There's something to be said for looking more closely, at the esoteric, beliefs, motivations, and at the physical realities of our world. It gives us perspective and context. Growing up, my dad would put flowers and other things in front of me, encouraging me to look at them, noticing the shadows, light and textures so that I could draw them. My birds started off looking like lower case little 'm's in the sky but eventually became recognizable as that which I was trying to represent.
My dad also brought our family camping and to Ontario's "cottage country," so that we could enjoy nature. He and I would go looking for frogs at the lake, listen for the call of the loons, and walk in what I considered a land of wonder in places like Algonquin Park. Though I lost him as a teen, he was the one who taught me the importance of looking more closely, and of the incomparable feeling that comes of connecting with a natural environment.
Inspired by those childhood moments that grew into decades of love of the wild, I've partnered with Chantal and the Bowen Island Conservancy on our Biodiversity Project. Our team was prompted to take action to try and get more people to look, to see the value in the web of life in which we are inextricably linked, particularly on our small island.
Part of our rationale is this :
Increasingly, people are commenting about how it “used to be,” here on Bowen. People are noticing population shifts, from a loss of Resident Orcas and their prey, the Chinook Salmon, along with more localized populations of species seem to be missing in action, from Flying Squirrels to toads, to grouse, frogs, salamanders and even robins. With a shifting baseline where “normal” is a depleted list of local species of animals and plants, we decided that a fun community challenge would be a great way to get more people more knowledgeable about the species that are still here today.
With more knowledge comes understanding about our impact on the natural world and how we can be more conscientious, and caring about our role in the loss or survival of our local species.
As for this blog, it's something new for me as I'm a fairly private person. I'll try to make it interesting, funny and not at all preachy from here on in. I'll let you know what our team is up to and maybe reflect on some of wonders of the island. I hope you will be patient with me as I find my blogging voice. - Louise
Comments