#stewardship — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #stewardship, aggregated by home.social.
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I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;
https://buttondown.com/blog/what-is-activitypub
This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.
(1/?)
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I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;
https://buttondown.com/blog/what-is-activitypub
This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.
(1/?)
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I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;
https://buttondown.com/blog/what-is-activitypub
This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.
(1/?)
-
I'm finally beginning to understand the background radiation of anxiety and embarrassment that afflicts the maintainers of many Free Code projects. I just stumbled on a Nov, 2025 blog post that treats fediverse.party as an authority on what software supports ActivityPub;
https://buttondown.com/blog/what-is-activitypub
This is both flattering, and stress-inducing.
(1/?)
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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RE: https://mastodon.nl/@voedselboskabouters/117241675723155622
This is beautiful to see, Learning from nature, asking questions, and experiencing biodiversity firsthand is how we inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
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As #EastAfrica’s oceans change, coastal women build new livelihoods
By ALLAN OLINGO, July 5, 2026 at 10:36 pm
MALINDI, #Kenya (AP) — "The unfinished restaurant is still little more than concrete walls and wooden beams. As her daughter sweeps away the last piles of sand, 54-year-old Nuru Mohammed directs women hanging fishing nets to serve as decor. In a few days, the beachside restaurant on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast will open, offering another way to earn a living.
" 'For us women, this is hope,' says Mohammed, who, for most of her life, was one of the few fisherwomen in Malindi, a town northeast of the port city of #Mombasa. 'It will help support many families that have depended on the ocean for decades.'
"Across East Africa’s coast, fisherfolk are increasingly turning to tourism, #EcosystemRestoration and other conservation-based businesses, reinventing their relationship with the sea as #ClimateChange, #overfishing and declining ocean health threaten their livelihoods.
"In Kenya, women are turning restored #MangroveForests into sources of income through #beekeeping and #ecotourism. In #Tanzania’s #Zanzibar archipelago, fishing communities are protecting #CoralReefs through locally managed closures. In #Mozambique, #SeaGrassRestoration is creating jobs while reviving marine habitats. Together, these efforts are redefining resilience, not as leaving the ocean behind, but as restoring it while building enduring livelihoods.
" 'Communities that depend on the ocean are also its best stewards,' said Andreane Martel, project director for a conservation program dubbed #ReSea. 'When local people, especially women, lead conservation, they protect #biodiversity while creating more resilient and inclusive livelihoods.' "
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/LTBNs#SolarPunkSunday #ClimateResilience #OceansAreLife #Stewardship
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So, many years ago, my colleagues at the #WildernessSchool had permission to pick blueberries at the #BlueberryBarrens at #CrystalSpringFarms, and also foraged in the surrounding areas. It's a lovely place and I'm so glad that it's being preserved -- despite all the development in #Maine!
Summer Four Season Walk at Crystal Spring Farm
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
3:00 PM to 5:00 PMCrystal Spring Farm
277 Pleasant Hill Road
#BrunswickME, 04011 United StatesPre-registration required. Suggested donation $5-$20.
"Come walk the trails at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick as we get to know #NativePlants in summer.
Four season walks are a popular series and a staff favorite: each year, we pick a new location, and then take the same walk, once per season. We will all engage in observing and asking questions of our surroundings, and identify the varied plants, shrubs, trees, ferns, and wildlife along the trail. Each season brings something new and spectacular to look at. The goal of these walks is to foster relationships with place through relationships with plants, and encourage further #stewardship of our community spaces. Crystal Spring is home to a lovely blueberry barren #ecosystem that we look forward to visiting together. Thank you to #BrunswickTopshamLandTrust for hosting us!"
FMI and to register:
https://wildseedproject.net/events/summer-four-season-walk-at-crystal-spring-farm#SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #MidcoastMaine #SpendTimeInNature #LandTrust #PreservedLand #ObserveNature #PlantIdentification #NativePlants
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Reconnecting the Wild #Midwest
Explore how #TNC is rebuilding connections between habitats to help #MidwestWildlife—and people—thrive in a changing climate
Published March 02, 2026
"Wildlife needs room to roam, and the Midwest is full of amazing habitats—such as forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers—that aren’t connected, leaving wildlife stuck and struggling. That's why TNC is linking forests, prairies, wetlands and rivers across the Midwest so wildlife can move, adapt and thrive.
"What Is a Wildlife Corridor? Why Are They Important?
"#Habitat Crridors can be interconnected land-based environments, such as #forests and #prairies, as well as #rivers and other freshwater passages that allow aquatic species to move freely. These healthy, #biodiverse areas are beneficial for people too, as they can help reduce flood risk to communities and provide more recreational opportunities in nature.
"However, the Midwest region is highly fragmented. #Habitats are subdivided across different landowners, and many are highly degraded.
"To address this, TNC serves as our own type of corridor, coordinating protection and #stewardship efforts across properties owned by many different partners. Through these collaborations, we help secure funding to connect science with #conservation on the ground and in the water.
"Our work includes large-scale #HabitatRestoration projects that create and improve pathways, like our #CoastalRepair efforts in #SanduskyBay, #DamRemoval efforts in Southern #Indiana and our prescribed fire work in Southern #Illinois."
Learn more:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/midwest/stories-in-the-midwest/wildlife-corridors/#SolarPunkSunday #ConnectedHabitats
#Wildlife #WildlifeHighways #WildlifeCorridors #MidwesternUS #TheNatureConservancy #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation -
#BreakingNews! 🚨 #LandBack in #Maine!
Land returned to #MikmaqNation will double tribe’s territory
Nearly 3,400 acres have been returned to the Aroostook County-based tribe.
by Reuben M. Schafir, June 22, 2026
"The #Mikmaq Nation is expanding. The tribe on Friday obtained title to #MesgilgMaqamigew, a nearly 3,400-acre parcel near #BridgewaterME. The land return is so large it will more than double the tribe’s holdings.
" 'For decades the Mi’kmaq citizens have seen their traditional hunting and gathering grounds disappear to development or private ownership not allowing access,' Chief #SheilaMcCormack said in a news release. 'This property will give our people a place for outdoor recreation, a place to teach our children how to hunt and fish, and a place we can pass down the traditions of our ancestors before they are forgotten.'
"Of the four #Wabanaki tribes, the Mi’kmaq Nation received federal recognition last, in 1991. It and the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians hold far less land in Maine than the #PassamaquoddyTribe and #PenobscotNation, which each have more than 150,000 acres.
"#TheConservationFund negotiated a below-market value sale and purchased the parcel last year from #forestry company #HCHayne, then held it on behalf of the tribe. The organization worked with an alliance of tribes known as the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship, and #FirstLight, a group of non-native, land-based organizations, to secure $1.9 million for project." 'Indigenous land return projects are a cornerstone of our conservation efforts,' Tom Duffus, Northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said in a statement. 'I’m thrilled that this special place is once again managed by the Mi’kmaq Nation, whose citizens have stewarded this landscape since time immemorial.'
"Mesgilg Maqamigew means 'big land,' a name chosen in recognition of the significance to the tribe of a parcel so large, contiguous and lush with resources.
"The property contains #forests, #wetlands and more than three miles of #NorthWhitneyBrook, a stream with a thriving #BrookTrout population, according to Mi’kmaq Environmental Health Director Shannon Hill.
"The tribe has already located #fiddleheads there, and Hill said they plan to use the land for #hunting, #fishing, gathering and timber. Snowmobile and ATV trails are available for public use.
"#RichardSilliboy, a basket maker and former Mi’kmaq vice chief who sits on the commission, is hopeful the parcel has #BrownAsh for weaving — but expects, at least, 'some decent fishing.'
"#MesgilgMaqamigew is the sixth to be completed in a series of projects spearheaded by the commission that are collectively known as the tributary land returns. The tributary returns comprise 52,000 acres in 11 discrete projects involving all five tribal governments in Maine at an estimated cost of $52 million."
Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/22/land-returned-to-mikmaq-nation-will-double-tribes-territory/Archived version:
https://archive.md/Bkbl0#WabanakiAlliance #Dawnland #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #LandConservation #NativeAmericanNews #IndigenousNews #MaineSettlementAct #NativeAmericans #Indigenous #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LandStewardship #Stewardship #SolarPunkSunday
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Small creeks are essential life feeders in forests. This small creek is a part of our local watershed. It is small, yet mighty with it's life-source; sustaining life for many cedar trees & the plants that grow on forest understory. Creeks need protection as much as big rivers do 💧🌲💧
#nature #hiking #Saanich #waterway #cedar #trees #watershed #creek #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #ecology #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WaterIsLife #NatureEducation
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#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
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#MosstodonMonday
This mossy covered fallen log hosts abundant plants life; as part of a biodiverse forest understory ecosystem. Nature wastes nothing. Fallen logs essentially feeds new ecological life. You can witness, respect & appreciate entire, sustainable, natural life cycles, within biodiverse forests. It's well worth paying close attention to 💚There's at least 4 different moss species, covering this natural life sustaining log. There's ferns, cleavers, purslane, wall lettuce, sorrel & trailing blackberry, all growing out of it.
#nature #Saanich #forest #trail #moss #plants #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #mosstodon #Green #NatureAppreciation
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A small, relatively unknown, Saanich community park. I discovered it over a decade ago. Jada found it about 2 years ago. She was surprised that I'm very familiar with this park because no one else she knows has been there before. We both love it because we see no other humans while visiting & exploring trails. I was telling her that you can find native sundew plants by lakeside & it's a good place to harvest fiddleheads & look for mushrooms. Told her about the beaver history of this tiny lake/wetlands spot too. The older huge beaver lodge was decimated a few years ago, due to human impact/road construction near their wood harvesting areas. The beavers weren't seen for awhile after that. They returned sometime over past 2 years & built a new beaver lodge - it's currently about 1/3 size of the previous lodge. No photos of it because we didn't go close to lakeside on our hike. Neither of us were into getting super muddy yesterday.
This park space features:
- multiple hiking trails from relatively easy to moderate levels
- diversity of native plants/wildflowers
- native amphibians are present; many frogs & turtles live there
- healthy biodiversity of insects & invertebrates
- birds diversity
- beavers habitat
- trees diversity
- wetlands & marshes
- fish bearing habitat
- mix of sunny & shady rest spots; no benches or tables but some larger, open spaces that are good for resting at
- community stewardshipSuper limited parking space. Only room for 2 cars on side of road, by the small park sign. Very easy to miss the sign if you're not paying close attention.
#nature #hiking #Saanich #CommunityPark #forest #trail #footpath #wetlands #ferns #ecosystems #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #Wsanec #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #ForestWalks #Cascadia #PNW #lake #ecological #stewardship #conservation #biodiversity #environment #TakeAHike #GetOutside #DisabledHiker #DisabledPhotographers #NaturalWorlds #SacredNature #WorldInMyEyes #photography #NatureLovers
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#OgunquitME - #Stewardship #Workday: #BeachPlumFarm
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
9:00 am
Beach Plum Farm
610 Main St, Ogunquit, ME 03907"Beach Plum Farm is the last remaining #SaltWaterFarm in Ogunquit, home to #CommunityGardens, and the office of Great Works Regional #LandTrust.
Join #GWRLT for a Stewardship Workday on Wednesday, May 6th, 9am to noon at Beach Plum Farm, Ogunquit. We will be removing invasive species and a spring cleanup. Let us know if you can help out by registering below."
FMI and to register:
https://gwrlt.org/event/stewardship-2/#SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #InvasivePlants #SpringCleanup #EnvironmentalStewardship #LandTrusts #GreatWorksRegionalLandTrust
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We've added two wooden/wicker chairs by lower raised garden beds & near our berries grow zone. A lovely spot to take a rest break.
#WellandCommunityOrchard #nonprofit #RestSpot #CommunityOrchard #OrchardPark #Stewardship #FoodSecurity #FoodSystems #ViewRoyal #YYJ #Saanich #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #PhotoDocumentation #GrowFruit #FruitTrees #FoodEquity #CultivatingCommunities #LifecyclesProjectSociety #Spring #TakeABreak #HaveASeat
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A Pagan Case Against Lawns: Rethinking the Tyranny of Turf
What if your lawn isn’t just grass—but a quieting of the land itself? This Pagan reflection explores how modern yards prioritize control over connection, and how even small changes can restore a living relationship with the world just outside your door. -
Please consider becoming a member!
The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.
https://www.coastalisc.com/become-a-member
#Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW
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Please consider becoming a member!
The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.
https://www.coastalisc.com/become-a-member
#Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW
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Please consider becoming a member!
The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.
https://www.coastalisc.com/become-a-member
#Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW
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Please consider becoming a member!
The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.
https://www.coastalisc.com/become-a-member
#Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW
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Please consider becoming a member!
The #CoastalISC is a #nonprofit organization composed of local citizens, representatives from First Nations, governments, utilities, natural resource industries, academia and conservation groups, and others who share a common concern about the impacts of invasive alien plants in #CoastalBC. The Coastal ISC serves the geographic area of #VancouverIsland, the #GulfIslands, and the #SunshineCoast.
https://www.coastalisc.com/become-a-member
#Naturalists #NatureGuardians #BCInvasivePlants #conservation #stewardship #Environmentalists #EarthFirst #ProtectNativeSpecies #BritishColumbia #Canadian #Cascadia #PacificNorthwest #PNW
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Back entrance to #WellandCommunityOrchard from the #GallopingGoose multiuse trail.
Please visit the community orchard that we, at LifeCycles, stewards for the town of View Royal 💗#LifecyclesProjectSociety #CommunityOrchard #FoodSecurity #stewardship #CommunityPark #FruitTrees #ViewRoyal #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle
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This photo was sent to me via text.
It's from my friend, Jeff, whom I originally met off of Mastodon, back in 2022. We met in person in 2023 & exchanged plants🪴We've stayed friends over the years. We are working towards similar community building goals, in separate areas of the island. Ideally, would love to have a full food security, localized food systems 'spine', running West-East/South-North, across #VancouverIsland.
Jeff lives up island with his wife & kids. He also works in #nonprofit #FoodSecurity & #environmental #stewardship. He works for #Greenways #LandTrust in #CampbellRiver :
https://www.greenwaystrust.ca/projects/food-securityThis shows some of the work they've done at Maple Park Community Garden in partnership with #Strathcona Regional District. They acquired that land to steward/grow, earlier this year 💚👩🌾👨🌾👏
#GrowFood #CommunityBuilding #CommunityGarden #CommunityPark #CommunitySpaces #Greenspaces #VanIsle #GrowFoodNotLawns #FoodEquity #Gardens #Nonprofits #ClimateAction #CommunityWork #BritishColumbia #Canada #GrowPlants #Grassroots
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A quotation from Wendell Berry
The ecological teaching of the Bible is simply inescapable: God made the world because He wanted it made. He thinks the world is good, and He loves it. It is His world; He has never relinquished title to it. And He has never revoked the conditions, bearing on His gift to us of the use of it, that oblige us to take excellent care of it.
Wendell Berry (b. 1934) American farmer, educator, poet, conservationist
Essay (1988), “God and Country,” What Are People For? (1990)More info about this quote: wist.info/berry-wendell/17399/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #wendellberry #ecology #Genesis #creation #creator #divinegift #divinepurpose #earth #environment #God #humancondition #nature #stewardship #usufruct #world
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#Maine - #Agricultural #ConservationEasements
"The primary purpose of an Agricultural Conservation Easement is to protect the agricultural soils, agricultural viability, and agricultural productivity of a property in perpetuity by limiting non-agricultural uses of the property.
What is it?
"It is a voluntary, legally recorded permanent deed restriction place on the property. The easement or 'development right' may be donated or sold (or a combination of the two) usually to a land trust which then holds (and manages) the easement. Land protected from development with an easement remains in private ownership.
Agricultural easements help farmers balance goals of:
- generating revenue for farming or retirement;
- making their land more affordable to future farmers;
- keeping their farmland in farming;
- maintaining a treasured legacy of #SustainableFarm #stewardship."Agricultural conservation easements are private transactions, entered into for perpetuity, and thus harder to undo compared to other land protection land use strategies.
"The process can take some time to negotiate and carry out. The cost of buying easements on a significant scale can be prohibitive. It is also important that the 'holder' of the easements has the capacity to ensure that the agricultural land is managed as intended.
"You can contact your local #LandTrust or the statewide #MaineFarmlandTrust when considering easements as a farm viability and farmland protection tool."
Read more (via #GrowSmartMaine):
https://growsmartmaine.org/agricultural-conservation-easements/Learn more about Maine Farmland Trust:
https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/farmland/protect-farmland#FarmsForMainesFuture #SaveTheFarms #Sprawl #LandPreservation #SolarPunkSunday #Farmland #FoodSecurity #MaineFarms #GrowLocal #EatLocal
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#Wabanaki group restoring 245-acre farm in #SwanvilleME as food hub
#Niweskok, a Wabanaki-led #FoodSovereignty organization, recently bought the farm to aid its work reinvigorating traditional crops and land management.by Gillian Graham, May 8, 2025
"A Wabanaki-led food sovereignty organization recently acquired a 245-acre farm in Swanville, marking the return of Wabanaki stewardship to ancestral lands in the Penobscot Bay region.
"Niweskok: From the #StarsToSeeds, a collaboration of Wabanaki #FoodAndMedicine providers, has focused for years on reinvigorating #TraditionalCrops and #LandManagement strategies, distributing #TraditionalFoods and hosting workshops. But they did not have a permanent land base until buying the farm." 'Now, with this land, we have permanency of place — and the ability to continue this work for generations to come,' said #AliviaMoore, a #PenobscotNation citizen and Niweskok co-director.
"Niweskok (which translates to 'dried seeds for planting' in the Penobscot language) raised more than $1.8 million in just three months to buy the farm, which had been used to raise cattle and board horses. The group continues to raise money toward its $3 million capital campaign goal.
"Acquiring the land in January was a major step toward restoring the #PenobscotBay region as a Wabanaki food hub and allows Indigenous communities to reconnect with #TraditionalFoodways, #medicines and #ecological #stewardship. Niweskok sees the land as an intergenerational center where Wabanaki values of care, reciprocity and sustainability can flourish.
Moore said the land will allow Niweskok to go much deeper in its food production work. The group’s plans for the land include educational programming, #SeedSaving, #WildHarvesting and cultural camps."Moore said the land itself would determine the name of the farm. The farm was selected because it is close to the ocean and Penobscot territory.
'Penobscot people have been, through the process of #colonization and #genocide, thoroughly removed from coastal access,' Moore said. 'So for us to truly have healthful economies, healthful social structures and political systems, we need to be able to engage in our coastal ecology.'"The land, with access to the #GooseRiver, includes agricultural #fields, 140 acres of #forest, #wetlands and ponds. There are miles of riding trails through the woods, which Niweskok staff will map and decide which to maintain and whether more are needed for waterway access.
"Niweskok staff members have been preparing the soil for future planting and harvesting. Moore has been working on a 1-acre welcome garden that includes #perennials, #FruitTrees, #SweetGrass, #blueberries and other plants. Last week, she planted 70 #asparagus seedlings and 35 #rhubarb plants.
"Plans also are underway to spruce up a #farmstand where Niweskok will share #FreeProduce with neighbors.
"Moore has also been focused on working to restore the forests as #FoodForests — a process that will take years — and has started selective cutting to support existing #hazelnut groves and #BlackCherries.
"Niweskok will also create outdoor classrooms for community members to engage with the land, including demonstrations on plantings and #agroforestry techniques.
" 'An outdoor kitchen is one of our high-priority areas because so much of our time and how we want to support our community is being with our foods and outside as much as possible,' Moore said. 'Cooking over open fire is not only a way we want to engage with folks, but an important, culturally significant and really beautiful way to be together.'"Niweskok this month was awarded the #EspyHeritageAward from the #MaineCoastHeritageTrust, an annual award that recognizes those who make outstanding contributions to #LandConservation while inspiring others. It was the first time the award was given to an #Indigenous-led group.
"Angela Twitchell, director of partnerships and public policy for Maine Coast Heritage Trust, said Niweskok’s work to restore the Penobscot Bay region as a Wabanaki food hub is 'an inspiring example of how land conservation is evolving.'
"For decades starting in the 1950s, land conservation was centered on ecological and species protection and protecting lands from people and development. It has since evolved to center its work in community, Twitchell said.
" '(Niweskok’s) work embodies resilience and a deep commitment to healing and nourishing both the land and the community,' she said. 'The collaborative work between #LandTrusts and Niweskok stands as a model to be replicated.'
"Moore said the award acknowledges the leadership of Niweskok, and added that other incredible Wabanaki-led land work is happening in the region. Moore hopes the award indicates that Maine conservation groups will continue to find ways to support Wabanaki leadership in conservation.
"Having the land has been a 'beautiful invitation' for the #NonWabanaki community 'to support Wabanaki food sovereignty and be in support of our leadership in care of the land,' Moore said."Archived version:
https://archive.md/Ii0au#WabanakiConfederacy
#MaineFirstNations #LandBack #FoodSecurity #FoodSovereignty #sovereignty #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #Decolonize #SolarPunkSunday #LandStewards #stewardship #NatureEducation #Foraging #Maine #IndigenousPeoplesDay -
This is a banner season for #figs on the south island 😀
#Fruits #CommunityBuilding #FreeFruit #FreeFood #LifecyclesProject #Grassroots #nonprofit #FoodSecurity #ViewRoyal #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #stewardship #CommunityPark #CommunityOrchard #orchard #WellandCommunityOrchard
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Some of the many different #fruits & #vegetables that we grow at #WellandCommunityOrchard 😀
#CommunityBuilding #CommunityWork #LifecyclesProject #Grassroots #nonprofit #FoodSecurity #ViewRoyal #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #stewardship #CommunityPark #apples #plums #peas #tomatoes #CommunityOrchard #orchard #FoodGarden #GrowingFood #FruitTrees #FoodPlants #FeedCommunity #FreeFood #orchard
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Baby #hazelnuts growing. There's a few different hazelnut cultivars that are grown at #WellandCommunityOrchard.
#FoodSecurity #CommunityBuilding #GrowFood #CommunityWork #LifecyclesProject #Grassroots #nonprofit #Food #nuts #ViewRoyal #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #stewardship #CommunityPark #CommunityOrchard #orchard
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Whether you are a regular park visitor, or have never heard of #WellandCommunityOrchard before, come out and explore with a guided 1 hour #tour of this incredible community resource. Learn about some of the 100 + heritage apple varieties planted in the orchard, as well as some fruit trees you may have never heard of before such as Plout and Medlar! Plus learn about some of the interesting features on site including rainwater collection, pollinator habitat and native plant gardens.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/welland-orchard-tour-tickets-1133517805269?aff=oddtdtcreator
#GuidedTours of the #CommunityOrchard is by public donation with all funds going back into orchard needs/upkeep/stewardship. We are grassroots nonprofit.
The tour will be followed by a Welland Orchard Work Party from 1pm-3pm. If you plan to attend both, feel free to bring a lunch and enjoy a picnic in the orchard. For more information about the work party or to sign up, please visit the Gleaning Hub at https://gleaning.lifecyclesproject.ca
#CommunityBuilding #CommunityWork #LifecyclesProject #Grassroots #nonprofit #FoodSecurity #ViewRoyal #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #stewardship #CommunityPark #CommunityOrchard #orchard #educational #FruitTrees
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Come on out & #volunteer for fun #signmaking at #WellandCommunityOrchard with me & others!
There's 2 days for new signs making work to be done. I'll be there on both days 😊Monday, July 21st, 10am-12pm.
Sunday, July 27th, 1pm-3pm.
Join in as we start on a new project of creating some beautiful and engaging #signage in the orchard. Together we will be working on sanding, painting and varnishing wooden signs to label each fruit tree in the orchard! Artistic skills are welcome but not required.You can register for all volunteer shifts on the Gleaning Hub:
https://gleaning.lifecyclesproject.ca/index.phpThe Monday sign making #workparty is followed with an afternoon orchard work party - we need help with pruning fruit trees, weeding & general orchard care duties.
#HelpersWanted #Volunteering #CommunityBuilding #CommunityWork #LifecyclesProject #Grassroots #nonprofit #FoodSecurity #ViewRoyal #Saanich #VictoriaBC #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #stewardship #CommunityPark #CommunityOrchard #orchard #MakeSigns
#Contribute #VolunteersWanted #LendAHand #NoExperienceNeeded #HelpingHands #VolunteersCall -
Returning land to tribes is a step towards justice and #sustainability, say #Wabanaki, #EnvironmentalActivists
by Emily Weyrauch, December 1, 2020
"Last month, the Elliotsville Foundation gave back 735 acres to the #PenobscotNation, a parcel of land that connects two Penobscot-held land plots. While this return of land is a significant milestone in terms of the work of conservation groups in Maine, it also reflects a larger shift in thinking about land ownership, from property and caretaking toward #IndigenousStewardship.
"Before European settlers arrived, the land in Maine was stewarded by the Wabanaki people—a confederacy of five nations including Penobscot, #Passamaquoddy, #Maliseet, #Mikmaq and #Abenaki.
"Early treaties between Indigenous tribes and settlers were signed, but not upheld. Early Maine court cases set the precedent for #LandTheft. The state legally prohibited treaty obligations from being published in its constitution. Ever since the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, the state government has significantly limited tribes’ sovereignty and access to ancestral lands. Now, the Maine legislature is preparing to take up a bill that would make 22 law changes to the 1980 act to promote Wabanaki sovereignty and correct the impacts of the 40-year-old piece of legislation that placed Wabanaki people in a separate category from other federally-recognized tribes.
"Currently, a vast majority—90 percent—of land in Maine is privately owned, unlike in states like Nevada, Utah and Idaho, where the vast majority of land is owned by the U.S. government. Less than one percent of Maine land is owned by #Wabanaki people.
"To many Indigenous people, the legacy of white-led conservation groups in Maine and nationwide represents a failure of true environmental stewardship.
"'Across the country, land conservation groups and land trusts participated in depopulating, cutting off Indigenous access to certain lands and resources,' said Dr. Darren Ranco, associate professor of Anthropology and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine.
"Dr. Ranco said that the history of environmental protection in the U.S. starts in the 19th century and focuses on two movements: conservation and preservation.
" 'On the one hand, you have people saying, ‘You want to use the public lands wisely’ — and that often led to extreme forms of exploitation through oil and gas contracts. The other side of it was, ‘Let’s just keep it wild and preserve it as-is, as a wild space,' " said Dr. Ranco, who is a member of the Penobscot Nation. 'Ironically, both of those approaches in the 19th century sought to displace Indigenous people.'
" 'A lot of the [conservation] practices in the past actually marginalized native people, and didn’t allow for their voice to be heard, and discouraged their voices,' said Suzanne Greenlaw, a #Maliseet forestry scientist and PhD student at the University of Maine.
" 'The native approach is very much in the center—we do harvest, but we harvest in a sustainable way that actually forms a relationship with the resource,” said Greenlaw, who conducts research on the sustainable harvesting of sweetgrass by Indigenous people.
"In fact, the way that Indigenous people understand land is markedly different from western ideas of ownership.
" 'The idea of private property puts us in this framing where the land, the water, and the air, and the animals, and everything else—all our relations—are meant to serve us, they are things below us, things to dominate and control and take ownership over,' said Lokotah Sanborn, a Penobscot activist.
" 'For us, it would be absurd to say ‘I own my grandmother,’ or ‘I own my cousin,’ or ‘I own my brother.’ You don’t talk about things like that. And so when we’re talking about land ownership, it’s that same idea —these are our relations, these are things that hold a lot of significance to us,' said Sanborn.
"While the planet’s Indigenous people make up less than five percent of the global population, they manage 25 percent of its land and support 80 percent of global biodiversity, research shows.
" 'We’ve been led down this path toward climate catastrophe and the extinction of millions of species, all to drive #ExtractiveIndustries,' said Sanborn. 'If we wish to reverse these things, we need to give land back into the hands of Indigenous peoples and to respect our ability to protect those lands,' said Sanborn.
"This growing recognition of Wabanaki #stewardship is part of the mission of First Light, a group that serves to connect Wabanaki people with conservation organizations who seek to expand Wabanaki access to land. Currently, 50 organizations are participating, including #MaineAudubon and #TheNatureConservancy.
"Lucas St. Clair, president of the Elliotsville Foundation, participated in First Light’s year-long educational program before fulfilling a request by #JohnBanks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, to return the 735-acre property to the Penobscot Nation. This comes four years after the foundation gave 87,500 acres of land to the federal government for the establishment of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. St. Clair said the foundation currently holds 35,000 acres of land.
" 'In the grand scheme of things, this is not a lot of land,' said St. Clair, about the foundation’s recent transfer of 735 acres. 'It was more about justice, relationship-building and awareness.'
" 'You see this move toward Indigenous knowledge and practices of management and conservation that have existed for hundreds of years, and this possibility with land conservation groups and Wabanaki people having a more central role in understanding and managing the lands is coming to the fore,' said Dr. Ranco.
"And while organizations undergo the learning and transformational processes that precede giving back land, and as the legislature and courts are taking up questions of Wabanaki sovereignty and stewardship, people are working on the ground everyday to re-imagine relationships with land.
"Alivia Moore, a Penobscot community organizer with the #EasternWoodlands #Rematriation collective, said that a crucial part of the work of expanding Indigenous access to land in Maine is recognizing and restoring the history of matriarchal Indigenous societies.
" 'To restore land to Indigenous #matriarchies is to make sure that everybody has what they need on and from the earth. There’s enough for everyone,' said Moore
"With #EasternWoodlandsRematriation, Indigenous people are growing their connections to #RegenerativeFoodSystems. Whereas cultural use agreements are more formal ways Indigenous people can access resources from the private land of people and organizations, Moore said other relationships can form and strengthen even informally.
"Years ago, a white farmer offered land to Indigenous women to use for farming to restore their connection to the land. That has been an ongoing relationship that became one of mutual exchange of information and resources, shared learning and shared meals, said Moore.
"The movement to give land back to Indigenous stewardship is not confined to a single organization, legal battle, or project. For Indigenous people—and a growing number of environmental organizations—it is a step toward justice and a sustainable future.
"'Land back is not just about righting past wrongs. The point of land back is that it’s the future, if we wish to adequately address and avoid further global devastation from climate change,' said Sanborn."
#LandBack #WabanakiConfederacy #Wabanakik #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFirstNations #Maine #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #IndigenousPeoplesDay
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#ThrowbackThursday
4 years ago, I first met this gentle giant.
It's one of the only older Western red #cedar #trees left at #W̱MÍYEŦEN #NatureSanctuary. Most of the land had been logged more than once before it was acquired for conservation & rewilding. This is a 2nd growth cedar & it is over 150 yrs old.The W̱MÍYEŦEN #Nature Sanctuary is a 42 acre protected forest and riparian area that supports biodiversity while preserving ecosystems and wildlife habitat. The tranquil natural environment, inspires an awareness of nature as teacher and essential ally.
https://wmiyetennaturesanctuary.com/
I'm a member of this local, biodiverse nature sanctuary. They mainly rely on memberships & public donations. They work with #Indigenous leaders/educators/naturalists from #Wsanec First Nations. The name was changed from the former Mary Lake Sanctuary to W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary to respect that the property is on native lands.
#Forests #TreeLovers #TreeHugger #CedarTreeOfLife #YYJ #Saanich #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #DisabledHiker #Environmentalist #NatureConservation #Stewardship
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Meanwhile, here in #Maine...
Students explore nature and sustainability with #MaineLocalLivingSchool
Kingfield Elementary School students participated in an immersive day of place-based learning, guided by the Maine Local Living School, which focuses on practical skills and ecological #stewardship, and Arbor Mountain Tree Service, exploring #sustainable forestry, acorn ecology, and bridge construction.
By Rebecca Richard, December 5, 2024
KINGFIELD — "There was a whirlwind of activity last month at Kingfield Elementary School [KES] as students immersed themselves in a day of place-based learning with Maine Local Living School and Arbor Mountain Tree Service. Tailored for each grade level, the lessons highlighted ecological connections, sustainable practices and community engagement through hands-on projects.
"The Maine Local Living School, dedicated to teaching practical skills and fostering ecological stewardship, partnered with Arbor Mountain Tree Service to guide students in exploring sustainable forestry, acorn ecology and hands-on bridge construction.
"Kindergarten and first grade students worked with Chris Knapp of Maine Local Living School to explore the seasonal abundance of acorns. 'This fall was a tremendous acorn harvest,' Knapp said, explaining how the lessons tied to the season. Students acted out the germination process of an acorn and identified oak leaves using compare-and-contrast exercises.
"Knapp also emphasized the cultural significance of acorns. 'We honored the long history of peoples for whom acorn has been and is a staple crop,' he said. The day ended with students playing a food web game, simulating predator and prey roles while gathering acorns and enjoying freshly baked acorn biscuits.
"Second and fourth grade students collaborated with Knapp on constructing a community footbridge to cross a stream in the biodiversity field at the front of the school. “The footbridge project reflects Maine Local Living School’s and KES’s shared goals to engage in project-based learning,” Knapp said.
"The students began by identifying cedar trees, prized for their rot-resistant properties and thinned over 20 saplings from a dense stand. 'Students were asked to consider which trees were the best candidates for the future forest based on crown health, upright habit, and space,' Knapp explained."
Original article:
https://www.sunjournal.com/2024/12/05/students-explore-nature-and-sustainability-with-maine-local-living-school/#SolarPunkSunday #NatureBasedLearning #TEK #KingfieldMaine #ForestEcology #MaineSchools #SustainableForestry #Acorns #ArborMountainTreeService #Sustainability #FoodForests #Biodiversity #ProtectTheForests
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#WabanakiStudies should be taught at all #MaineSchools
OpEd by Hope Carroll, December 26, 2023
"#Wabanaki history is ingrained across #Maine and has deep rooted cultural relationships with major natural landmarks that many of us see everyday. However, there is a concerning gap surrounding the important aspects of our state’s rich Wabanaki history and what little many students learn about it in Maine schools.
"Wabanaki studies need to be consistently incorporated into all Maine school districts. According to a 2022 report done by the #AbbeMuseum, the #MaineACLU, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission and the #WabanakiAlliance, the Wabanaki studies law passed by Maine in 2001 is not appropriately enforced across the state.
"The law 'requires schools to teach Maine K–12 students about Wabanaki territories, economic systems, cultural systems, governments, and political systems, as well as the Wabanaki tribes’ relationships with local, state, national, and international governments,' the report says.
"The Portland public school system recently incorporated a Wabanaki studies program into its curriculum. This will hopefully be a good example for other districts across Maine and encourage them to do the same.
"Teaching Wabanaki studies will help children gain a better understanding of the state. In time, this can help them develop a closer relationship with the #land and our responsibility to ensure that it is cared for and treated with respect.
"'Through #traditional stories representing the terrestrial and aquatic systems, important [Wabanaki] values are imparted that safeguard culturally significant resources from overuse and ensure the persistence of the people and culture,' says Natalie Michelle, interdisciplinary studies and research assistant of native environmental studies in climate change at the University of Maine.
"It is more important than ever that we look to native science as we face irreversible damage to our climate. We must prioritize implementing these ideals early into the educational careers of children so they go on to practice them throughout their lives.
"Western science and education has taught the ideals of dominance over nature for centuries. This is reflected in practices that have contributed to the #extinction of animals, rises in #NaturalDisasters, food and water shortages and the numerous other effects of #ClimateChange. Instead of connecting with #nature, we are often taught to distance ourselves from the #NaturalWorld. We are taught to use vague and nonspecific naming tools like 'it' to refer to any non-human being.
"'We use it to distance ourselves, to set others outside our circle of moral consideration, creating #hierarchies of difference that justify our actions — so we don’t feel,' says Robin Kimmerer, professor of environmental and forest biology at the State University of New York College of #EnvironmentalScience and #Forestry.
"Kimmerer talks of alternatives to using 'it' to put ourselves on the same level as other living beings, recognizing them as relatives by calling them by their name. But she says that this can be difficult for many of her students because they were not taught these alternatives until now.
"In my experience growing up in Maine and going to school, I never encountered a class focused on Wabanaki studies until college. I am grateful to have this opportunity now. But it has been difficult for me to implement these new ideals into my thinking toward the land around me because they seem so foreign.
"Using the word 'foreign' seems wrong when describing ideals that have been used in Maine since long before any of us were here. But Maine schools and communities have an opportunity to change this.
"Children who grow up in this state have the right and responsibility to know the history of the land around them. They have the right and responsibility to understand the negative implications of #colonization and #ForcedRemoval of the #WabanakiTribes and how despite horrible #historical events, the Wabanaki people have endured and developed their own #sovereign structures.
"In order to create more inclusive classrooms that incorporate all aspects of our state history and work towards building respectful relationships with Maine land, other communities should follow the exciting example being set in #PortlandMaine."
#WabanakiConfederacy #LandBack #IndigenousPeoples
#IndigenousSovereignty #ClimateCrisis #LandStewards
#Stewardship #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews -
Tribes Sue Six Oil Giants for #ClimateDeception
"These oil companies knew their products were dangerous, yet they did nothing to mitigate those dangers or warn any of us about them, for decades," said the chairwoman of the #ShoalwaterBay Indian Tribe.
Julia Conley
Dec 20, 2023"Two Indigenous tribes in #WashingtonState said Wednesday that they intend to force several oil giants 'to help pay for the high costs of surviving the catastrophe caused by the #ClimateCrisis,' as they filed lawsuits in the state's largest trial court.
"The #Makah Indian Tribe and Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe filed two separate complaints in King County Superior Court against #ExxonMobil, #Shell, #Chevron, #BP, #ConocoPhillips, and #Phillips66, saying the defendants must be held 'accountable for their deceptive and unfair conduct, and pay for the damage their deceptive conduct has caused and will cause for decades to come.'
"The lawsuits—among dozens filed against #BigOil since 2017—detail the extent to which the companies have long known that their fossil fuel extraction would drive planetary heating and the resulting #SeaLevelRise, #ExtremeWeather, #PublicHealth crises, and other impacts of the climate crisis, which now costs the U.S. roughly $150 billion per year just in damages from #hurricanes and other weather disasters.
"'We are seeing the effects of the climate crisis on our people, our land, and our resources. The costs and consequences to us are overwhelming,' said Timothy Greene Sr., chairman of the Makah Tribal Council. 'We intend to hold these companies accountable for hiding the truth about climate change and the effects of burning fossil fuels.'"
https://www.commondreams.org/news/tribes-sue-oil-companies
#ExxonLied #BigOilLied #Lawsuits #IndigenousPeoples #ClimateCrisis #LandStewards #Stewardship #IndigenousNews
#NativeAmericanNews -
Hoopa Valley Tribe Acquires 10,395 Acres Bordering the Western Boundary of their Reservation.
Friday, 22 December 2023
“'#California #NativeAmerican tribes are leading the way conserving California’s lands for future generations,' said California Natural Resources Agency Secretary #WadeCrowfoot. 'We are proud to support this leadership and help to enable the return of #HupaMountain property to the #HoopaValleyTribe. Ancestral land return like this is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do as tribal communities have cared for these lands since time immemorial.'"
#LandBack #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousSovereignty #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #LandStewards #Stewardship #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews
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@richard Noam Chomsky on John Dewey simply expressing, in a couple of minutes, the necessity for educational experiences to follow the natural leads of children: this is what has to happen ASAP or, sadly, after things have been destroyed. https://visionon.tv/w/3383b055-fd14-4fda-9fab-9818db8f97df #NoamChomky #JohnDewey #capitalism #climate #ExtinctionRebellion #education #earlychildhood #stewardship #play #PublicInvestment #trending