#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

《WMFS chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said 19 houses had been fully destroyed by the fire, while 18 more had been damaged.
He described the conditions as "some of the most challenging" he has seen in 28 years of service, and residents have been warned they could be away from their homes for days.》

#ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #UK #WestMidlands #StopFossils #CleanEnergy #ProtectNature #BeTheChange #ResetSociety

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8xr2n9560o

#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

The #OntarioGreenbelt is a 'safe haven' for 70% more species at risk than 2 decades ago, a new report says

#OntarioNature says protected area now acts as refuge for 121 vulnerable species

by Shawn Jeffords, May 23, 2026

Excerpt: "The number of species at risk using the Greenbelt as a 'safe haven' has jumped by nearly 70 per cent over the past two decades, a new report says as opposition critics press the government to start a long-delayed review and enhance the protected zone.

"The new study from the environmental charity Ontario Nature looks at available government data on species at risk in 2004, a year before the protected area was created by the province. The study traces the progress of birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and plants that were vulnerable at that time to present day, and finds that the number of species at risk in the Greenbelt has jumped from 72 to 121.

" 'It reflects … the growing importance of the Greenbelt for vital habitats, particularly in southern #Ontario,' said Tony Morris, conservation policy and campaigns director at Ontario Nature.

"The Greenbelt is an over 800,000-hectare ecologically sensitive zone around the #GreaterGoldenHorseshoe, which was defined in 2005. It provides #EnvironmentalProtection and specifies where development should not occur."

Read more:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/species-at-risk-ontario-greenbelt-9.7209152

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

Please stop cutting down trees. Every tree provides oxygen, cleans the air, protects wildlife, and helps fight climate change. When we destroy forests, we also destroy our future. Let's protect the trees we have and plant more for generations to come. Together, we can make a difference.
#SaveTrees #ProtectNature #environment #climatechange #climatecrisis #climatecrisis #sustainability #ecology #wildlife #SundayVibes #ecotourism #forestry #deforestation #afforestation #agroforestry #nature

Please stop cutting down trees. Every tree provides oxygen, cleans the air, protects wildlife, and helps fight climate change. When we destroy forests, we also destroy our future. Let's protect the trees we have and plant more for generations to come. Together, we can make a difference.
#SaveTrees #ProtectNature #environment #climatechange #climatecrisis #climatecrisis #sustainability #ecology #wildlife #SundayVibes #ecotourism #forestry #deforestation #afforestation #agroforestry #nature

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

Collapsing Mountains In Alaska Are Causing Massive Tsunamis 

https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/07/13/collapsing-mountains-in-alaska-are-causing-massive-tsunamis/

Capitalism unhinged
👦🐊

#Capitalism #Unhinged #CorporateGreed #EatTheRich #DirtyPoliticians #Wowcher #Crocodile #ProtectNature

https://news.sky.com/story/wowcher-apologises-over-email-that-referenced-crocodile-attack-on-boy-13556556

Those who call themselves manly men need to come out in force and put an end to Big Oil and the dirty politicians that support it.

#Pollution #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #GreenEnergy #AlternativeEnergy #CleanEnergy #ProtectNature #MensHealth #BigOil #BanFossils #BanPlastics

Those who call themselves manly men need to come out in force and put an end to Big Oil and the dirty politicians that support it.

#Pollution #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #GreenEnergy #AlternativeEnergy #CleanEnergy #ProtectNature #MensHealth #BigOil #BanFossils #BanPlastics

Those who call themselves manly men need to come out in force and put an end to Big Oil and the dirty politicians that support it.

#Pollution #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #GreenEnergy #AlternativeEnergy #CleanEnergy #ProtectNature #MensHealth #BigOil #BanFossils #BanPlastics

Those who call themselves manly men need to come out in force and put an end to Big Oil and the dirty politicians that support it.

#Pollution #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #GreenEnergy #AlternativeEnergy #CleanEnergy #ProtectNature #MensHealth #BigOil #BanFossils #BanPlastics

Those who call themselves manly men need to come out in force and put an end to Big Oil and the dirty politicians that support it.

#Pollution #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #GreenEnergy #AlternativeEnergy #CleanEnergy #ProtectNature #MensHealth #BigOil #BanFossils #BanPlastics

[Photos] #IndigenousYouths #Reclaiming #Waters and #Rivers: #Bioneers

"During Bioneers annual conference in Berkeley, Indigenous youths shared their struggles, from the Eastern Cherokee to the Klamath on the west coast, to Hawaii, as Native youths reclaim their waters and rivers, and rise to defend the natural world."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/04/indigenous-youths-reclaiming-waters-and.html

#SolarPunkSunday #WaterIsLife #DamRemoval #RiverKeepers #RestoringNature #ProtectNature #IndigenousNews

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

Kaukasische Vleugelnoot 📍 Landgoed Leyduin __________________________________________________

#Leyduin
#LandgoedLeyduin
#KaukasischeVleugelnoot
#Buitenplaats
#LandschapNoordHolland
#Natuurmonumenten
#ZwartWitFotografie
#BlackAndWhiteNature
#MonochromeMagic
#TreePhotography
#OudeBomen
#AbstractNature
#TreeMagic
#LeicaPhotography
#LeicaCamera
#LeicaFotografie
#Leica
#Biodiversity
#NatureConservation
#ProtectNature

www.jandirkbol.nl

#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

I see all these actual, unedited, un-photoshopped pictures of other planets, and I wonder: Why the F would you want to destroy the only planet in the known Universe that isn't a lifeless desert ?!

#SpaceAge #Terra #ProtectNature #SaveThePlanet #Thursday #MotherNature #Mars

#climateCrisis is now. #planetaryCrisis is now. #protectNature #protectTheCreation

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:3gczycymg3cd7u5ovmtyu7xi/post/3ljlkqwijgs26

[Short film] #Enchukunoto (The Return)

Laissa Malih with John Ole Tingoi (#Maasai)

"As the first female Maasai filmmaker, Laissa Malih initially set out to document the land-based practices of her forefathers and ways in which climate change is reshaping Maasai communities. In returning to the IL-Laikipiak Maasai village that her parents left when she was a child, Malih experiences an epiphany: her own life is a reflection of the myriad challenges between Maasai youth and elders, women and men, ancestral ways of passing down essential knowledge and modern methods of education.

"In ENCHUKUNOTO (The Return), Malih’s singular perspective also challenges ways in which the Maasai peoples have long been seen and documented by tourists and other outsiders. 'Many tourists come to our Maa lands to film the lions, the gazelles,' she observes. 'The camera takes and takes. I wonder what my camera can give my people in return?'

"Interweaving verite with Malih’s insights, Malih offers a heretofore unseen perspective as an insider and an outsider, a woman among men, a filmmaker carrying on sacred Maasai traditions of storytelling in an era defined by uncertainty."

https://www.reciprocity.org/films/enchukunoto

#SolarPunkSunday #Nature #ProtectNature #CulturalPreservation #IndigenousAfricans #MassaiPeople #WomenDirectedFilms #DCEFF #IndigenousStorytellers
#IndigenousFilms #LandDefenders #ReciprocityProject #Reciprocity #IndigenousFilmMakers #IndigenousWisdom #IndigenousKnowledge #Reciprocity #FilmVerite

#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

What is clear is that the #KoksilahWatershed is experiencing erratic flow levels throughout the year which is #endangering the health of the entire #ecosystem. , It is also clear that impacts on the #watershed have been accentuated by #ClimateChange. With low elevation, the watershed is losing snow earlier and has more rain in the winter leading to more floods. The current trajectory of the #KoksilahRiver is dire and will impact everyone in the entire watershed.

" #GroundwaterExtraction has the most impact during low flow times of the year, when salmon depend on cooling groundwater inflows for their survival. If wells are drawing from shallow aquifers closely connected to the river, groundwater extraction will immediately reduce in-stream flows. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, in-stream flows in the Koksilah were forecast to become dangerously low, and provincial managers requested voluntary reductions in water use. In each of these years, an order to cease water diversion was under preparation in case voluntary efforts were not enough. In August 2019, a Fish Population Protection Order was issued under the Water Sustainability Act"

Gower, T. & arroso, A.
Tapped Out: A Special Report on Water Scarcity and Water Solutions in British Columbia (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 #BritishColumbia

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

#Fish & #Wildlife: The #KoksilahRiver supports regionally significant #aquatic #ecosystems and fish species, including #chinook, #coho and #chum #salmon as well as #steelhead and resident #trout. These fish populations are both culturally and economically significant to local First Nations. It is essential to the survival of many species of #birds, #mammals, #reptiles, and #amphibians.

#Farms & #Vineyards: Approximately 15% of the lower watershed supports a significant #agricultural community including many large dairy farms as well as smaller mixed and organic farms. The pastoral landscape is a also a favorite wine-touring route and is a thriving and expanding #RuralTourism business.

Forest: Approximately 73% of the #KoksilahWatershed is Privately Managed #Forest Lands and another 6% is Crown #Forestry Lands.

#Recreation Opportunities: The Koksilah Watershed is home to several parks including the #KoksilahRiverProvincialPark. It is enjoyed by many in the valley as a refreshing place to swim on hot summer days because the water temperature is always cooler than the #Cowichan River. It is also used extensively by white water paddlers, particularly in the winter months.

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

This low elevation river without a regulation structure (dam) supports over 1,100 water users, including irrigators, dairies, vineyards, and domestic households. The #KoksilahRiver is especially valued for its:

#Cultural & #Spiritual significance: The Koksilah aka #Xwulqwselu #Watershed is central to the identity of the #QuwutsunMustimuhw. A prominent, multi-summit ridge named #Hwsaluutsum (formerly known as #Koksilah Ridge), is central to Quw'utsun Origin stories. Hwsalu-utsum is where the first man, #Syalutsa, fell from the sky. Hwsalu-utsum is the origin or headwaters of several tributaries that flow into the Xwulqw'selu Sta'lo' (Koksilah River); including Wild Deer Creek, Kelvin Creek and Glenora Creek. There are many #SacredPlaces and #CulturalStories associated with this ridge as well as across the entire watershed. On the southern slopes of Hwsalu-utsum the pockets of rare grasslands have important plants with both spiritual and practical uses. The #XwulqwseluWatershed is critically important not only spiritually and for its #OriginStories, but also as an important area for fishing, harvesting plants, and hunting.

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

Part of #KoksilahRiver / #Koksilah #Watershed on South Vancouver Island.

Koksilah River - #XwulqwseluStalo Watershed is located south of #Duncan on Vancouver Island and lies within the traditional territories of #CowichanTribes, #MalahatNation and other #FirstNations.

The Koksilah River originates on the slopes of Waterloo Mountain, southwest of Shawnigan Lake. It flows eastward for approximately 44 km before discharging into the Cowichan/Koksilah estuary. The watershed area is approximately 302 square kilometres. The main tributaries of the Koksilah River are Fellows Creek in the west, and Kelvin, Patrolas, Howie and Glenora creeks, which enter the Koksilah about 4-6 km upstream of the estuary in Cowichan Bay, which it shares with the Cowichan River.

The Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers were historically connected through side-channels where Duncan is currently situated. #Shhwuykwselu (which translates loosely to “Busy Place”) was a #historical connection and intersection between the two rivers where people gathered before continuing up the Cowichan or Koksilah rivers. Today the place name Sh-hwuykwselu is still carried by a small lower tributary of the Koksilah River, and the name #Xwulqwselu is the name of a Cowichan village nearby.

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

#Maine’s #SaltMarshes are at risk of disappearing, from #RisingSeaLevels and much more

A University of Maine analysis suggests a significant portion of them could be gone by the end of the century, without a lot of human intervention.

Posted July 28, 2024
Kate CoughMaine Monitor

Wetland loss may be “difficult to reverse”

"For much of American history, the marsh has often been considered more of an impediment than an asset; something to be filled, ditched, dug and bulldozed into something more useful.

"More than half of the #wetlands that existed at the start of the #RevolutionaryWar are gone, according to estimates from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — much of them altered by farming, but also lost to houses, #StripMalls, #marinas and other #development."

Full article:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/sinking-in-saltwater-maine-s-coastal-marshes-at-risk-as-sea-levels-rise/ar-BB1qLlWF

#EelGrass #SaveTheWetlands #SaveTheMarshes #Capitalism #CorporateColonialism #ProtectNature #NewEngland

Nova Scotia's Department of #Environment and #ClimateChange is looking for #PublicInput on 16 proposed new or expanded #wilderness areas and #NatureReserves.

It opened an #OnlineSurvey that will be active until Sept. 20.

"Designating these sites will be one more step in helping #NovaScotia protect 20 per cent of its land and water by 2030," the department said in a news release on Friday. Nova Scotia's Department of Environment and Climate Change is looking for public input on 16 proposed new or expanded wilderness areas and nature reserves.

https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/protectedareas/

#NSpoli #Maritimes #SubmitFeedback #CDNpoli #ecological #Eastcoast #Canadian #Canada #NovaScotians #NatureConservation #WildlifeConservation #ProtectNature #WildFirst

From 2022, via @mongabay

‘#Nature has priority’: #Rewilding map showcases #nature-led restoration

"The term [rewilding] dates back to the late 1990s, when a pair of scientists, #MichaelSoulé and #ReedNoss, introduced rewilding as a concept that centered on the restoration of #wilderness and the return of large animals, especially carnivores, to the landscape."

by John Cannon on 11 April 2022

"In the past decade, the European #bison (Bison bonasus) has made a comeback in Central and Eastern Europe. Hunters had killed the last known bison in the region nearly a century ago. But thanks to reintroduction programs in Belarus, Poland, Russia and Romania, nearly four times as many bison are alive today as there were in 2003. The increase, to some 7,000 animals, was enough to prompt the IUCN to downgrade the European bison’s conservation status from vulnerable to near threatened in 2020.

"The largest of #Romania’s free-roaming herds lives in the #ȚarcuMountains, a low-slung range in the Southern Carpathians heavy with old-growth forest. The reintroduction of the bison, including the recent addition of two males and six females in 2020, is a collaboration of WWF Romania and the Netherlands-based nonprofit #RewildingEurope. It’s also one of dozens of rewilding projects featured on a new map from the Global Rewilding Alliance that was officially launched April 11.

"'I wasn’t aware that you have [#WildBison] going through Romania,' said Alexander Watson, CEO of #OpenForests, the social enterprise company based in Germany hosting the rewilding project map."

Read more:
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/nature-has-priority-rewilding-map-showcases-nature-led-restoration/

#RestoreNature #ProtectNature #Europe #SolarPunkSunday

The #CowichanRiver #estuary is one of the largest & most important in #BritishColumbia. The #watershed drains 90,000 hectares & provides #CriticalHabitat to dozens of #fish species, including #steelhead, #Chinook, #chum, #coho & #PinkSalmon, as well as brown, #cutthroat & #RainbowTrout. But the #Cowichan’s troubles are by no means unique; they are a #CaseStudy for a much larger problem.

#TimberCompanies store #LogBooms all along the #BCcoast, says Jamieson Atkinson, a fish #biologist & program manager for the #Aquatic #Research & #Restoration Centre at #BritishColumbiaConservationFoundation. “It’s shocking.” While #estuaries make up less than 3% of British Columbia’s coast, they provide rich #habitat for 80% of the province’s coastal #wildlife. The #FraserRiver estuary, near #Vancouver on the mainland, supports more than 300 species of #birds & 80 species of fish & #shellfish for at least part of their life cycles.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/07/05/Estuary-Marine-Life-Smothered-Timber-Industrial-Log-Booms

@thetyee

#BCpoli #environmental #WildFirst #ProtectNature #ProtectWildlife #Ecological #ecosystems #Conservation #VancouverIsland #WildSalmonAlliance #ProtectWatersheds #StopEcocide #NatureFirst #VanIsle #Nature #BCNDP #BCNewDeathParty #CorporateGreed #GreedKills #PacificNorthwest #WildlifeConservation #HabitatRestoration #ProtectNature #DefendNature #PNW #IndustrialPollution #BanCorporateLobbyists

#BritishColumbia #OldGrowth #activists have taken before and after photos of a large area of an #AncientGrove that was #clearcut on #VancouverIsland near #PortAlberni in the #NahmintValley.

The #AncientForestAlliance says that many of the massive #trees that were cut down were over 500 years old, some being up to nine feet across.

Now that the grove has been cut, they are urging the #BCgovernment to immediately correct misidentified #AtRisk #OldGrowth #forests that could be eligible for #LoggingDeferrals.

https://www.victoriabuzz.com/2024/07/old-growth-carnage-activists-concerned-over-clear-cut-forest-near-port-alberni-photos/

#StopDeforestation #BCpoli #PortAlberni #StopEcocide #SaveTheForests #StopEcocide #SaveOldGrowth #AncientForests #BanClearcuts #PauseTheSaws #BCNewDeathParty #AbolishIndustryLobbyists #ClimateCrisis #CarbonSinks #Environmental #WildFirst #ProtectNature #Ecological #ecosystem #CorporateGreed #GreedKills #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #PNW #TreesOverGreed #TreesAreEarthsLungs #BCNDP #EbyTheEnabler

#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

Here's the #CanadianGeese #family on lake outing. So cute.
Only had my phone camera with me.

#W̱MÍYEŦEN #Wsanec #Lekwungen #Nature #Sanctuary #Millstream #Watershed #GowllandRange #conservation #vanisle #PNW #VictoriaBC #yyj #greenbelt #VancouverIsland #CoastSalish #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #ProtectedProperty #ConserveNature #biodiversity #NatureImmersion #wildlife #geese #Spring #RespectWildlife #KeepYourDistance #Coexistence #ProtectNature #BritishColumbia #Canada

https://www.marylakeconnections.ca