14 Jul Duhamel Watershed Society hosts – WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP WORKSHOP AUGUST 9TH IN NELSON
Look at a watershed map of Canada, and you will see how deeply connected
we are, by the ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers that flow out into our
five major watersheds – the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Arctic Ocean,
Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Our watersheds connect us, here in Canada and around the world. How we
relate to them is a measure of how we respect each other, locally and
globally.
Forest ecologist Herb Hammond of Winlaw, who has worked for many years
with First Nations and other rural communities to develop ecosystem-based
conservation plans, will be one of several noted speakers at a Watershed
Stewardship Workshop in Nelson on Saturday, August 9th, 10 am to 3 pm
in St. Saviour’s Anglican Church, 701 Ward Street.
“Water is life,” notes Hammond, “yet in legislation and in human
developments, we treat it like an engineering commodity. Every crease, no
matter how small, on earth is a watershed for some beings and the whole
earth is the watershed for all of us.
“Intact ecosystems are the best providers of high quality water. However,
we ignore science and common sense when we suggest that modified
ecosystems have little impact on the functioning of watersheds to provide
pure water.“
“We don’t own the earth,” says Nadine Podmoroff of the community based
Duhamel Watershed Society. “We have to behave responsibly.” At the
workshop, Podmoroff will trace the history of economic activities in local
watersheds, and speak of the impact of logging in our area.
Sara Stratton, national program coordinator for KAIROS, and Vicki Obedkoff
of Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church in Toronto will lead the workshop,
along with Barb Pistak of Rossland, an elder of the Okanagan Nation who
will discuss the traditional importance of water to Indigenous peoples.
The workshop is presented by KAIROS, an ecumenical organization working
for , social and environmental justice in Canada and throughout the world.
Cost is $20, including lunch, and preregistration is requested. For
further information, please call 250-352-9871.