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#protectnature — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #protectnature, aggregated by home.social.

  1. 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:
    wcscanada.org/newsroom/news/tw

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

  2. Scientists find building blocks of #birdsong's 'spectacular #diversity'

    Victoria Gill, July 23, 2026

    Excerpt: "This link between the environment and its #NaturalSoundscape, Bacquelé explained, is being transformed by #HumanActivity.

    " 'I think this research has opened up a new way to see songs as something [intrinsically] linked with the environment,' he told BBC News.

    " 'So, we could try to use these motifs to help us understand how birds could adapt to the new #BackgroundNoise [that we produce].'

    "#NaturalSound, Bacquelé added, is an an important part of our own connection to #nature and is worth conserving.

    " 'If you think of a #forest, near your town or near your house, you think about the songs of the birds in the morning when you go outside.

    " 'And if a bird in a #forest has a specific song, if you destroy the forest, then that song may not be adapted any more to the new environment.' "

    Read more:
    bbc.com/news/articles/cwy4eg5d

    Archived version:
    archive.ph/eGDPy

    #SolarPunkSunday #PreserveNature #Birdsongs #NoisePollution #BioDiversity #ProtectNature #ProtectTheForest

  3. 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:
    unu.edu/inweh/news/environment

    #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

  4. 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:
    unu.edu/inweh/collection/envir

    #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

  5. I was just reading about Climate Change and Global Warming. Of course, the biggest factor is us humans and our disrespect for Mother Nature.

    We need cities with more trees and fewer polluting cars. We need more green spaces and fewer buildings that only exist as tax write-offs for the super-rich.

    #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #StopFossils #CleanEnergy #AlternativeEnergy #ProtectNature #SaveThePlanet #BeTheChange #ResetSociety #WarOnCars #PlantATree #EatTheRich #PayTaxes #ArrestTheRich

  6. 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

  7. #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.

    swanlake.bc.ca/the-nature-hous

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

  8. 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."

    awionline.org/action-center#/5

    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:
    congress.gov/votes/house/119-2

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

  9. #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:
    mcht.org/conservation-work/ini

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

  10. Good morning everyone!
    Wishing you all a #HappyWeekend filled with peace and purpose. Let’s not forget our precious planet #ProtectNature, care for it, and#TeachTheYouth to love and preserve it. 🌿💚 Together, we build a #GreenFuture through #EnvironmentalEducation and strong #ClimateAction. #YouthForNature #Sustainability #EcoYouth#ugandaEcoYouthdNetwork.

  11. Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan

    Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
    Published March 12, 2025

    "Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.

    "A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.

    "The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.

    "'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

    "Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."

    Read more:
    mainepublic.org/climate/2025-0
    #SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies

  12. #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

  13. Good! Build it on #MackPoint, not #SearsIsland! Feds reject Maine’s request for $456 million to build proposed wind port at Sears Island

    by Stephen Singer
    October 22, 2024

    "Rolf Olsen, vice president of the board of #FriendsOfSearsIsland, which manages a portion of the island set aside for #conservation, and an opponent of the Sears Island proposed site, said the federal decision 'would appear to be a significant financial blow' to develop the manufacturing facility.

    "'We’re somewhat encouraged that the state’s port development grant application was turned down, especially since it only considered developing Sears Island and not Mack Point,' he said.

    Source:
    pressherald.com/2024/10/22/fed

    Archived version:
    archive.md/ej9E4

    #SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies

  14. #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

  15. 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.

    poliswaterproject.org/polis-re

    "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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. #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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. The #Education for #Nature#Vietnam #ENV, one of the country’s #pioneering social organisations in #wildlife #conservation, has released a 2 minute video clip titled "Chim troi keu cuu" (wild birds cry out for help) to urge the #community to refrain from #WildBird consumption and join #protection efforts.

    The clip exposes haunting and cruel moments of the widespread destruction of the feathered animals, giving only a glimpse of the acts prevalent in many localities nationwide.

    Vietnam is among the 25 countries with the richest #diversity of wild #birds species globally. However, #poaching and #IllegalTrading pose serious threats to hundreds of #indigenous and #migratory bird species in the country. In localities such as #QuangNinh and #ThaiBinh in the north and #ThuaThien - #Hue in the central region, #poachers employ sophisticated methods including decoys and birdsong mimicking devices to lure the animals, followed by nets, traps, or guns for capture. This rampant hunting seriously jeopardises Vietnam's #biodiversity.

    en.vietnamplus.vn/clip-calls-f

    #AsianMastodon #Vietnamese #TootSEA #SouthEastAsia #ProtectNature #WildFirst #SaveWildBirds #ProtectWildlife #AsiaPacific #NatureFirst

  22. Common #Wildlife of #Wassumkeag Island (#SearsIsland)

    "This is an ongoing list of the types of wildlife found on Wassumkeag (Sears) Island. It is based on reported observations. There are many other animal species on Sears Island, however, that have not been seen so are not included in this list. The list does not include most aquatic or tidal organisms. Please see our other guide for birds. New species will be added in future updates so check back.

    American Mink

    American Red Squirrel

    American Toad

    Common Garter Snake

    Common Porcupine

    Common Raccoon

    Deer Mouse

    Eastern Chipmunk

    Eastern Cottontail

    Eastern Gray Squirrel

    Harbor Seal

    Moose

    Northeastern coyote

    Ribbon Snake

    Smooth Greensnake

    Spring Peeper

    Striped Skunk

    White-tailed Deer

    Wood Frog

    Yellow-Spotted Salamander"

    Source:
    inaturalist.org/guides/3233

    "We welcome your submissions of observations! Please visit our website at friendsofsearsisland.org/explo to log observations. You may also add species to our Inaturalist Project, 'Plants and Animals of Sears Island.'"

    #SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #WednesdaysForWildlife #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #GreenEnergy #MackPoint

  23. #SearsIsland: The Answer to Green Energy, Or Home to #Biodiverse #Wildlife?

    by Freyja Grey
    Jul 16, 2024

    "The #Wabanaki people indigenous to the area named Sears Island #Wassumkeag, or Shining Beach. The tribes used the island to hunt and fish for centuries.

    "McCarthy said, 'They've been documented archeologically to have had a presence here for at least thirty-five hundred years.... There's a bio-regional perspective that considers all the relations: the #insects, the #grasses, the #trees, the #eelgrass, the #birds, the critters that roam these woods — if you really want to speak for Sears Island, it's incumbent, not just for poets and photographers and old hippies, it's incumbent for all of us to be mindful of all that is happening here.'

    "McCarthy said he gets why the island is an attractive place for development. 'We're in a time where wind energy is important,' he said. 'We need to find green sources of power, but the narrowness of that human perspective needs to be challenged.'

    "Both McCarthy and Lawless join the group #FriendsOfSearsIsland in maintaining that #MackPoint is better situated for development.

    "Even though 600 acres of the island are protected by a conservation easement, industrial disruption to the peaceful island could lead to #environmental impacts that may not be fully realized until after development, according to McCarthy."

    Read more:
    freepressonline.com/news/sears

    #SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #WednesdaysForWildlife #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #GreenEnergy

  24. #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

  25. 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.

    thetyee.ca/News/2024/07/05/Est

    @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

  26. Letter: Save #SearsIsland

    by Opinion Contributor
    June 17, 2024

    "The article '#SpragueEnergy pushes #WindPort' in the June 15 Bangor Daily News Business section highlights the perfectly reasonable argument that #MackPoint should be reconsidered as the site for the proposed wind port. According to Jim Therriault, vice president of materials handling for Sprague, new information is available from research and studies. Things have changed since the state first targeted Sears Island. The arguments of dredging, construction costs and environmental concerns all have new facts and figures since the state (prematurely?) made the executive decision to use Sears Island for the wind port.

    "Those who want to save Sears Island from the wind port construction that I believe would be the destruction of that beautiful local treasure sincerely hope that the state will do the responsible and reasonable thing. That they will take a good, strong look at what Sprague is offering.

    "Hopefully, the decision to use Sears Island is not cast in stone and is reversible if facts warrant it.

    "Too much is at stake to allow the state to stubbornly refuse to reconsider a decision this important. Someone in an impartial position needs to come to the table and study the facts. The new facts. If possible, let’s save Sears Island!"

    - Sue Shaw
    Penobscot, Maine

    bangordailynews.com/2024/06/17

    #ProtectNature #Nature #GulfOfMaine #Environment #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik
    #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #WabanakiAlliance #Wassumkeag #CorporateColonialism #PenobscotBay #Greenwashing #JanetMills

  27. Letter: Save #SearsIsland

    by Opinion Contributor
    June 17, 2024

    "The article '#SpragueEnergy pushes #WindPort' in the June 15 Bangor Daily News Business section highlights the perfectly reasonable argument that #MackPoint should be reconsidered as the site for the proposed wind port. According to Jim Therriault, vice president of materials handling for Sprague, new information is available from research and studies. Things have changed since the state first targeted Sears Island. The arguments of dredging, construction costs and environmental concerns all have new facts and figures since the state (prematurely?) made the executive decision to use Sears Island for the wind port.

    "Those who want to save Sears Island from the wind port construction that I believe would be the destruction of that beautiful local treasure sincerely hope that the state will do the responsible and reasonable thing. That they will take a good, strong look at what Sprague is offering.

    "Hopefully, the decision to use Sears Island is not cast in stone and is reversible if facts warrant it.

    "Too much is at stake to allow the state to stubbornly refuse to reconsider a decision this important. Someone in an impartial position needs to come to the table and study the facts. The new facts. If possible, let’s save Sears Island!"

    - Sue Shaw
    Penobscot, Maine

    bangordailynews.com/2024/06/17

    #ProtectNature #Nature #GulfOfMaine #Environment #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik
    #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #WabanakiAlliance #Wassumkeag #CorporateColonialism #PenobscotBay #Greenwashing #JanetMills

  28. Letter: Save #SearsIsland

    by Opinion Contributor
    June 17, 2024

    "The article '#SpragueEnergy pushes #WindPort' in the June 15 Bangor Daily News Business section highlights the perfectly reasonable argument that #MackPoint should be reconsidered as the site for the proposed wind port. According to Jim Therriault, vice president of materials handling for Sprague, new information is available from research and studies. Things have changed since the state first targeted Sears Island. The arguments of dredging, construction costs and environmental concerns all have new facts and figures since the state (prematurely?) made the executive decision to use Sears Island for the wind port.

    "Those who want to save Sears Island from the wind port construction that I believe would be the destruction of that beautiful local treasure sincerely hope that the state will do the responsible and reasonable thing. That they will take a good, strong look at what Sprague is offering.

    "Hopefully, the decision to use Sears Island is not cast in stone and is reversible if facts warrant it.

    "Too much is at stake to allow the state to stubbornly refuse to reconsider a decision this important. Someone in an impartial position needs to come to the table and study the facts. The new facts. If possible, let’s save Sears Island!"

    - Sue Shaw
    Penobscot, Maine

    bangordailynews.com/2024/06/17

    #ProtectNature #Nature #GulfOfMaine #Environment #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik
    #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #WabanakiAlliance #Wassumkeag #CorporateColonialism #PenobscotBay #Greenwashing #JanetMills

  29. Letter: Save #SearsIsland

    by Opinion Contributor
    June 17, 2024

    "The article '#SpragueEnergy pushes #WindPort' in the June 15 Bangor Daily News Business section highlights the perfectly reasonable argument that #MackPoint should be reconsidered as the site for the proposed wind port. According to Jim Therriault, vice president of materials handling for Sprague, new information is available from research and studies. Things have changed since the state first targeted Sears Island. The arguments of dredging, construction costs and environmental concerns all have new facts and figures since the state (prematurely?) made the executive decision to use Sears Island for the wind port.

    "Those who want to save Sears Island from the wind port construction that I believe would be the destruction of that beautiful local treasure sincerely hope that the state will do the responsible and reasonable thing. That they will take a good, strong look at what Sprague is offering.

    "Hopefully, the decision to use Sears Island is not cast in stone and is reversible if facts warrant it.

    "Too much is at stake to allow the state to stubbornly refuse to reconsider a decision this important. Someone in an impartial position needs to come to the table and study the facts. The new facts. If possible, let’s save Sears Island!"

    - Sue Shaw
    Penobscot, Maine

    bangordailynews.com/2024/06/17

    #ProtectNature #Nature #GulfOfMaine #Environment #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik
    #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #WabanakiAlliance #Wassumkeag #CorporateColonialism #PenobscotBay #Greenwashing #JanetMills

  30. Letter: Save #SearsIsland

    by Opinion Contributor
    June 17, 2024

    "The article '#SpragueEnergy pushes #WindPort' in the June 15 Bangor Daily News Business section highlights the perfectly reasonable argument that #MackPoint should be reconsidered as the site for the proposed wind port. According to Jim Therriault, vice president of materials handling for Sprague, new information is available from research and studies. Things have changed since the state first targeted Sears Island. The arguments of dredging, construction costs and environmental concerns all have new facts and figures since the state (prematurely?) made the executive decision to use Sears Island for the wind port.

    "Those who want to save Sears Island from the wind port construction that I believe would be the destruction of that beautiful local treasure sincerely hope that the state will do the responsible and reasonable thing. That they will take a good, strong look at what Sprague is offering.

    "Hopefully, the decision to use Sears Island is not cast in stone and is reversible if facts warrant it.

    "Too much is at stake to allow the state to stubbornly refuse to reconsider a decision this important. Someone in an impartial position needs to come to the table and study the facts. The new facts. If possible, let’s save Sears Island!"

    - Sue Shaw
    Penobscot, Maine

    bangordailynews.com/2024/06/17

    #ProtectNature #Nature #GulfOfMaine #Environment #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
    #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik
    #EndangeredSpecies #ProtectTheDunes #WabanakiAlliance #Wassumkeag #CorporateColonialism #PenobscotBay #Greenwashing #JanetMills

  31. 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.

    watershedwatch.ca/

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