concept that originated with #IndigenousPeoples around the world more than a thousand years ago. In many Indigenous world views, humans and nature are not separate forces, but parts of a whole that need each other to thrive. Regenerative agriculture supports this by promoting farming methods that enrich the land—so it can continue to provide for present and future generations.

"Embracing #TraditionalKnowledge

"Due to the long and horrific history of #StolenLand and #colonization, the Global North often refers to #IndigenousPeoples’ culture and knowledge in the past tense. Yet today, Indigenous peoples are indisputably the best guardians of our world’s most precious #ecosystems. When you take into account that the few remaining Indigenous lands are home to 80 percent of the world’s #Biodiversity, while modern #IndustrialAgriculture is responsible for 80 percent of global #deforestation, it’s clear that Western society still desperately needs to learn what Indigenous people have known for millennia: that human beings must live in a reciprocal relationship with the Earth.

"Around the world, Indigenous peoples have long practiced the key elements of regenerative agriculture. Here are just a few examples:

The art of #agroforestry

Some Indigenous communities, like the #Lenca people in #Honduras, know agroforestry simply as 'traditional technique.' Agroforestry—or the concept of growing crops in a way that mimics the forest and offers shade, protection, and nutrients—is such common practice there is no special name for it.

"Our lead for sustainable forest management, Emmanuelle Bérenger, explains the importance of Indigenous growing methods: 'By using #sustainable practices taught from one generation to another, [Indigenous peoples] actively safeguard forests, preserving biodiversity and keeping a delicate balance essential for both the environment and their own sustenance.' "

Learn more:
https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/insights/the-indigenous-roots-of-regenerative-agriculture/

#SolarPunkSunday #Intercropping #FoodForests #ProtectNature #ProtectBiodiversity

Twenty-five critical areas for #biodiversity nationally recognized in #NovaScotia

"#KBA [ #KeyBiodiversityArea] designation does not create legal protection. However, it does provide the evidence base to drive advocacy for protection where it’s needed most, as well as data to guide land-use planning and regional #stewardship."

Peter Soroye, 6/29/2026

Notable quotes:
“In 2025, 10 #PipingPlover pairs produced 24 fledglings within the #MiddleOhio to #PortJoli KBA - an incredible success, which demonstrates the area’s importance to this species at risk. We're thrilled to see so many valuable habitats recognized; from across the #WabanakiAcadian forests to the ocean.” – Sue Abbott, Associate Director – Atlantic Programs, Birds Canada

"Canada's #biosphere regions are places where science, communities, and #FirstNations combine their knowledge to care for the living world. The identification of 79 Key Biodiversity Areas across our Canadian biosphere regions, including the 25 announced today in Nova Scotia, illustrates what this network achieves in practice: contributing to Canada's biodiversity commitments and to the targets of the Force of Nature Strategy. Each designation is a collective victory that confirms the value of managing our territories by mobilizing all available knowledge, at every scale.” - Kate Potter, Executive Director, Canadian Biosphere Regions Association."

Learn more:
https://wcscanada.org/newsroom/news/twenty-five-critical-areas-for-biodiversity-nationally-recognized-in-nova-scotia/

#SolarPunkSunday #CriticalHabitats #ProtectNature #Miqmak #Canada #Stewardship #EndangeredSpecial #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge

#OntarioGreenbelt is a Refuge for Species at Risk

#Toronto, May 22, 2026 – "On World #Biodiversity Day, a new report published by #OntarioNature demonstrates the critical role that the Greenbelt plays as a safe haven for some of Ontario’s most vulnerable species.

"The report – Species at Risk in the Greenbelt: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities – shows that since 2004, the number of species at risk living in the Greenbelt has increased by 68%, rising from 72 to 121 species. That growth far outpaces provincial trends, confirming the Greenbelt’s critical importance for biodiversity in southern Ontario.

"The 121 at-risk species that inhabit the Greenbelt represent 42% of the total species at risk in Ontario – including rare birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and plants. Some, like the hooded warbler, are showing signs of recovery thanks to protected habitats and coordinated conservation efforts. Others, like redside dace and Jefferson salamander, are struggling as habitat fragmentation and pollution harm breeding and feeding grounds. The habitats the Greenbelt provides for the hooded warbler, redside dace, Jefferson salamander and many other species not only sustain this diversity of life but play an essential role in human health by ensuring the flow of clean water, filtering the air and providing a natural buffer against flooding.

" 'The Greenbelt shows us what’s possible when nature is given space to breathe,' said Ontario Nature’s Acting Conservation Science and #Stewardship Director, Jenna Quinn. 'But we can’t expect it to do all the work on its own. Species at risk need action to ensure their recovery.'

"According to Ontario Nature’s Conservation Policy and Campaigns Director, Tony Morris: 'The #Greenbelt isn’t just a buffer against #UrbanSprawl, it’s a refuge for a diversity of life. Greenbelt #forests, #wetlands and #rivers are vital strongholds for many species that have lost habitats elsewhere in southern Ontario.'

"The Greenbelt is a cherished public policy that celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025. On this #WorldBiodiversityDay, we reflect on the importance of the variety of life on Earth and encourage actions to protect it. The Greenbelt’s role in protecting habitats and vulnerable species is more important than ever. Collectively, we must do everything we can to protect, strengthen and expand the Greenbelt to keep Ontario self-reliant, secure and ready to meet future challenges."

Learn more:
https://ontarionature.org/news-release/greenbelt-is-a-refuge-for-species-at-risk/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors
#PreserveTheForest #ReconnectNature #Canada #Biodiversity #ProtectNature #Interconnectedness #NatureCorridors #EndangeredSpecies #HabitRestoration

Plan to keep #Navajo #CoalMine open for 110 years runs into opposition

Arlyssa D. Becenti, Feb. 12, 2026

Excerpts: #BurnhamNM — "Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has been open about his support for keeping the #FourCornersGeneratingStation operating until 2038, along with continued #CoalMining for the next 110 years.

"But community members and #EnvironmentalJustice advocates say the plan ignores the ongoing transition away from #FossilFuels and could endanger the health of people who live nearby. They voiced opposition at a public hearing at the Burnham Chapter Jan. 29.

"The Four Corners station, a coal-fired power plant near #FruitlandMN, is operated by Arizona Public Service Company and is scheduled to close as early 2031, and no later than 2038. In 2013, the Navajo Nation formed Navajo Transitional Energy Company to acquire the Navajo Mine from #BHP #BillitonNM Coal.

"Since then, #NTEC has also acquired coal mines in #Wyoming and #Montana, and in July 2018, NTEC acquired a 7% ownership stake in Units 4 and 5 of the Four Corners plant. Now NTEC plans to expand Navajo Mine and operate it for the next 110 years, until 2136, with support from Nygren and council delegates.

[...]

"#Trump orders fuel energy initiatives on #NavajoNation

"The attempt to expand coal mining on the Navajo Nation for 110 years comes after President Donald Trump signed his executive order Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241 in April 2025.

"The order said that to keep the U.S. economy strong, protect national security, and lower living costs, the country needs to produce more energy at home, including coal. Another order, 'Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production,' was signed in March, aiming to accelerate domestic production of critical minerals by streamlining permitting, financing, and federal land use processes.

"Since Trump signed the orders, the Navajo Nation has accelerated efforts to establish a dedicated energy office. While the idea had been discussed under previous administrations, it has only recently gained momentum. The office would function as a centralized body to coordinate energy policy, regulatory oversight and long-term energy development.

"Other actions by Navajo Nation leadership aimed at engaging with this renewed federal focus include holding public hearings on the potential revitalization of coal and continuing work related to #uranium production and the cleanup of legacy #contamination."

Full article:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2026/02/12/navajo-officials-want-to-keep-coal-mine-open-but-locals-oppose-plan/88527065007/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/VjI3h

#ProtectTheSacred #NoMining
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #PeabodyCoal #DirtyCoal #DontNukeTheNavajo #BuuNygren #FourCornersStation #UraniumTransport #NativeAmericans #USPol #CorporateColonialism #CulturalErasure #EnvironmentalRacism #BigOilandGas #ProtectNature #ProtectOurEnvironment

#Navajos Protest Planned 110-Year Lease for #CoalMine Expansion

Coal Mines, #OilAndGas #Methane and #Uranium Transport: Deadly Mix on
the #NavajoNation

By Dine' CARE, Censored News, July 23, 2026

Dine' CARE (Citizens Against Ruining our Environment)

#WindowRock, #NavajoNation -- "On Monday, #DinéCARE. hosted a press conference with #BurnhamNM residents and other coal impacted community members at the Navajo Nation Council
Chambers.

"They called for the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (#NTEC) to withdraw its No Name Permit application, which seeks a 110-year, 11,526-acre coal mine expansion.

"The proposal threatens health, the environment, and Navajo cultural heritage.

"The Burnham Chapter formally opposed the permit in February 2026, citing incomplete materials, inadequate impact review, and lack of transparency.

"Advocates demand a thorough Environmental Impact Statement (#EIS), coal supply plan disclosure beyond 2031, and accountability from leaders. A decision is expected next month."

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/07/navajos-protest-planned-110-year-lease.html

#ProtectTheSacred #NoMining #NoMiningWithoutConsent #PeabodyCoal #DirtyCoal #DontNukeTheNavajo #BuuNygren #FourCornersStation #UraniumTransport #NativeAmericans #USPo #CorporateColonialism #CulturalErasure #EnvironmentalRacism #BigOilandGas #ProtectNature #ProtectOurEnvironment

#PlasticPollution in #ShootingRanges and warfare areas - an overlooked #environmental issue

Andrés Rodríguez-Seijo, et al. 15 July 2026

Abstract
"Shooting ranges and military training fields, including warfare-impacted areas, have been widely recognized as environmentally impacted zones by inorganic and organic #contamination, such as #HeavyMetals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or explosive-related compounds. However, the possible contamination by #plastics and #microplastics in soil has been widely overlooked despite potential plastic sources, such as #ShotgunCartridges, #PlasticWads or #landmines. Due to how these activities occur, plastics have remained in the field for decades or centuries, favoring their conversion from macro to microplastics, polluting the soil and water resources. Moreover, shooting and recreational activities such as #airsoft or #paintball practices could also be a substantial source of plastics to ecosystems; once shot, pellets can have conventional or biodegradable plastics in their composition, and there left in the environment, favouring impacts on soil properties. Although some initiatives have emerged to avoid the use of single-use plastics in shotgun ammunition, alternative materials (biodegradable plastics) can also be a potential risk, favouring the heavy metal bioavailability of shot pellets. These emerging pollutants should also be considered in these areas to understand if they could be a potential source of micro- and nanoplastics to the environment and, therefore, an environmental concern that requires changes at industrial and regulatory levels."

Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935125008771

#EndangeredSpecies #EndangeredBirds #AmmunitionPollution #ProtectNature

Press Release: Rising #Emissions, Depleting #Water and Vanishing #Land—UN Scientists: #AI Is Threatening #NaturalResources for Billions

By 2030, AI's water use will match the needs of 1.3 billion people while its power use triples that of 650 million, UN University investigation warns

Date Published
3 Jun 2026

Excerpt: "Inference, efficiency, and the rebound effect

"Public discussion has largely focused on the energy required to train massive models. Training GPT-3 was estimated to require 1.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, while estimates suggest GPT-4 consumed between 50 and 70 GWh. However, the report reveals this framing is outdated. Once a model is deployed, inference—the continuous running of models to answer everyday user prompts—becomes the dominant cost, accounting for 80 to 90 per cent of total #AI energy use. ChatGPT alone is estimated to process around 2.5 billion prompts per day, translating to roughly 383 GWh of electricity per year for a single product. Offsetting associated carbon emissions would require 2.6 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years, enough trees to cover a land area the size of Manhattan. The water footprint is equivalent to the minimum annual domestic water needs of roughly 500,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the land footprint is equal to over 800 football fields."

Read more:
https://unu.edu/inweh/news/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-use-carbon-water-and-land-footprints

#AIBoom #Electricity #Hyperscale #BigTech #BigData #CarbonFootprint #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalDegradation #NoisePollution #LightPollution #WaterIsLife #AIAgents #BotTraffic #GreenSpaces #Farmland #Prairies #Woodland #TechGiants #ProtectNature #NoDatacenters #EnergyConsumption #USPol #WorldPol #Datacentres
#DatacenterMoratoriums #ArtificialIntelligence

The #EnvironmentalCost of #ArtificialIntelligence: #Carbon, #Water, and #LandFootprints

#AI’s rapid growth drives huge energy, water, and land use, raising environmental and equity challenges across its global infrastructure.

Date Published 3 Jun 2026

UNU-INWEH Report: Aczel, M., Chamanara, S., Matin, M., Farsi, A., Marwala, T., Madani, K. (2026).

"This report, Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence: Carbon, Water and Land Footprints, by the #UnitedNationsUniversity Institute for Water, Environment and Health ( #UNU - #INWEH ) on its 30th anniversary, examines one of the most underexplored consequences of AI’s rapid expansion: the environmental footprints of the energy required to power it. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in economies, public services, research, communication, and everyday life, it depends on a growing physical infrastructure of #datacenters, advanced #chips, #CoolingSystems, #ElectricityGrids, #WaterResources, land, and #CriticalMineral supply chains. The report shows that AI is not only a digital technology, but also a material system with measurable #EnvironmentalCosts.

"The report moves beyond a carbon-only lens by quantifying the carbon, water, and land footprints associated with the electricity used to train, deploy, and operate AI systems at scale. Its central finding is that AI’s environmental costs depend not only on how much electricity is used, but also on where that electricity is generated and which energy sources power it. Every kilowatt-hour used by AI carries carbon, water, and land implications, and these footprints do not always move in the same direction: low-carbon electricity is not automatically low-water or low-land. The report also shows that AI’s footprint is shaped by both major infrastructure trends, including the rapid growth of data centers, and everyday use patterns, including model choice, output length, modality, and the growing use of text, image, and video generation.

"Importantly, the report frames AI’s environmental footprint as a governance and justice challenge, not only a technical problem. The benefits of AI often flow across borders and sectors, while the environmental burdens of data center siting, electricity demand, water withdrawals, #LandUse, MineralExtraction, and #EWaste can be concentrated in specific communities and regions. To address these risks, the report calls for a responsible AI ecosystem grounded in transparency, efficiency by design, equity and #EnvironmentalJustice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation, and sustainable use. By making AI’s carbon, water, and land footprints visible and comparable, the report provides a practical basis for integrating AI into energy, climate, water, and land-use planning, ensuring that innovation advances without shifting environmental costs onto vulnerable communities."

Download PDF:
https://unu.edu/inweh/collection/environmental-cost-of-AIs-Enrgy-Use-Carbon-water-and-land-footprints

#AIBoom #Electricity #Hyperscale #BigTech #BigData #CarbonFootprint #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalDegradation #NoisePollution #LightPollution #WaterIsLife #AIAgents #BotTraffic #GreenSpaces #Farmland #Prairies #Woodland #TechGiants #ProtectNature #NoDatacenters #EnergyConsumption #USPol #WorldPol #Datacentres
#DatacenterMoratoriums

Beside the nature house, there's a short trail that leads to the gazebo/outdoor classroom area. It's a nice spot to have a picnic in the shade, when there's not educational programs happening because it has seating & a table.
The #WheelchairPath / #AccessibleTrail is on the left. The native plant garden trail is on the right (not an accessible trail for wheelchair users). You can see plenty of native plants & trees along the accessible trail though.

#AccessibleNature #PeopleWithDisabilities #SwanLakeNatureSanctuary #Saanich #VictoriaBC #CommunityEducation #nonprofit #NatureConservation #stewardship #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #VisitAndLearn #GetOutside #YYJParksAccessibility

#Signs by the nature house & along boardwalk at #SwanLakeNatureSanctuary.

#ConservingWater - #MicroIrrigation
#NativePlantGarden - #PreservingHabitats
#WesternPaintedTurtle - citizens' monitoring & reporting information.

#Saanich #VictoriaBC #NatureEducation #LearnAboutNature #WildlifeConservation #CommunityEducation #nonprofit #NatureConservation #stewardship #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #VisitAndLearn #NaturePark #BirdsEstuary #NoDogsAllowed #WaterConservation

#SwanLakeNatureSanctuary - the #NatureHouse. This is where I worked out of in my late 20s, as a nature interpreter/educator for public school field trips for a few months. I taught out of the nature house, an outdoor gazebo & on the central dock at the nature sanctuary.
There's been several upgrades to the nature house & to the nature sanctuary, since the early 2000s.

https://www.swanlake.bc.ca/the-nature-house-2

#Saanich #VictoriaBC #NatureEducation #LearnAboutNature #Naturalists #architecture #CommunityEducation #nonprofit #NatureConservation #stewardship #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #VisitAndLearn

No surprise. #ChelliePingree voted against HR556, #JaredGolden voted for it.

Protect #Wildlife from Toxic #LeadAmmunition [and #FishingTackle]

"#HR556, a bill to prevent federal agencies from prohibiting or regulating the use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle on certain public lands and waters, passed the House of Representatives on March 18. However, we are not done fighting this bill! Lead ammunition is a well-documented threat, leading to illness and death for millions of birds and other wild animals each year. Since there is no safe level for lead exposure, hunters, anglers, and their families can also be harmed. Please contact your US representative about their vote on H.R. 556 and urge your senators to oppose this bill."

https://awionline.org/action-center#/535

Bill Status and details:

H.R.556 — 119th Congress (2025-2026)

Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025

"This bill bars the Fish and Wildlife Service (#FWS), the Bureau of Land Management (#BLM), and the Forest Service from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the FWS, the BLM, or the Forest Service determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations."

House Roll Call Vote 93 119th Congress - 2nd Session (2026)

Passed - Yea: 215 | Nay: 202
(R 208-1 Pres=0 NV=9, D 7-201 Pres=0 NV=6, I 0-0 Pres=0 NV=0)

Full voting roster:
https://www.congress.gov/votes/house/119-2/93

#USPol #MainePol #ProtectWildlife #ProtectNature #LeadPoisoning #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife #NatureIsLife

#Maine - The #SchoodicToSchoodic Initiative

"Together we can save one of the last places along the #EasternSeaboard where #wildlife can roam to and from rocky #shores and inland #woods seeking food and refuge.

"Seventy-five percent of Maine’s native plants and animals are vulnerable to the impacts of #ClimateChange. As temperatures warm, these threatened species will have to move significant distances to survive, but too often #development makes this impossible.

"Over the past several decades we’ve been working in partnership with #FrenchmanBayConservancy, #TheNatureConservancy, the #StateOfMaine, and other partners to conserve key 'stepping stones' of land between #DonnellPond Unit (state-conserved land surrounding #SchoodicMountain and #TunkLake) and the #SchoodicDistrict of #AcadiaNationalPark (on the #SchoodicPeninsula) to create a protected corridor for #wildlife. Through over 60 conservation projects, #MCHT and partners have conserved more than 55,000 acres from 'Schoodic to Schoodic.' MCHT has played a role in three-quarters of those projects.

"Still, the corridor is not sufficiently protected and critical lands are under threat of development."

Learn more:
https://www.mcht.org/conservation-work/initiative/the-schoodic-to-schoodic-initiative/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #MaineCoastHeritageTrust #Nature #MaineCoast #Acadia #ProtectNature

#Maine - The #SchoodicToSchoodic Initiative

"Together we can save one of the last places along the #EasternSeaboard where #wildlife can roam to and from rocky #shores and inland #woods seeking food and refuge.

"Seventy-five percent of Maine’s native plants and animals are vulnerable to the impacts of #ClimateChange. As temperatures warm, these threatened species will have to move significant distances to survive, but too often #development makes this impossible.

"Over the past several decades we’ve been working in partnership with #FrenchmanBayConservancy, #TheNatureConservancy, the #StateOfMaine, and other partners to conserve key 'stepping stones' of land between #DonnellPond Unit (state-conserved land surrounding #SchoodicMountain and #TunkLake) and the #SchoodicDistrict of #AcadiaNationalPark (on the #SchoodicPeninsula) to create a protected corridor for #wildlife. Through over 60 conservation projects, #MCHT and partners have conserved more than 55,000 acres from 'Schoodic to Schoodic.' MCHT has played a role in three-quarters of those projects.

"Still, the corridor is not sufficiently protected and critical lands are under threat of development."

Learn more:
https://www.mcht.org/conservation-work/initiative/the-schoodic-to-schoodic-initiative/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #MaineCoastHeritageTrust #Nature #MaineCoast #Acadia #ProtectNature

#Maine - The #SchoodicToSchoodic Initiative

"Together we can save one of the last places along the #EasternSeaboard where #wildlife can roam to and from rocky #shores and inland #woods seeking food and refuge.

"Seventy-five percent of Maine’s native plants and animals are vulnerable to the impacts of #ClimateChange. As temperatures warm, these threatened species will have to move significant distances to survive, but too often #development makes this impossible.

"Over the past several decades we’ve been working in partnership with #FrenchmanBayConservancy, #TheNatureConservancy, the #StateOfMaine, and other partners to conserve key 'stepping stones' of land between #DonnellPond Unit (state-conserved land surrounding #SchoodicMountain and #TunkLake) and the #SchoodicDistrict of #AcadiaNationalPark (on the #SchoodicPeninsula) to create a protected corridor for #wildlife. Through over 60 conservation projects, #MCHT and partners have conserved more than 55,000 acres from 'Schoodic to Schoodic.' MCHT has played a role in three-quarters of those projects.

"Still, the corridor is not sufficiently protected and critical lands are under threat of development."

Learn more:
https://www.mcht.org/conservation-work/initiative/the-schoodic-to-schoodic-initiative/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #MaineCoastHeritageTrust #Nature #MaineCoast #Acadia #ProtectNature

#Maine - The #SchoodicToSchoodic Initiative

"Together we can save one of the last places along the #EasternSeaboard where #wildlife can roam to and from rocky #shores and inland #woods seeking food and refuge.

"Seventy-five percent of Maine’s native plants and animals are vulnerable to the impacts of #ClimateChange. As temperatures warm, these threatened species will have to move significant distances to survive, but too often #development makes this impossible.

"Over the past several decades we’ve been working in partnership with #FrenchmanBayConservancy, #TheNatureConservancy, the #StateOfMaine, and other partners to conserve key 'stepping stones' of land between #DonnellPond Unit (state-conserved land surrounding #SchoodicMountain and #TunkLake) and the #SchoodicDistrict of #AcadiaNationalPark (on the #SchoodicPeninsula) to create a protected corridor for #wildlife. Through over 60 conservation projects, #MCHT and partners have conserved more than 55,000 acres from 'Schoodic to Schoodic.' MCHT has played a role in three-quarters of those projects.

"Still, the corridor is not sufficiently protected and critical lands are under threat of development."

Learn more:
https://www.mcht.org/conservation-work/initiative/the-schoodic-to-schoodic-initiative/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #MaineCoastHeritageTrust #Nature #MaineCoast #Acadia #ProtectNature

#Maine - The #SchoodicToSchoodic Initiative

"Together we can save one of the last places along the #EasternSeaboard where #wildlife can roam to and from rocky #shores and inland #woods seeking food and refuge.

"Seventy-five percent of Maine’s native plants and animals are vulnerable to the impacts of #ClimateChange. As temperatures warm, these threatened species will have to move significant distances to survive, but too often #development makes this impossible.

"Over the past several decades we’ve been working in partnership with #FrenchmanBayConservancy, #TheNatureConservancy, the #StateOfMaine, and other partners to conserve key 'stepping stones' of land between #DonnellPond Unit (state-conserved land surrounding #SchoodicMountain and #TunkLake) and the #SchoodicDistrict of #AcadiaNationalPark (on the #SchoodicPeninsula) to create a protected corridor for #wildlife. Through over 60 conservation projects, #MCHT and partners have conserved more than 55,000 acres from 'Schoodic to Schoodic.' MCHT has played a role in three-quarters of those projects.

"Still, the corridor is not sufficiently protected and critical lands are under threat of development."

Learn more:
https://www.mcht.org/conservation-work/initiative/the-schoodic-to-schoodic-initiative/

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #MaineCoastHeritageTrust #Nature #MaineCoast #Acadia #ProtectNature

Two #Environmental #ActivistArt pieces, for free, public, non-commercial usage.
Over the years, I've collected a lot of activist art graphics from Tumblr, Reddit & other sites where the artist wasn't always identified. I looked up who these artists were to identify them.

The 1st is by Roger Peet.
https://thefunambulist.net/network/roger-peet

The 2nd & 3rd are by Pete Railand.
https://www.peterailand.com/

I was a part of #StopTMX in 4 separate frontlines places across mainland BC & saw the ecocide, up close. BC NDP sent their CIRG goons in at remote areas of BC, where we had set up citizens watch stations. CIRG came to harass, beat up & eventually remove us. #RCMP protect corporate interests/profits, not citizens.
https://www.stoptmx.ca/

#TransMountainPipeline #StopEcocide #NoTMX #BanCorporateLobbyists #EcoCrimes #PublicAccountability #StopCorporateWelfare #MakePollutersPay #DirtySnakeOil #BCpoli #CDNpoli #ClimateCrisis #Ecological #Art #Activism #WaterIsLife #ProtectWater #ColonialViolence #CrimesAgainstHumanity #CapitalistEvils #DavidEby #MarkCarney #AbolishCIRG #ProtectNature #BCpoli #CDNpoli #BCNDP #StopInsuringEcoCrimes #Burnaby #Vancouver #YVR #RemoveQualifiedImmunity #StopInsuringTransMountain #CanadianEcocide

@WesternWatershedsProject Boo hiss! #ClimateChange should be not only mentioned, it should be in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS all over this so-called "plan"!

#LeaveItInTheGround #ProtectTheForests #ProtectNature

[Short film] #Tayal #Forest Club

"Ancestors! We’ve gotten stuck here. Can you help us find the way home?” pleads Yukan, an Atayal teenager lost in the forests of his forefathers.

"Bullied at school and weighed down at home by his dad’s drinking, Yukan is eager to escape it all. When his best friend, Watan, invites him on a hike, a physically and emotionally bruised Yukan grabs his machete and the two boys head into the woods. But this isn’t just any hike, or just any woods — as Yukan and Watan’s youthful overconfidence runs them up against the realities of nightfall in the dense and mountainous Atayal homelands, other forces begin to reveal themselves. Before they can find a way home, these two young Tayal men must first humble themselves enough to learn the lessons that the land itself has to offer.

"In TAYAL FOREST CLUB, Taiwan’s first Indigenous female film director, Laha Mebow, shares a coming-of-age tale that interweaves Tayal characters, settings, and symbols with the complexities arising from her community’s interactions with contemporary society."

Watch:
https://www.reciprocity.org/films/tayal-forest-club

#SolarPunkSunday #SaveTheForest #ForestProtectors #Nature #ProtectNature #Atayal #IndigenousTaiwanese #Taiwan #DCEFF #IndigenousStorytellers
#IndigenousFilms #LandDefenders #ReciprocityProject #Reciprocity #IndigenousFilmMakers #WomenDirectedFilms
#IndigenousWisdom #IndigenousKnowledge #Reciprocity

#FlashbackFriday
2020.

Cruising back to Campbell River from #FishFarmsOut flotilla protest & no restocking patrol.

Always put #WildFirst ✊️

#ProtectTheWild #WildSalmonAlliance #NoLicenseRenewal #Frankenfish #Environmentalist #Ecological #Activism #DirectAction #OneEarth #OceanGuardians #SalmonGuardians #StandUpForSalmon #BoycottFarmedSalmon #SayNoToFarmedSalmon #CDNpoli #BCpoli #BritishColumbia #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #BCcoast #CoastalBC #Westcoast #Oceans #DemandMPAs #PNW #Activist #ProtectNature #DiscoveryIslands #archipelago #boating #marine

#FlashbackFriday
2020.

I was invited to go on a #flotilla #protest led by #IndigenousChiefs & leaders from the North Island in late 2019 - we went in March of 2020. To stop 2 open net fish farms, in the #DiscoveryIslands archipelago, from restocking their pens. These fish farms are remote & they don't want public to access them. No restocking was able to happen on day we went on flotilla protest & patrol.

I've been a part of the battle here to get #FishFarmsOut for over a decade. There's finally some progress but we need to still keep up the pressure on federal & provincial governments.
#SaveWildSalmon because they're a #KeystoneSpecies & if we lose them, it sets off chain reactions in both #ocean & #OldGrowthForest #ecosystems. Wild salmon are extremely important to the Indigenous peoples of BC & the fight to protect them goes back decades.

Always put #WildFirst ✊️

#ProtectTheWild #WildSalmonAlliance #NoLicenseRenewal #FloatingViruses #Frankenfish #Environmentalist #Ecological #Activism #DirectAction #OneEarth #OceanGuardians #SalmonGuardians #SalmonPeople #StandUpForSalmon #BoycottFarmedSalmon #SayNoToFarmedSalmon #CDNpoli #BCpoli #BritishColumbia #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #BCcoast #CoastalBC #Westcoast #Oceans #DemandMPAs #PNW #Activist #ProtectNature

#Vancouver folks! Please let your family & friends know about Salmon Day in October! Volunteers are still needed too!

#WatershedWatch is co-hosting the second annual #SalmonDay on Saturday, October 5 along with #ResilientWaters, #Kwikwetlem #FirstNation, and #UBC's Zachary Sherker from the #PacificSalmonLab. The event will be held next to the community garden at ƛ̓éxətəm #ColonyFarm Regional Park.

We need #volunteers to help with setup and tear down, manning info booths, supporting exhibitors, and supporting attendees. No prior experience is necessary, we will get you up to speed at the event!

The event runs from 11 am - 3 pm. Snacks and drinks will be provided for volunteers.

#Carpooling from Coquitlam Central Station can be arranged. Pickup from the skytrain will be at 9 am. Email [email protected] to coordinate.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Note: Volunteer RSVP window closes on Thursday, October 3 but if there is still space and you want to attend, please send Meghan an email!

#YVR #Environmental #ecological #nature #WildSalmonAlliance #WildFirst #BCWatersheds #SaveWildSalmon #ProtectHabitats #ProtectNature #SaveEcosystems #Conservation #WaterIsLife #WaterProtectors #NatureGuardians #NatureStewardship #ProtectRivers #ProtectWatersheds #KeystoneSpecies #ClimateChange #BritishColumbia #WildSalmon #BCSalmon #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #VancouverBC #VolunteerVancouver #VolunteersWanted

Where do we go from here?

Unlike the Cowichan River, the #Koksilah is an uncontrolled #river with no storage and as such, there are limited options available to manage flows. The only options available to us are to change our current practices around #LandUse and #WaterUse. Most importantly, the #KoksilahRiver is challenging all of us to work together to collaboratively identify and implement solutions that will impact us all. New collaborations and partnerships are emerging.

An informal “Koksilah #DroughtManagement team” has been formed to discuss how to collaboratively make short term in-season decisions and work with water users to navigate periods of low flow. This ad-hoc group is comprised of representatives from #FLNRORD, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Cowichan Station’s Koksilah Working Group, BC Dairy Association, BC Agriculture Council, Cowichan Watershed Board, Farmland Advantage, Water Survey of Canada, Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre and private forestry representatives.

In the longer term, an innovative government to government partnership has been struck between Cowichan Tribes and the FNLRORD to explore and scope the feasibility of initiating a joint #WaterSustainability Planning process, an innovative new tool under #BCWaterSustainabilityAct (2016).

For more information about the potential of Water Sustainability Plans, see Curran, D. and O.M. Brandes. 2019 Water Sustainability Plans: Potential, Options and Essential Content (2019) by Deborah Curran and Oliver M. Brandes, University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance.

https://poliswaterproject.org/polis-research-publication/water-sustainability-plans/

"As one element in the modernized provincial water regime, Water Sustainability Plans are a promising tool that can enable and enhance adaptive water management and new governance relationships that express core elements of government-to-government relationships for water and watersheds, as well as address the challenges of environmental flows, sustainable groundwater management, drought planning and protecting and enhancing watershed health."

Deborah Curran & Oliver M. Brandes
Water Sustainability Plans: Potential, Options and Essential Content (2019)

#BackroadAdventures #VancouverIsland #water #river #Shawnigan #DayAdventure #DayTrip #PacificNorthwest #ProtectWatersheds #nature #VanIsle #Cascadia #PNW #NaturesPower #WaterIsLife #ProtectWatersheds #ProtectNature #Hydro #RiversOfBC #RiversOfVancouverIsland #Indigenous #FirstNations #Historical #Cowichan #WaterFlow #RiverFlows #HydrologyManagement

The Current Challenge.

Summer flows in the #KoksilahRiver have been exceptionally low in recent years at times when demand for water is the greatest. This threatens the survival of resident and anadromous #salmonid species and the #AquaticEcosystem.

In August 2019, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development #FLNRORD #biologists determined that the #WaterFlow levels were too low to support adequate #habitat conditions. A Ministerial Order to cease using water was issued to specific water users (both surface and groundwater licensees and unlicensed groundwater users) to protect fish populations. The Order was issued on August 16th, 2019 and repealed on September 18th, 2019 when #RiverFlows increased.

Over the last number of years, FLNRORD staff, #CowichanTribes, community members, organizations and consultants have undertaken several initiatives to better understand and encourage voluntary reductions in #WaterUse. While these initiatives have improved awareness and our collective understanding of the complex #hydrology of the system, the factors affecting the flow rates are still unclear.

There is a need to better understand the relationship between water users, watershed residents and the watershed.

#BackroadAdventures #VancouverIsland #water #river #Shawnigan #DayAdventure #DayTrip #PacificNorthwest #ProtectWatersheds #nature #VanIsle #Cascadia #PNW #NaturesPower #WaterIsLife #ProtectWatersheds #ProtectNature #Hydro #RiversOfBC #RiversOfVancouverIsland #Indigenous #FirstNations #Historical #Cowichan

My nature & ancient trees loving heart breaks, every time I see more clearcut deforestation. With the rapid acceleration of climate change, our foolish, greedy, short-sighted government continues to accept dirty deals with ecocidal corporations - going against public interests. They greenwash & whitewash while still allowing mass clearcuts to happen in disappearing ancient forests on the island.

Please - don't stop fighting to #ProtectOldGrowth #forests 🌲❤️🌲 #AncientTrees need #ForestDefenders in times of increased, rampant #CorporateGreed & sellout #ecocide enabling governments ✊️

#BCNewDeathParty #BCpoli #SaveOldGrowth #DefendNature #TreesOverGreed #TreesAreEarthsLungs #Nature #ProtectNature #WildFirst #BCForestryReform #deforestation #StopEcocide #StopClearcuts #photography #BanCorporateLobbyists #DavidEby #BCNDP #EbyTheEnabler #ProtectForests #BCTourism #VancouverIsland #Cowichan #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #BCgovernment #BCNDPLegacyoOfDeath #StopDeforestation #OneEarth #BritishColumbia #Canada #WorldInMyEyes #YYJphotographers #DisabledPhotographers #Activism #ActivistPhotography #Environmentalist #EcoJustice #FightForNature #NatureGuardians #StopTheSaws #CrimesAgainstHumanity #morose #SuperUnnaturalBC #TourismBC #TourismVanvouverIsland #EcoCrimes #monochrome #BWphotography #BWphoto #ThickTrunkTuesday

#MonochromeMonday

They keep killing the ancients.
Men who kill elder trees, are men who kill their children's futures.
Souls must be disconnected from nature & their spirits desperate for money, for them to be OK destroying #OldGrowth forests, for a temporary paycheque.
There are more ethical ways to earn a living.
Stop believing industrial & government #greenwashing lies.
#ClearcutLogging kills #ecosystems & throws #ecological balance out of whack.

Government tells us to not fret, that they're managing #forestry better - they're #greedy, #sellout #LIARS. You can go see for yourself, how many clearcuts are still happening on big scales, at several places across Vancouver Island & some parts of BC interior where greedy corporations are decimating the last inland #TemperateRainforest in the world. Our #neoliberal BC NDP government is OK with ongoing mass ecocide - they get money from industry lobbyists 🤑🤮😡

Don't stop, fighting to #ProtectOldGrowth #forests 🌲❤️🌲 #AncientTrees need #ForestDefenders in times of increased, rampant #CorporateGreed & sellout #ecocide enabling governments ✊️

#BCNewDeathParty #BCpoli #SaveOldGrowth #DefendNature #TreesOverGreed #TreesAreEarthsLungs #Nature #ProtectNature #WildFirst #BCForestryReform #deforestation #StopEcocide #StopClearcuts #photography #BanCorporateLobbyists #DavidEby #BCNDP #EbyTheEnabler #ProtectForests #BCTourism #VancouverIsland #Cowichan #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #BCgovernment #BCNDPLegacyoOfDeath #StopDeforestation #OneEarth #BritishColumbia #Canada #WorldInMyEyes #YYJphotographers #DisabledPhotographers #Activism #ActivistPhotography #Environmentalist #EcoJustice #FightForNature #NatureGuardians #StopTheSaws #CrimesAgainstHumanity #morose #SuperUnnaturalBC #TourismBC #TourismVanvouverIsland #EcoCrimes #monochrome #BWphotography #BWphoto

#StopDeforestation ✊️🌲🌳🙏

Two past #photographs together ->

#BigLonelyDoug layered over #deforestation #clearcuts 😢 in #CowichanValley
All the #OldGrowthTrees, in what used to be fully forested area, were razed down. This kind of reckless profits before planet #ClearcutLogging absolutely devastates #ecosystems & it annihilates #WildlifeHabitats.

Please join the ongoing fight to #SaveOldGrowth & for #BCForestryReform. We seriously need to transition & work on #NatureFirst #WildFirst solutions for a more ethical, responsible & sustainable future.
https://ancientforestalliance.org/

Read about Big Lonely Doug:
https://thewalrus.ca/big-lonely-doug/

#CutOutCorruptionNotForests #SaveOldGrowth #TreesAreEarthsLungs #VancouverIsland #ProtectForests #ProtectNature #VancouverIsland #StopEcocide #SaveTheForests #PauseTheSaws #EndClearcutting #StopKillingOldGrowth #TreesOverGreed #BCNDP #BCpoli #Environmental #ClimateEmergency #ClimateChange #EcoJustice #CorporateGreed #GreedKills #AbolishCorporateLobbyists #CrimesAgainstHumanity #BCNDPCriminals #Ecocide #BritishColumbia #Canada #BCNDPNatureKillers #SaveAncientTrees #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #Treehugger #TreeProtectors #ForestDefenders #ActivismArt #WorldInMyEyes #ActivistPhotography #DisabledPhotographers #YYJphotographers #photography

Another BC organization that I've supported & volunteered with:

#WatershedWatchSalmonSociety is a #ScienceBased #charity working to defend and rebuild B.C.’s #WildSalmon.

Watershed Watch Salmon Society was founded two decades ago by a small group of passionate #conservationists. Led by #ecologist Craig Orr, they noticed that while a lot of work relating to #fisheries and #HabitatRestoration was being done on the ground on local #waterways, no one was pulling together the pieces to confront #policy decisions at the federal and provincial levels.

Craig and his associates launched Watershed Watch Salmon Society to fill that gap, offering #ScientificExpertise to policy makers, and highlighting the large scale issues affecting local waterways, from #FishFarms to #ClimateChange.

Watershed Watch Salmon Society involves many people beyond our paid staff and dedicated board members. We have thousands of supporters and a growing crew of #volunteers who are passionate about wild salmon. Whether you read our emails, sign our petitions, donate, get out in your #community to talk about our work or join us in the field, you are an important part of Watershed Watch.

https://watershedwatch.ca/

#VancouverIsland #GetInvolved #Environmental #EcoJustice #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #BritishColumbia #Canada #Nonprofit #PNW #SaveWildSalmon #WildFirst #ProtectNature

Please join us! Volunteers & donations are always welcomed 🙌

#ClayoquotAction is a Tofino-based #conservation society committed to protecting the #biocultural diversity of #ClayoquotSound. Our goals are accomplished through public education, citizen research and monitoring, and advocacy. Clayoquot Action stands for #democratic rights, #IndigenousRights and the #RightsOfMotherEarth.

The Clayoquot Action vision is simple: to keep Clayoquot Sound clean and green for future generations, to preserve the #biodiversity and integrity of the #ecosystems, and to maintain and develop #community and #cultural richness.

Learn more & sign up:
https://clayoquotaction.org/

#VancouverIsland #GetInvolved #Environmental #EcoJustice #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #BritishColumbia #Canada #Nonprofit #PNW #SaveWildSalmon #WildFirst #ProtectNature

The #nature cure: how time #outdoors transforms our #memory, #imagination and #logic

Without engaging with #NaturalEnvironments, our #brains cease to work well. As the new field of environmental neuroscience proves, exposure to nature isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity

by Sam Pyrah
Mon 27 Nov 2023 05.00 EST

"You are probably aware of studies showing that green (#vegetated) and blue (moving #water) environments are associated with a reduction in stress, improved mood, more positive emotions and decreases in anxiety and rumination. But there is growing evidence that nature exposure also benefits cognitive function – all the processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding, including perception, memory, reasoning, judgment, imagination and problem-solving. One study found that after just 40 seconds of looking out at a green roof, subjects made fewer mistakes in a test than when they looked at a concrete one."

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/27/the-nature-cure-how-time-outdoors-transforms-our-memory-imagination-and-logic?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

#SaveNature #NaturalWorld #MoreGreenSpace #Gardens #OpenSpace #NatureIsATemple #ProtectTheForests #ProtectNature #NatureBathing #GreenSound

#Spôzêm #FirstNation, which occupies the lower swaths of the #FraserCanyon , has become a #LeadingForce in the last-ditch fight to save the #SpottedOwl - joining #environmental groups to #protest against the #logging of #OldGrowth #forest within their territory.

https://thewalrus.ca/last-owl

#SaveOldGrowth #HighExtinctionRisk #SaveTheSpottedOwl #StopOldGrowthLogging #deforestation #ProtectWildlifeHabitat #BCNDP #NewDeathParty #CorporateGreed #BritishColumbia #Canada #ProtectNature #TreesOverGreed

#MeltedPlastic has become ingrained in rocks on a #RemoteIsland in #Brazil . #TrinidadeIsland has long been a location for scientists. #discovery of #plastic rocks - where plastic #FishNetting has melted into rocks, has #scientists questioning how extensive #HumanitysEffect on #Earth 's #geological cycles has become.
This island is an important #conservation spot for #GreenTurtles

https://bgr.com/science/horrifying-plastic-rocks-were-found-on-a-remote-island

#Pollution #StopEcocide #ManMadeDisaster #ProtectNature #environment #ecosystems #ecology