We profile local community leaders and post book reviews on a weekly basis on social media, along with excerpts from Nature Companion, our nature app/website. Once a month we repost these items on our website for those of you who may not be active on social media.
Community Leaders
British Columbia: Cooking classes and interactive games help EcoCook participants gain new skills and practical tips for climate action. There’s an after-school program for grades 4-7 in Vancouver and Kelowna and a school program for grades 8-12 in Calgary and Vancouver.
Manitoba: Brandon’s Assiniboine Food Forest has 3 aims: regenerate and conserve biodiverse ecosystems, produce healthy food sustainably for humans and wildlife, and connect students of all ages with a thriving natural landscape. They held maple syrup tours on April 6 and hope to undertake a pond and wetland restoration.
Manitoba: Residents on one street in Winnipeg were tired of losing their elms to Dutch Elm Disease. They raised enough money to inoculate 7 trees, protecting the trees for the next 3 years.
Saskatchewan: The Saskatchewan Environmental Society hosts a monthly speaker series in conjunction with the Saskatoon Public Library. Harold Orr, a pioneer in energy-efficient construction, spoke in April. The May 13 presentation is on the viability of heat pumps in Saskatchewan.
Alberta: Green Exodus employs a variety of different practices to realign with the earth, including meditation, poetry, land acknowledgment, land embodiment, contemplative photography, deep time walk, community conversations and hospitality. They’re hosting a haiku festival in celebration of earth and poetry on May 6, 14, and 31.
Books
In Journeys to the Nearby, Elspeth Bradbury slows down and explores her garden, standing motionless while a hummingbird feeds, tasting a magnolia petal, and sending a maple helicopter twirling through the air.
Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution, Menno Schilthuizen: “Human actions are the world’s single most influential ecological force… So what does nature do when it meets challenges and opportunities? It evolves.” Crows use traffic to crack nuts, lizards’ feet are evolving to better grip surfaces like concrete.
Good Nature: Why Seeing, Smelling, Hearing, and Touching Plants is Good for Our Health, Kathy Willis: “I wanted to know what actually happens in our brains, to our hormones and to our immune, respiratory and cardiovascular systems when we interact with plants – and which senses are triggered to bring about these reactions. I also wanted to know the best way to interact with plants both outdoors and indoors to gain the maximum physiological and psychological health benefits.”
60 Years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year uncovers the striking beauty of animals, plants, and landscapes across the globe, and also reveals the artistry behind successful wildlife photography, which involves patience, instinct, and an understanding of animal behaviour to get the perfect shot.
Nature Companion
Wasps and flies obtain nectar from the clusters of small pinkish-purple flowers circling the stems of wild mint. (Nature Companion is a free app/website introducing many of the plants and animals found in Canada’s four western provinces.)
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/17464143866/
EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.