© Lora Denis
The former mayor of Toronto, David Crombie, once gave me invaluable insight about how we view nature. He said, “We look at green spaces and nature as places with potential. Potential for housing, potential for strip malls, potential for highways – not as if they already have a purpose. We need to recognize they aren’t ...
February 24, 2021–Anne Bell
Indigenous Relations•Land-use planning•Stewardship and restoration•Water•Wetlands
Lake Simcoe © Nico CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan is now up for its required 10-year review. The question is whether the provincial government will take this opportunity to strengthen or weaken the plan – or do anything at all. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks has not revealed its intentions. Rather than proposing specific amendments for consideration, ...
Gratitude. Relationship. Reciprocity. These are words that often emerge in conversations with Indigenous colleagues. They point to a far more just and caring way of living with each other and the natural world than prevailing settler concepts like “resource” and “land use.” This World Wetlands Day, let’s take a moment to reflect on our relationships ...
Junction Creek 3-D Watershed model © Junction Creek Stewardship Committee
Everyone lives in a watershed and has an impact on the health of local streams, rivers and lakes. The Junction Creek Stewardship Committee is helping students and citizens of Greater Sudbury understand how contaminants enter their waterways, and are sparking discussion about what residents can do to have a more positive impact on their watershed. ...
Laurel Creek Conservation Area © Carl Hiebert / Grand River Conservation Authority