growslow

[growslow]

As a child I spent summers playing and exploring the banks of the Red River in Shreveport, Louisiana. I heard stories of the landscape from my grandmother when she was a child. How the river shifted and changed. In the 1990s I rode the rolling hills of white sand that made up the banks into the river. As time passed, the banks of the river eroded and the white sand of my youth evolved into clay covered in thick vegetation. I no longer ventured to the banks for the thrill of a ride, but instead, sought exploration and adventure in new and seemingly unknown territory. I experienced the intertwining of the natural evolution of the space coupled with personal human impact.

I am reminded of this evolution as an adult Environmental Educator and Communicator as I wonder how we as a species, in community with all other non-human species, can create resiliency as we adapt to wetland degradation in southern Louisiana. As earthly beings we have arrived at a multi level social-ecological boundary threshold.

In an era of rising sea levels, coastal ecosystems and urban centres are on the tipping point of drastic ecological and social change. One of the critical boundary thresholds in the southern United States is the deterioration of sensitive wetlands connecting the Gulf of Mexico and southern coast of Louisiana.

Wetlands provide unique habitats for diverse species, opportunities for economic activity, and a space for residents to cultivate a sense of place. They exists as dynamic social and ecological systems as humans and non-human species rely on wetland habitat to meet the basic needs of life: shelter, food, water, and air. As such, the stability and resilience of the wetland social-ecological system becomes a crucial factor to all human and non-human species.

One beneficial approach to observing the system is through the cyclical lens of panarchy. Berkes & Ross (2016) state, “panarchy ideas can be applied to social-ecological systems, human-environment systems in which the social (human) and ecological (biophysical) subsystems are considered together” (p. 186). Panarchy is used to describe multi-level systems with adaptive qualities that give into the cyclical patterns of highs and lows, long/slow, and short/fast (Berkes & Ross 2016 p. 187).  To follow along on the shifting and reoccurring patterns within a panarchy model, an indicator such as wetland disappearance and wetland remediation can be used to track the system.

Photo: (Berkes & Ross 2016 p. 187)

Three contributing factors to wetland disappearance are climate change (rising sea levels and more intense storms), disruption of oil and gas dredging for laying pipeline, and the natural shift of the Mississippi river. As these three factors threaten the current social-ecological systems in place, there are various actions that can be taken to slow the process of change. As the panarchy model suggest the problem spans many levels and requires action from local, regional, state, national, and international arenas. Actions such as government policy to change the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere, a stop to oil and gas pipeline laid in coastal LA, and continual local efforts to remediate the environment and regrow wetland ecosystems.

However, as the ecosystem continues to change due to human and natural factors, human and non-human species must themselves be adaptable and prepared for a changing environment. Reflecting on the changing ecosystems we have all experienced and drawing on knowledge from an indigenous perspective, “resilience usually does not involve simply springing back to a pervious state but is a dynamic process of adjustment, adaptation, and transformation in response to challenges and demands” (p. 84). As changing ecosystems surround us on all levels, it is in our best interest to look towards the past and appreciate knowledge from local elders who have witnessed change, as well as harness our resiliency in preparation for either long/slow or short/fast shifts in our social-ecological systems. The only environmental history we have all experienced and can rely upon is the history of cyclical nature of change.

References

Berkes, F. and Ross, H. (2016). Panarchy and community resilience: Sustainability science and policy implications. Environmental Science and Policy, 61, 185-193.

Kirmayer, Laurence J, MD; Dandeneau, Stéphane, PhD; Marshall, Elizabeth, BA; Phillips, Morgan Kahent. (2011) Re-thinking resilience from indigenous perspectives. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(2), 84-91.

[growslow]

One evening our Environmental Education and Communication class met with Dr. Hillary Leighton for an introduction to Ecopsychology. Hillary was kind and gentle as she led us through an understanding of “world-soul-knowing.”

The first exercise was to sit with a tree. To understand our connection as “earth walking in the human conscious form.” She outlined three steps:

1) ask permission

2) ask, who are you?

3) say thank you for sharing time and space

I walked to a quiet place. My eyes fell on a large Douglas Fir. I carefully, slowly walked towards the tree.

I asked, “may I sit beside you.”

As I received permission I asked, who are you?

I listened. I heard.

I am a home, I am a nest for many creatures, I am fragrant, I am covered in spider webs, I hold the soil, my needles litter the ground, I am a member of the forest, I hurt, I have cuts and holes, I am exposed, I have seen death, I am stuck, I am shelter, I am stable and strong, I am a friend, I am a protector.

The words sank into my mind. I touched the tree, ran my fingers across its bark, walked around and observed each unique side.

I said thank you.

When we returned to the group, Hillary asked us to share our experiences in small groups. I appreciated the raw, honest reflections of my classmates. She then prompted us with three statements to share with our group members:

1) To be alive at this time of global crisis what is particularly hard to me is . . .

2) What I appreciate about living at this time is . . .

3) As I look at my life some of the ways that I take part in a more sustainable/healing world are . . .

Through these statements, Carol, Duke and I were better able to understand one another and audibly reflect on why we are enrolled in the MAEEC program. Hillary left us with a quote from Mary Oliver:

What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

I left the evening feeling grateful. Grateful for Elin Kelsey giving us the opportunity to connect with Hillary and to be exposed to the world of ecopsychology.

I left inspired. Inspiration that brought on the following picture and poem:          

Tree in the forest

has fallen down

hundreds of years of growing

now laid across the ground

built strength as it stretched

up to the sky

now it exists for all to see

to remember the years before

and will come to be

don’t be afraid to fall as I

for strength exists even after we die

The tree inspired the poem because even though it has fallen, it still has the appearance of life, of strength. Ecopsychology has provided me a space to being contemplating death through a peaceful, natural frame. Being on Vancouver Island with trees nearly 1000 years old has provided the venue. People have provided the support. I am grateful for the experience and look forward to practicing a new kind of listening.

[growslow]

In the last week of the Environmental Communication class, there were two inspirational guest speakers. Dr. Enid Elliot discussed Nature Kindergarten in Victoria and Paul Allison touched on self care as the Supervisor of Grounds and Gardens at Royal Roads University. 

Each lecture made a case for the importance of connection to nature in our lives. As an observer, I synthesized that no matter a person’s age, contact with nature is beneficial emotional, mentally, spiritually, and physically. 

Enid’s focus is on young people. Just a short walk through a gate, the kindergarteners have a forest for a classroom. Emergent curriculum is the philosophy of the class, allowing the students to explore based on what the forest provides. In the Bateman Lecture below, Enid describes in more details the flow of the program.  

Her guest appearance came during our communicating the value of time spent in nature unit. After she related the structure of the program, Enid lead our class on a walk to one of the site the students regularly visit. Branches stacked in neat rows and bark piles created by the children invited one to imagine the emerging ideas created in the forest. We sat with Enid and reflected on what we considered as the benefits of Nature Kindergarten.

To me, one of the benefits of an open, free space for children to explore is reimagining the capabilities of a young person for adults. So often we are quick to underestimate the competencies of young people. 

Another reflections is what Enid describes as the “full body learner.” Nature is a place for children to be completely immersed sensually - eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands- to the extent that their whole body feels a connection to the earth.  

Paul’s experience is based in Horticultural Therapy. Sharing the gift of plants with the mentally challenged, elders, and patience with Alzheimer’s disease, Pauls acts as a Garden Maker and Nature Connector. Below is a video dedicated to the critical research Paul has conducted with the benefits of people plant connection.

Currently, he is sharing his love of the garden with graduate students in the Leadership and MBA programs. Thanks to our open space existing professor Dr. Elin Kelsey, he gave our MAEEEC cohort a taste of his tour. We met with Paul in our self-care and community care in environmental communications unit. 

He set the stage for our journey as he defined the etymology of entrance- to put in a trance. Immediately, the magic in The Secret Garden came to mind. Just like the children in the book, I could feel the difference instantaneously as we moved through the gates. A sense of magic hung in the air. Sight, smell, sound and touch became heightened as calmness came over my body and mind. Paul kindly related his experiences helping people to reconnect to the natural world through a garden space. 

Both Enid and Paul emphasize, when spending time outside in the natural world, learning is equally distributed between the teacher and the student. Inherently reciprocal, learning moves in both directions. There is no hierarchy in natural learning spaces, only communal sharing. 

As learners in Elin’s Environmental Communication course, many classes were held outside in the green spaces on Royal Roads campus. Reflecting on the time spent with Elin and my cohort, I realize this is the learning experience we were having all along amongst ourselves. Each class carefully crafted for all members to have an opportunity to express themselves and work through ideas. Instead of sitting in rows, we sat in circles. Instead of being lectured to, we shared our personal experiences in relation to the material. What a wonderful gift it is to learn about the process from two stimulating, proficient guest speakers, only to realize you have been a part of the experience the whole time. 

[growslow]

As an Educator at TELUS Spark in Calgary, Alberta, I facilitate student experiences through inquiry based education. I am thankful that in the MAEEC program, Dr. Elin Kelsey and Dr. Mitch Thomashow have used this framework to explore various topics, concepts, and learning theories.

 It is beneficial to experience this kind of teaching as a student. Pervious to this experience, my only exposure was training and professional development. Now, I have a reference point. I witnessed the tension that can arise from within oneself and in a group of dynamic learners. In Environmental Communication, two of my most memorable classes were open space and appreciative inquiry. 

In open space, developed by Harrison Owen, there are four principles and one law. 

Four principles:

1) Whenever it starts, it starts

2) Whenever it’s over, it’s over

3) Whoever comes is the right person

4) Whatever happens is the only thing that can happen

One law: The Law of Two Feet

If at anytime you are not engaged, you are obligated to move to a place where you are engaged.

By following these principles and laws we create a space to openly talk, record, self manage, engage in a meaningful way as a collective, and ask questions. 

Appreciative inquiry creates a space to analyze a question or idea and generate information. In the class our prompt was: Tell me about a time when you made the impossible possible. Without being humble, what were the single most important qualities you - and perhaps others- contributed to making it happen? Describe one thing you really want to learn and something you could teach others about engaging with others to make the impossible possible. 

We moved into small groups. One of the bases of appreciative inquiry is the interviewer listens. He/she does not interrupt or digress.

I had the pleasure of listening to Britt and Travis. Some of the words that came out of this experience were: pushing, giving, leadership, effort, put self aside, positive outlook, humour, empower, active and passive, activism, persistence, collaboration, skills, support, dream. 

Following each of these experiences was a time to debrief. To explore any emotions or thoughts that arose while engaging in open dialogue with our peers. I reflect on these moments I encourage as an educator. I consider how I can improve as a teacher. 

As I return to Spark in September, I am excited to understand, on a deeper level, the various experiences students have in an inquiry based educational setting.

[growslow]

I greatly appreciate being assigned the article Indigenizing Media with Kim Wheeler. http://uniter.ca/view/indigenizing-media-with-kim-wheeler

Wheeler makes a powerful point when she says,

“The most important issue is being able to tell our stories our way without non-Indigenous gatekeepers filtering our voice.”

As a Métis, I have witnessed, in my family, the incredible pain that can inhibit a person from finding their true voice. Shying away due to shame inflicted by the dominant culture. One of the most beneficial gifts that a person can receive is ability to tell their own stories.

In my first residency at Royal Roads University, the professors have provided space for students to tell there own stories without censorship. To me, education is so much more than facts. There is a dominant social factor that begins to breath and take on a life of its own when stories are allowed to be shared. Sharing the highs, lows, and in-betweens of life bring lessons alive and encourage people to be present.

I am grateful for taking Environmental Communication with Dr. Elin Kelsey. After six years of being in the workforce, it is exciting to find my voice as an adult. Elin provided fun, safe ways to experiment as we refine our own forms of self-expression. Looking towards the future, I will grant myself the space to develop confidence to tell my own stories.

As a woman, I found Elin’s class and Kim’s article empowering. It is amazing to see diversity beginning to push through the cracks like a growing tree that can no longer be held back by cement. Women are a part of this growth. I am so thankful for the professional women in my life. Countless role models, mentors, and friends that I hope one day I will be able to find a way to thank.

This is only the beginning. I am grateful to have another year to look forward to personal growth. 

[growslow]

It is pleasure to learn under giant cedar trees, laying on the grass in the sunshine, or taking a walk through the forest. As all of my senses are consumed by the natural world around me, I focus in on the conversation at hand, the lesson being taught. I find examining leaves or break sticks to be helpful in absorbing what is being said around me. Upon reflection, I realize, I am not inclined to look at my cellphone.  

When in a classroom, however, the urge to mindlessly check my email grabs a hold of me.  I wonder if it has anything to do with being a millennial. As a child, as technology became a part of my life, it was always connected to a wall. There was no way to bring it outside.

For me, the outdoor world has always existed as a place of solitude. The article How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing makes two points that resonate:

“Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings.

In one study in Mind, 95% of those interviewed said their mood improved after spending time outside, changing from depressed, stressed, and anxious to more calm and balanced.”

As I learn outside, fear, anxiety, and stress are reduced against the backdrop of the natural world. I hope to continue to learn outside and conduct more of my own classes in the outdoor classroom. I am excited to return to work at Spark as a new outdoor program will begin in September. As I move through graduate school I want to develop a thesis topic which will allow me to spend as much time outside as possible. And finally, I hope upon completing the MAEEC program that I secure a job where I can spend the rest of my life outside with the birds, bees, flowers, and trees. And just maybe one day, like Jewel Akens sings, I will have a partner who will have the same vision of love.

[growslow]

As a Louisiana native, the title “David Suzuki compares oilsands defenders to slave traders: ‘It’s a moral issue’” published in the National Post immediately caught my attention.

In the article, Suzuki draws correlations between what is happening in the present time- people choosing economic gains in oil and gas over the health of the planet- to what happened in the American South- people chose economic gains of plantations over people’s health, meaning the freedom from slavery. In both instances the connection is that “it is a moral issue . . . not an economic issue” (Suzuki).

Although it is uncomfortable to talk about, I agree.

It is beyond my scope to understand how people can put money over the health of fellow humans beings and the planet at large. Is capitalism to blame? The emphasis on the ‘individual.’ Attached garages creating environments where we never see our neighbours?  Headphones? Smartphones? Luxurious vacations? Delicious food paired with even better wine? Fashion? The list goes on and, I have to admit, I like most of the items listed.

But to what end?

That is the question we must all ask ourselves.

To the end of the Earth? It took a war to end slavery. What will it take to move our dominant system away from oil and gas? It seems the economic crisis we are in right now has at least started the conversation. 

To learn more about The Blue Dot campaign, check out the website: http://bluedot.ca/

[growslow]

On July 30, 2016 I attended the Walbran Valley Convergence. The weekend festivities were held in the Upper Walbran Valley old growth forest on Vancouver Island to celebrate 25 years of activism to save a group of spectacular trees. 

In previous years, physical presence was the main source of support. Blockades, protests, and any creative measure imaginable was used to send a message to logging companies and the BC government that people of Vancouver Island wanted the area preserved. 

Upper Walbran Valley- Recent Old-Growth Logging. Photo by TJ Watt

In the early 1990s, the protest proved to be successful and the BC government created the Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park. Unfortunately, as the map below shows, the government left out a crucial part of forest when drawing the boundary lines. 

Map sourced from the Ancient Forest Alliance.

Fast forward to 2016. The same group of activists, along with a new generation of passionate naturalists, have taken advantage of the development of social media to continue to spread their message.

A ‘transmedia’ campaign has emerged. In the following video, Henry Jenkins describes what transmedia means. 

“In a transmedia project the story or experience is spread across a variety of media platforms. Not in a way that is redundant, but rather in a way that is complimentary so that each platform contributes what it does best.”

-Henry Jenkins

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Organization websites, Youtube, phone calls, emails, petitions, public gatherings, and potentially many more avenues are actively being utilized to share the word: save the Upper Walbran Valley from logging. Social media allows for an immense group of people to show support by using hashtags, twitting government officials, and sharing personal photos. 

The exciting part is, it is working. 

Activists are not the only ones speaking out anymore. At the Walbran Convergence, a member of the West Coast Chamber of Commerce was one of the many diverse speakers who attended the event. It appears keeping the last of the old growth forest intact can be a strategic economic move.

What makes a transmedia campaign effective is that you can participate, too. Take a trip to the area and absorb the breathtaking trees. Take photos and share them. Or you can simply make a phone call. On the first Wednesday of every month, the Wilderness Committee organizes Walbran Wednesday. Follow the link on Tuesday night to see who is the August target. 

https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/event/walbran_wednesday_phone_blitz_2

We live in an amazing age of communication. It is inspiring to people use it in a positive way. 

Castle Giant. Photo by TJ Watt.

[growslow]

Is big inherently bad?

What are the impacts when a big corporation, which advertises good values, commitment to community, social responsibility, and care of employees, buys an organic farm? Here, I do not say small, organic farm because the farm in this case, Earthbound, moved from a small operation into a national one before its purchase. 

In 2013 Earthbound Farm http://www.earthboundfarm.com/ was purchased by Whitewave Foods http://www.whitewave.com/. The story, covered by Reuters, can be found in this following link: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-whitewavefoods-acquisition-idUSBRE9B80DQ20131209.

Before the 2000s, organic produce was not a lucrative business. The market was controlled by small farms and sourced to local buyers. As organic food grew in popularity, companies realized, and continue to realize, the economic potential. 

Whitewave advertised that there will be no disturbance in the way Earthbound operates and a commitment to environmentally sustainable practices. 

However, can supporting a large corporation be environmentally sustainable? What about all of the energy needed to move goods across the United States and internationally? What about all of the plastic waste that is generated? What about the local farmers the company is competing against? Who is ensuring the company is following the values it advertises?

One skeptical opinion of the purchase can be found in the following article: http://www.thealternativedaily.com/whitewave-food-buy-earthbound-farms-anti-gmo-labelling/. The Alternative Daily points out that the past CEO of Dean Foods, which created Whitewave, in now the CEO of Whitewave. This is pertinent information because Dean Foods has a history of fighting against the labelling of GMO products. What does having a leader whose values are in conflict with the companies mean for Earthbound? Will Whitewave lobby for more chemicals to be approved as ‘organic’? Will they one day be selling GMO lettuce? If they take the ‘organic’ label off of their package will consumers stop buying the product or will the brand be strong enough that consumers do not even notice?

I pose this question knowing the answer is a complicated maze. Access to goods, transparency of companies, and consumer demand all influence the products put on grocery store shelves. 

These are questions I think about often as I work in the produce department of Community Natural Foods. I do not pretend to have the answers, I simply want the conversation to continue.  My best advice is to inform yourself as much as possible and understand that every dollars spent is a vote.

If you are interested in a similar story, check out The New York Times article which covers the purchase of Burt’s Bees by Clorox: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/business/06bees.html?_r=0.

[growslow]

open window world

[growslow]

sitting at the piano

I glance out the window

snowflakes float from the sky

still, quiet

rest on the ground

nothing like

the rumble of the southern winds

thunder rattles the windows

lighting streaks across the sky

strength of nature shakes the house

Longing for the quake, 

I find comfort in the serene

[growslow]

I didn't realize how long I was gone

I started this blog when I moved back to my hometown. Now I am revisiting it  two years later when I have moved again! Change is inspirational. For anyone who stumbles upon this, or the one friend who is following it- love you KUN!- I am starting one called "Oh Canada, my new adventure land" with the url imovedtocanada. 

I will keep this one as a poetry blog. 

best of the earth and light from the sky

[growslow]

on a cloud

someday

sometime

somewhere

someone

some more

some less

some face

some stress

find what you want

[growslow]

Memphis holiday

First thanksgiving without turkey. First thanksgiving with Alin. My belly isn't bulging, but my heart is full. 

[growslow]

"find a city

find myself a city to live in"

Charleston is a city

with lots of waves

waves of people and waves of rain

fall on boardwalks lined by the sea

Charleston is a city

where the people all dream 

of the church steeple 

the tallest building to be seen 

[growslow]

On January 1, 2010 I opened a fortune cookie that read "you will soon receive something you have always wanted." Although the generic and mass produced text must be taken with a grain of salt, I can't help but reflect on the message as 2010 enters its last two months. Did I receive something I've always wanted? Perhaps not, but in graduating college and moving to South Carolina I did learn the importance of family and friends. Something I've always needed.

So now as I move out of Charleston and back to Shreveport I begin a new journey as an adult. It's as if I am reinventing myself at the age of 22. The path is unclear and the direction vague. Cheers to all in the boat. 

Thank you to Kwiss for inspiring this new beginning. You've always been a true friend and I thank you.