EcoWest News, January 31, 2023
Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.
Across the West
The Gitanyow land use plan, signed a decade ago provides clarity and stability, proving that conservation and industry can coexist. [The Narwhal]
A temperate rainforest in southeastern BC, home to rare lichens and old-growth trees, will be protected and will increase important habitat for wide-ranging animals. [CBC]
Protecting natural areas in an urban setting is always a challenge due to encroaching roads and housing developments. The Northeast Swale Watchers share their vision of how the City of Saskatoon can fulfill its goal of living in harmony with nature and ask for public support at a critical moment for protecting the Swale’s future. [Northeast Swale Watchers]
Community organizations in Winnipeg can now apply for up to $20,000 in grant money to plant trees with preference given to underserved areas and those with higher poverty. [CBC]
Establishing a marine protected area in Hudson Bay would protect beluga whales, polar bears, seals, and millions of sea birds. [CPAWS-MB]
Across Canada
A community in Toronto is supporting residents who want to retrofit their homes. [CBC]
Agriculture Canada is shifting its scientific priorities to focus on sustainable agriculture and climate change rather than productivity. [The Western Producer]
Around the World
Urban microrewilding projects provide a lifeline for nature “creating a mosaic of habitats for species across the country”. [The Revelator]
Architects and planners can play a role in addressing the problem of food waste by focusing on food conservation, e.g. neighbourhood stores to eliminate shopping in bulk and collective kitchens. [Mold]
If we want to save an area that we value for its natural beauty and biodiversity, is the solution to buy it? Residents of Brockley in southeast London, UK, held cake sales, fundraising concerts, sponsored walks, and plays to save a patch of ancient woodland from developers. [The Guardian]
Video game developers are attempting to educate players on the dangers of the climate crisis while stretching perceptions of what is possible in response to it. [The Guardian]
Youngwilders, a UK-based non-profit, pairs landowners with young people to “facilitate youth-led nature recovery.” [Rewilding]
On the Bookshelf
Four-Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All by Douglas Chadwick illustrates the interconnectedness of nature, advocating that a path toward conservation begins with how we see our own place in the world.
A Pipeline Runs Through It: The Story of Oil from Ancient Times to the First World War, Keith Fisher provides an in-depth look at the social, economic, political, and geopolitical forces involved in our transition to the modern oil age.
Nature’s Wonders
Plan your nights out for the coming year around these celestial events. [Smithsonian Magazine]
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/52654622109/
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 Twitter, or subscribe by email.