Wild Blog
We Are Our History
As we reflect on the recent election and look forward, to the next 4 years and beyond, any question of the economy, environment or justice must consider a historical perspective.
No More False Dichotomies
One of my take-aways from the recent election is that people voted for the economy, the environment, and social justice; but not necessarily at the same time. Whether it is on twitter or a brief quote on the evening news, our public dialogue is so often reduced down to one-liners that can’t possibly convey the complexity of the moment.
Club 400 – The Plio(s)cene
In the early 1980’s, Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan was the place to be, at night, for fun, with the coolest of the cool people. I never made it there myself, and chances are you didn’t either. But we have all made it into Club 400 where uninvited, and in some cases unearned, memberships have been granted to all 7 billion of us. Membership is effectively permanent and its perks are not restricted to evenings, they will be with us all the time.
B.C. Needs Leadership And Vision To Keep It Beautiful
Underlying the pipeline and tanker debates in this election is the question of whether we as a province want wild salmon, resilient communities and sustainable jobs for our children, or whether we want to leave a legacy of oil spills and rising seas. In other words, will we elect a government that will take responsibility to do something about climate change?
Band-aids for a tree: plants, education, and Port Renfrew
B.C.’s coastal temperate rainforest, a breath-taking ecological gem left in-tact on the planet, is home to thousands of non-timber forest products. Kristen and Meg brought our acclaimed Going Wild program to Port Renfrew Elementary, located on the west coast of southern Vancouver Island. Read about their experience!
Escape to the Grove
The woods aren’t quiet. There’s the steady drip of rain down to the floor, the squelching of our boots, the rustle of rain pants, the occasional bird song. But I am quiet, breathing in the moist-smelling air, trying to store it all up so that I can call on this feeling once I leave the grove.
The 2013 Beach Clean-up: Thanks from Sierra Quadra
Our 16th Annual Beach Clean-up was another marvellous success. Once again, we thank the many Islanders who scoured our beaches for unwanted detritus — mostly plastics — and did a super job of bagging it, bringing it to the designated collections points so it could be loaded on pickup trucks and then transferred to larger trucks for disposal.
From Backyards to Balconies: Get some dirt under your nails, and grow your own grub!
Not everyone is lucky enough to have the backyard space to start a vegetable garden of their own, but that certainly doesn’t mean opportunities for home-grown goods end there
A Journey Through Environmental Education: A SCBC Perspective
A retrospective look at SCBC’s environmental education programming throughout the years and the relationship of enriching an environmental ethic.
Under the old sequoia: Celebrating 15 years of environmental education
Thanks to everyone who came out our Education Team's 15th birthday party at Creatively United for the Planet.
Deeply Rooted and Branching out to Social Media
Sierra Club BC's education team is now up on social media!
Which bridge to what energy future?
In the spirit of clarity, let’s call natural gas, fracked or otherwise, what it mostly is – methane. What should we know about this hydrocarbon?
Oily Sandstone
The ocean-carved sandstone cliffs and rocky outcrops along Gulf Island shores have been a favourite of mine since I clambered on them as a kid.
Urban Planning with Wildlife in Mind
Here in the Okanagan over the past 20 years we have seen unprecedented population growth and commercial, residential and resort development with very little community planning until recently. Most of the growth was developer-driven with little consideration for the overall environment. Many developers put great effort into the localized small scale environment, but that does not meet the needs for the health of complete wildlife habitats or ecosystems.
Three Important Numbers: Why Old-growth Forests Matter
On March 16 Jens Wieting spoke at the rally for ancient forests and sustainable forestry in Victoria, organized by the Ancient Forest Alliance. He spoke about three important numbers: 10, 300 and ...read on to find the third number!
The Invisible Issue: Climate in B.C. Politics
If it is true that the secret of embedding awareness lies in message repetition, then the message that ongoing global warming from climate change holds dire consequences for the Earth and life has clearly not been heard often enough.
Road Trippin' for Education
The Sierra Club BC education team recently returned from a trip to Courtenay and Powell River - a jam-packed two weeks of delivering education programs!
Grasping at Gas
Over the years, I’ve sat through a number of Speeches from the Throne in the B.C. Legislature visitor gallery. It’s hard to believe that, only six years ago, the 2007 throne speech focused on global warming.
Over 100 scientists gather in Victoria
The Education Team at Sierra Club BC is not unaccustomed to creative requests. Last week was no exception.
Hartley Bay and the Human Cost of the Pipeline
We have heard plenty about the damage that an oil spill can inflict on the environment, whether from a sinking tanker or a ruptured pipeline. But what about the impact on human health? To find out more, I asked Theresa Martin, who recently returned from a stint in Hartley Bay. Theresa, a member of Sierra Club BC's local group in the Lower Mainland, was working there as a community nurse.
