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decolonize-the-everything · 2 months

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"All our needs are met by this land, not by Enbridge.” That’s what Wenipashtaabe (Sandy Gokee), an Anishinaabe water protector, told the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at a June 4 public hearing in Ashland, Wisconsin about a proposal to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline. Line 5 currently trespasses through the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation in northern Wisconsin, and a federal judge last year ordered Enbridge to remove that segment of pipeline off the tribe’s land by June 2026. Enbridge’s plan is to reroute the pipeline, but the company needs approval from the USACE first.

[...]At the meeting, Tribal leaders and environmental advocates from across the region voiced concern about the proposed reroute. That’s because Line 5 poses an environmental risk within Tribal boundaries—and the reroute wouldn’t change this, because it would still be located within the larger Bad River watershed. In other words, an oil spill in that area would still drain into the Bad River, endangering wetlands and groundwater along the river’s course to Lake Superior. “We said off the watershed. You said off the reservation,” Gokee told the USACE at the public hearing. The more than 70-year-old pipeline is 20 years past its expiration date. In some places, including the point where the pipeline intersects with a “meander” in the Bad River, it is in imminent danger of rupture.

Folks aren’t counting on Enbridge to fix this, because the Canadian energy company has a terrible track record. A rupture in another major Enbridge pipeline, 6B, caused the 2010 Kalamazoo River spill, which dumped nearly a million gallons of crude oil into the water over the course of 18 hours before Michigan authorities (not Enbridge) reported the spill. It’s one of the largest inland oil spills in US history. Construction along Enbridge’s Line 3 has caused ongoing harm in Minnesota, where Enbridge contractors released toxic fracking fluids while drilling under waterways, and destroyed wetlands.

The proposed new segment of Line 5 would cross and endanger nearly 200 bodies of water and over 100 acres of wetland as it passes through Ashland and Iron Counties. The $450 million reroute would require temporarily and permanently discharging fill material into wetlands, horizontal drilling under the White River (which flows into the Bad River), and would cause the loss or alteration of wetlands in the 30- to 50-foot wide maintenance corridor surrounding the pipeline, USACE states in an analysis of the plan.

“I can drink the water here now. Let’s keep it that way,” added Gokee at the public hearing.

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You can donate directly to the tribe to help them on Defend the Bad River dot org and you can read more about their treaties and their history on the Bad River Band website. Absolutely utilize the tools available to you to educate yourself about this further, please and spread the word!

Their homepage

Bonus materials;

The oil pipeline laying in the Straits of Mackinac — is 21 years past it’s intended lifespan. A Line 5 rupture would impact 700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, take years to clean up, and would devastate our Great Lakes economy — putting 214,000 Michigan tourism jobs at risk. The Great Lakes are 20% of the world’s freshwater — we can’t afford to contaminate them with oil.

Their PDF handout about the case:

I want to highlight their demands for people who just saw that wall of text and skipped it cuz this is important:

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This is a decently nuanced 14 minute interview about how turning on Line 3 affected native communities; how most are still just taking actions to survive through ongoing oppression and colonization, how activism isnt a luxury a lot of people can afford with mouths to feed and systemic oppression keeping them in cycles of poverty.

Stand with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

It shouldn't be on them to fight Enbridge on their own and nobody should be forced to choose between their people or their planet. Uplift their voices and make their demands known and make it known that they're supported and they're not alone.

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delicatelysublimeforester · 4 years

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The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup “is now recognized as one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada. ”

“Litter can have negative impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, including ingestion or entanglement, environmental toxicity due to harmful chemicals in plastics. “

The George Genereux Urban Regional Park clean up is happening Saturday September 19 when the City of Saskatoon will kindly arrange to drop off a large Loraas disposal bin at the site where it will be handy from 9:00am to 5:00pm

Clean Up Volunteers at the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestaton Area, Saskatoon, SK 2016 Community Clean Up

White-Tailed Deer Fawn

Robert White, 2016 Clean UP Photographer, Personal Friend of Richard St. Barbe Baker, Baha’i representative, SOS Elms, Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, south west sector, in the City of Saskatoon, SK, CA at the Volunteer Community Clean UP 2016

George Genereux Urban Regional Park is located in the West Swale, the current name of the Pleistocene era Yorath Island Glacial Spillway. The Yorath Island Glacial Spillway or West Swale was once a river connecting the Glacial North Saskatchewan river valley and Glacial Rice Lake with -at the time- South Saskatchewan Glacial Lake. This span of land is still conducting water through above ground wetlands, and underground water springs and channels between the North Saskatchewan River and the South Saskatchewan River. Keeping this area without pollutants and litter, also keeps the City of Saskatoon water clean and fresh. Cleaning the forest also restores this naturalize site started as a tree nursery in 1972, and it is now an urban regional park, and an amazing nature viewing site.

If anyone has the wherewithal to conduct a cleanup by themselves, that is also wonderful! The Meewasin cleanup has bins around the city and people can go out to George Genereux Urban Regional Park anytime between now and September 31! The Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Area and Meewasin can accommodate this wonderful individual endeavour and supply bags to you! How? [email protected] or 306.380.5368

On Saturday, September 19, George Genereux Urban Regional Park is about 1/2 mile square -147.8 acres- in size, so it should be easy to social distance. We will take COVID-19 precautions, to do everything we can during phase 4 of the province’s opening to keep all volunteers safe. We are even rustling up ways to give out volunteers free facemasks on Sat. Sept. 19 in case volunteers come closer than 6 feet! 😉

On Saturday Sept 19 there will be prizes to win! Free facemasks, free refreshments, free plastic gloves & free trash bags for our clean up volunteers. Please let us know your intention to come out so we have enough supplies! [email protected] or 306.380.5368 Thanks!

We look forward to your help and assistance to restore this afforestation area to its naturalized wildlife habitat and enjoy this urban regional park!

Volunteers who helped with the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area cleanup said that it was very rewarding seeing the difference to the semi-wilderness wildlife habitat, and they would do it again!

Please share the George Genereux Urban Regional Park pamphlet with your friends and family! Thanks!

For directions as to how to drive to “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park

For directions on how to drive to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

For more information:

Blairmore Sector Plan Report; planning for the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, George Genereux Urban Regional Park and West Swale and areas around them inside of Saskatoon city limits

P4G Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth The P4G consists of the Cities of Saskatoon, Warman, and Martensville, the Town of Osler and the Rural Municipality of Corman Park; planning for areas around the afforestation area and West Swale outside of Saskatoon city limits

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. 52° 06′ 106° 45′ Addresses: Part SE 23-36-6 – Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063 Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)? with map

Pinterest richardstbarbeb

Facebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park

Facebook: StBarbeBaker

Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

Facebook: South West OLRA

Twitter: StBarbeBaker

Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail / e-transfers )

Support the afforestation areas with your donation or membership ($20.00/year). Please donate by paypal using the e-mail friendsafforestation AT gmail.com, or by using e-transfers Please and thank you! Your donation and membership is greatly appreciated. Members e-mail your contact information to be kept up to date!

Canada Helps

1./ Learn.

2./ Experience

3./ Do Something: ***

What was Richard St. Barbe Baker’s mission, that he imparted to the Watu Wa Miti, the very first forest scouts or forest guides? To protect the native forest, plant ten native trees each year, and take care of trees everywhere.

“We stand in awe and wonder at the beauty of a single tree. Tall and graceful it stands, yet robust and sinewy with spreading arms decked with foliage that changes through the seasons, hour by hour, moment by moment as shadows pass or sunshine dapples the leaves. How much more deeply are we moved as we begin to appreciate the combined operations of the assembly of trees we call a forest.”~Richard St. Barbe Baker

“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger

“The science of forestry arose from the recognition of a universal need. It embodies the spirit of service to mankind in attempting to provide a means of supplying forever a necessity of life and, in addition, ministering to man’s aesthetic tastes and recreational interests. Besides, the spiritual side of human nature needs the refreshing inspiration which comes from trees and woodlands. If a nation saves its trees, the trees will save the nation. And nations as well as tribes may be brought together in this great movement, based on the ideal of beautifying the world by the cultivation of one of God’s loveliest creatures – the tree.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker.

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Great Canadian Shorline Cleanup The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup "is now recognized as one of the largest direct action conservation programs in Canada.

#clean #Clean up #Community Clean Up #Free facemasks #Free plastic gloves #Free prizes #Free refreshements #Free trash bags #Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc clean up #George Genereux Urban Regional Park Clean up #Great Canadian Shoreline Clean up #Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup #Litterati app #Meewasin Clean UP #Saturday September 19 #September 19

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roundtheworldrambles · 4 years

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Sydney, Australia

Day 103 – Melbourne to Sydney

Hannah and I went to visit the Melbourne Zoo in the morning before my flight to Sydney that afternoon. As Hannah was working in marketing in their head office, she was able to get us in for free, and acted as my complimentary tour guide! Although I had already see a number of Australian animals in the wild, the zoo was a terrific place to see the rarer specifies - including a platypus!

Melbourne Zoo Reunions with Hannah

Catching an Uber up to the Airport, I boarded my afternoon flight to Sydney – getting in just on time to celebrate New Years Eve! I arrived at my friend Emma’s home in Double Bay around 7pm – with just enough time to get ready before people began to arrive for their New Years party. I had a great time meeting all of Emma’s Australian friends, playing games, and celebrating the final hours of 2017. As the suburb of Double Bay is located on the south side of Sydney’s impressive harbour, we all left the party shortly before midnight to walk down the water, finding the perfect spot to catch Sydney’s world-famous NYE fireworks display. The streets were packed with other people, the entire city coming together to celebrate! This will always be a memorable New Years Eve for me – the fireworks were more impressive than I could have possibly imagined, and the festive spirit in the city was absolutely contagious! We returned to the party after the ball dropped, continuing our party – in true Aussie style – into the wee hours of the morning!

NYE in Sydney!

Day 104 - Sydney

After much revelry the night before, we were slow to get moving in the morning! After cleaning up from the party, we headed out to Bondi Beach with Emma, her boyfriend Ryan, and their friends Allie, Sarah, Rhys, Andrea and Damien. We tucked into a delicious brunch on the leafy courtyard of Bondi Hardware, before heading down to the beach to enjoy the sunshine. Walking along the boardwalk, it seemed as though all of Sydney had the same idea. Thousands of people were gathered along the sweeping white-sand beach, splashing in the waves and surfing offshore. It was a perfect, picturesque new years day!

Bondi Beach

In the evening, we grabbed Thai food back in Double Bay and watched multiple episodes of Bondi Surf Rescue – the reality show featuring the famous lifeguards from Bondi Beach!

Day 105 - Sydney

Emma and I hopped on a small harbor ferry in the morning in Double Bay, heading into the CBD of Sydney. Nearing Circular Quay, the Sydney Harbour bridge and the white sails of the iconic Opera House were just as striking as I remembered. We spent the day enjoying the sunshine, walking around the Botanical Gardens and the Opera House, before sharing a pitcher of Aperol Spritz at the famous Opera Bar. Catching the ferry back to Double Bay, we joined Ryan and a group of friends for drinks and dinner at The Golden Sheaf, a picturesque music pub and garden bar near Emma’s apartment.

Sydney Opera House

Day 106 – Sydney

As Emma returned to work, her friend Andrea – a fellow Canadian and UWO grad – met up with me to complete the Spit Bridge to Manly walk. A spectacular 10 km coastal walk weaving through the bays of Northern Sydney, we spent a terrific day walking along inner harbor beaches and through native bushland, taking in the panoramic ocean views, complete with countless white sailboats bobbing in the sheltered turquoise waters.

Spit to Manly Hike

Arriving at Manly in the late afternoon, we wandered along the Manly Corso before grabbing a bite to eat and drink to share on the beach. Manly had a terrific number of galleries with Aboriginal Art, where I was lucky to find a piece of art I loved! The complex symbology and icons depicted in the dot work of Aboriginal Art is truly fascinating, with the styles varying dramatically from region to region. The black and white piece of art I selected was representative of birthing circles, and the support that women provide to each other.

Double Bay

In the early evening, we boarded the Manly Ferry to return to Sydney. This famous green and yellow ferry has been operating for over 100 years between Manly and Circular Quay, sailing for 30 minutes with spectacular harbor and ocean views. We sat above deck, taking in the breathtaking scenery – a perfect, relaxing end to the day.

Day 107 – Sydney

Emma had to return to work this morning, so I headed out to complete another urban coastal hike, the famous Bondi to Coogee surfside walk. Winding around the clifftops south of Bondi Beach, I walked past the iconic Icebergs pool, and the surf breaks around Tamarama and Bronte. The cliffs along the walk were chiseled into intricate patterns by the powerful surf below. Rounding the bends along the trail into more sheltered coves, I came across several sandy beaches, packed with sun-seekers, beach towels and umbrellas. The natural beauty of the coastline was stunning, and I could easily see the appeal of living in this incredible city.

Icebergs Pool

I reached the end of the trail at Coogee mid day, and enjoyed a patio drink at Coogee Pavillion before heading back into the city. My wonderful friend Emma had booked me in for a haircut that afternoon in Paddington – knowing that I was long overdue after months of backpacking! With my fresh chop – I headed out to meet her and Ryan at Charlie Parker’s, a speakeasy bar in Merivale, before tucking into dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant.

Bondi to Coogee Hike

Day 108 – Sydney

I spent this day relaxing and working on trip planning for the next legs of my trip - in Byron Bay and New Zealand! I returned to Bondi Beach and holed up in a coffee shop for most of the day, taking a break to wander along the boardwalk and pop into seaside galleries and shops. Not a bad place to get some life-admin done!

After Emma was off work, I met up with her near Circular Quay for a drink in the Rocks before we hopped on another harbor ferry over to Balmain, to meet my friend Nat, who had moved back to Sydney from Vancouver. We enjoyed a drink (or several…) at the Balmain Hotel, a quirky neighbourhood pub, and spent the evening catching up.

Day 109 – Sydney

My final day in Sydney did not disappoint! Emma and I shook off our mini hangovers with a morning yoga class in Bondi Beach, before gathering our bathing suits and beverages to head down to the Double Bay Marina. It was the birthday of Emma’s friend Nikki, and she had rented out a catamaran sailboat for the day. We spent the rest of the afternoon cruising along the shoreline of Sydney Harbour, swimming in the brilliant blue water, and enjoying drinks, music and good company in the sunshine. It was the perfect way to end my final day in Sydney.

Sailing the Sydney Harbour

#australia

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quakerjoe · 6 years

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50 years ago today, a photograph was taken that would reframe how we humans saw our planet. As I reflect on the year that’s been, I am thinking of all the news reports on the damage being inflicted on our fragile Earth.

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There is an image you’ve probably seen of a bright marble set against complete blackness. The marble sits in a shadow. It is mostly blue and swirling white, with a hint of green and brown. In the foreground of the photograph is a swath of barren gray. This picture is considered one of the most iconic images in human history. It altered our sense of ourselves as a species and the place we call home, because that marble is our planet seen from the vastness of space, and the gray horizon we see in the foreground is the moon. The photograph has a name: Earthrise.

The image was captured by astronaut William Anders of Apollo 8 on the first manned mission to orbit the lunar sphere, and the photograph can be seen as a mirror image for every vision humans had ever experienced up to that point. From before the dawn of history, our ancestors looked up in the night sky and saw a brilliant moon, often in shadow. But in that moment on Apollo 8, three men from our planet looked back and saw all the rest of us on a small disk with oceans, clouds, and continents.

This image, so peaceful and yet so breathtaking, was taken at the end of a turbulent year. It was Christmas Eve 1968, but from up there you would never know that a hot war was raging in Vietnam or that a Cold War was dividing Europe. You wouldn’t know of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or Bobby Kennedy. From that distance, people are invisible, and so are cities, countries, and national boundaries. All that separates us ethnically, culturally, politically, and spiritually is absent from the image. What we see is one fragile planet making its way across the vastness of space.

There was something about that photograph that struck deep into the souls of many people about our place in the heavens, and a year later it appeared on a postage stamp (six cents at the time) with the caption “In the beginning God . . .” The photograph is also widely credited with galvanizing a movement to protect our planet. Over the course of the 1960s, people increasingly spoke of a Spaceship Earth, a notion eloquently voiced by United States ambassador Adlai Stevenson in a speech he gave to the United Nations in 1965. “We travel together, passengers on a little space ship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of air and soil; all committed for our safety to its security and peace; preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work, and, I will say, the love we give our fragile craft.” With the Earthrise photograph, suddenly Spaceship Earth was no longer a metaphor. It was there for all of us to see.

The 1960s and 1970s were times of such social upheaval that the environmental movement is often overlooked. But real action was happening. In 1962, Rachel Carson, a trained marine biologist, published one of the most important books in American history, Silent Spring. It focused on the dangers of synthetic pesticides like DDT, showing how these chemicals could insidiously enter an ecosystem and wreak unintended havoc on the health of a wide range of animals, including humans. The book hit like a thunderclap. The reaction from the chemical industry was fierce and unrelenting, but the public uproar was even more substantial.

The moral weight of Carson’s argument changed the equation for how we measured our actions; the health of the earth became part of the discussion. That book contributed to the rising pressure on government officials to act to protect our planet, and in 1970 we saw both the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (signed into law by President Richard Nixon) and the first Earth Day (organized by Wisconsin’s Democratic senator Gaylord Nelson). The year also saw an important expansion of the Clean Air Act (first passed in 1963). The Clean Water Act would come in 1972. The environment was now an important national priority, and support for it was bipartisan.

For all the talk of Spaceship Earth and Earth Day, however, there was a belief at the time that environmentalism was a series of local battles. When it came to air and water pollution, we worried about the health of the smog over Los Angeles and the chemical runoff into the Hudson River. Over time, we saw environmental threats become more regional, with acid rain and the depletion of the ozone layer. It was hard to imagine, though, that we could harm the planet on a global scale. But all the while, ever since the start of the industrial revolution, an odorless and invisible pollutant was being pumped into our atmosphere with increasing volume — from our tailpipes, smokestacks, and the clear-cutting of forests. We now know that carbon dioxide and the resulting climate change is a threat of a magnitude unlike anything we have ever seen before. Those are the stakes we face today.

In the summer of 2007, I traveled 450 miles north of the Arctic Circle to the Canadian tundra to report on a development that was shocking for any student of history. For centuries, famed explorers had searched for a shipping route from Europe to Asia through the frigid north. It was dubbed the Northwest Passage, and it proved to be a deadly and illusory dream, as many ships and men went in to never return. So when my colleagues and I heard reports that melting sea ice was possibly unlocking the passage, we set about to document the dramatic climate change at the end of the earth. Some of my crew spent days aboard a Canadian Coast Guard research icebreaker, and I met them in the Inuit village of Arctic Bay, population about 700 hardy souls.

What both the scientists and the local inhabitants understood was that a world of ice was undergoing rapid and unpredictable change. I remember taking a walk along a rocky shoreline with an elderly Inuit woman, who pointed at the open water and explained how, even in the summer, it had once been largely ice. She talked of seal pelts that were not as thick because of the warmer water and her worries that her people’s way of life was in danger of being irrevocably lost. Meanwhile, on the research boat, scientists were rushing to understand how this changing climate was affecting marine life and whether they could find clues to the arctic environment of the past by dredging the bottom of the sea.

It is an awesome realization that Earth, which has always seemed boundless, is so susceptible to the negative byproducts of human activity. Perhaps that is what makes it difficult for some to accept climate change. As we walk through nature, it seems so robust and permanent. And for the vast majority of the history of our species, we did not have the power to destroy the planet.

But if you look back to the beginning of the environmental movement, you will see that it sprang from a dawning realization of how damaging humans could be. In the late nineteenth century, the mighty bison of the American West, estimated to once have numbered in the tens of millions, were slaughtered over just a few decades to the brink of extinction. Hunting parties would shoot indiscriminately from train windows as sport, leaving thousands of carcasses to rot in the sun. A seemingly limitless resource suddenly was on the verge of disappearing. By then, a growing spirit of naturalism was capturing the nation’s attention, personified by writers like Henry David Thoreau. And leading citizens in the United States, men with political power like Theodore Roosevelt, decided to act.

They formed conservation clubs that began to have an effect on the federal government. Yellowstone National Park, considered the first national park in the world, was founded in 1872. Yosemite was added in 1890. A movement had been born. But meanwhile, a very different revolution had begun half a world away. The first modern internal combustion engine was built in the 1870s, and in 1886 German engineer Karl Benz patented the first motorcar. Over the ensuing century and decades, as the environmental movement grew in its scope and importance, Earth was getting sicker.

None of this was known when I was growing up. The Texas economy of my youth was literally being fueled by oil, and there seemed to be nothing incompatible with black gold and the health of the wide world outside my door. Some of my earliest memories were of running through the wild meadow that bordered my neighborhood on the outskirts of Houston, looking at bugs, lizards, and, it being Texas, a lot of snakes. There was a creek a little farther out, and when I was young, my mother made it known to me that it was a boundary I dare not cross. Beyond the creek lay deep woods, and as I grew older, I was allowed to wander alone beneath the strong oaks and towering pines, turned loose in nature. In the midst of the woods was the Buffalo Bayou, and I learned how to swim in its languid waters. In truth, the bayou had already been polluted by the oil refineries and chemical plants around Houston. But we boys, frolicking in the water, didn’t know that. We were living out our fantasies of being latter-day Tom Sawyers and Huck Finns.

In that great meadow and the forest beyond, the world seemed exciting and alive. It was teeming with rabbits, squirrels, and the occasional coyote. There were birds in the skies and all those snakes on the ground. Most were harmless, but there were poisonous ones as well — rattlesnakes, water moccasins, coral snakes, and the spreading adder, what we called the “spreadin’ adder.” My mother worried about snakes, but she knew that they were part of the Lone Star way of life. You had to be alert, knowledgeable, careful, and a bit lucky — just like in life.

My father was the kind of hunter who believed that you shouldn’t hunt something you don’t know a lot about, and he instilled in me a deep respect for the natural world. As we walked together on warm summer evenings, his hunting rifle in hand, he would explain the life cycle of rabbits and that the best place to find squirrels was where the “hardwoods met the pine trees,” because squirrels liked the height of the pine trees and the nuts of the hardwoods. Whether this was provable from scientific study, or even whether someone has ever chosen to study such a thing, I do not know. But it was the kind of wisdom that came from a lifetime of observation, and nature tends to make all of us open our eyes and think.

My father also believed that you ate what you killed, and so my mother had a number of recipes that fit both rabbit and squirrel interchangeably. Sometimes we just ate the meat broiled with a side of sliced tomatoes or homemade pickles. Other times it was stewed. More often, it was fried. It might not sound like much, but it was pretty good. My father would also usually get a couple of deer during the hunting season, which was the legal limit. We would eat every bit that was edible, and that could take quite a while. Dad was terrific with a shotgun, so we spent many a time cleaning, then eating, ducks and quail.

In the nature around my house I learned life lessons — an overworked phrase, I grant you, but an apt one. When I was nine years old, my friends and I came across a giant softshell turtle in the Buffalo Bayou. It was the biggest one we had ever seen, and we spent the entire day tracking it. After many foiled attempts, we finally snared it, bound it up, and walked back the mile or so to my parents’ house. We filled a tub with water in the backyard and put it in. We felt like conquering heroes, but that only lasted until my father came home from work. When he saw what we had done, he was furious and explained to me how such behavior could harm a wild animal like this turtle. Even though it was after dark, he insisted that I carry the turtle back to where we’d found it. Now, this wasn’t the equivalent of a valiant effort to save an endangered species, but my father’s instinct was the same: Nature was not there for us to exploit or toy with. It is a lesson I have never forgotten.

Going into the forest with my dad was a backdrop to my young life. It was just what people did. I was expected to be able to identify the species of trees and to know how to avoid getting lost. Nature wasn’t something that you drove to, or planned on seeing, or for which you bought a fancy outdoor wardrobe. I worry that now it is an activity that must compete with soccer practices, homework, piano lessons, and all the other responsibilities that fill up the calendar of a family with children. All those are surely wonderful and rewarding, but so too is just letting your legs wander through the trees and meadows, and having your mind wander as well.

Today most of us encounter few animals and plants in our daily lives, and most of what we do see are either the ones we have domesticated or the vermin and weeds that can thrive in the cracks of modernity. Growing up I was enthralled by the night sky. But now most of us can see only a few faint stars at night, the ones bright enough to make it through the domes of light that enclose our metropolises. For all of human history, the night sky told stories, delineated time, and guided voyagers. Now 30 percent of the people on the planet can’t even see the Milky Way from their homes. And in the United States, 80 percent of us can’t.

We as a nation have done much to exploit the land, despoil it, and pollute it. From wildlife to wildfires, we have been shortsighted in our management. For too long the cost of doing business ignored the cost of that business to the environment. Still, we have been world leaders in conservation, preservation, and environmentalism. And that is what makes this moment in time so baffling and worrisome. Somehow the environment has become yet another point of contention between Democrats and Republicans. It is striking that those who live in urban centers and are more isolated from the natural world tend to vote for Democratic candidates who mostly favor stricter environmental regulations. Meanwhile, those in rural areas tend to vote for Republican candidates who more often advocate for laxer oversight of land, water, and pollution. I am not exactly sure how this came to be. Some of it likely has to do with the coarsening of dialogue between the two major parties on almost every issue, and ultimately the environment gets sorted along those binary lines as well. Research also suggests that those states whose economies are built on oil, gas, coal, and mining tend to be less likely to support environmental regulations, and understandably so. But whatever the cause, it is important to note that these political and social divides over the environment were not always this way.

It was an odd experience watching the heated debate as a cap and trade bill for carbon dioxide emissions and climate change made its way through Congress in 2009. The opposition from Republicans was fierce, with only a handful voting for final passage in the House of Representatives. Dozens of Democrats in conservative districts also voted against the bill. In the end, the legislation barely passed the House and was never even brought up in the Senate. And yet the very idea of cap and trade as a way to deal with environmental problems, where you set limits and allow polluters to trade in credits, had been the brainchild of Republicans. President Ronald Reagan had used cap and trade to phase out lead in gasoline, and President George H. W. Bush had used it to cut the pollutants causing acid rain.

When I sat down recently with George Shultz, who had served as secretary of state under President Reagan, he spoke with pride of the Republican legacy on the environment, stretching back to President Theodore Roosevelt. Secretary Shultz has become a vocal advocate for protecting the planet against climate change, and he reminded me that major environmental progress — from the founding of the EPA to tackling the ozone and acid rain problems, to strengthening clean water and air acts — had happened under Republican administrations.

Questions of the environment boil down to acts of leadership. Most people would say that they want clean air and water. The concerns that you hear about pitting economic growth against environmental protections are legitimate; we need a balanced approach. Our modern lives require that we mine, till, fish, generate electricity, and discard refuse. We will never return to some mythic state of environmental purity. Nor would we want to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be wiser about how we use our limited resources and protect our planet. I believe that if there was leadership on this issue in both political parties, the American people would rally to action.

We humans seem to have a hard time measuring risk. We can see the dangers in the moment, but threats that stretch over the course of generations are hard for us to judge, let alone act to remedy. Climate change is just such a problem. Even though we already see very worrisome fluctuations in Earth’s functions — extreme weather, vanishing sea ice, rising temperatures, and rising oceans — the most dire effects will not strike with full force until well after I am gone. We can hide from the truth for now, but it will not last. In my interview with Secretary Shultz, he described climate change as a clear and present danger even if many of his fellow Republicans do not see it that way. I asked him how he felt about this state of affairs. He said those who deny climate change now will ultimately be “mugged by reality.” Mugged by reality. It is a strong phrase. The danger is that when the climate deniers are finally mugged, it will be, by definition, too late. Already we are seeing the glaciers melt in Greenland and massive ice sheets breaking off Antarctica.

Often I find myself thinking back to my boyhood out in the forests and meadows and how those experiences spurred in me a love of our natural world. One of the joys of my later life has been the summer days I spend in quiet contentment fishing in the upper Beaverkill River in the Catskill mountain range of western New York State. My eyes are mostly focused on the action in the stream, watching the currents and eddies, casting flies, looking for trout willing to bite. But I often glance up to contemplate the flora and fauna of the riverbank — particularly the birch trees that are rooted just on the edge of the water. They favor the embankments in many northern climes, and sometimes, as I take in the scene, an old African American spiritual comes to mind. I begin singing slowly, “Just like a tree planted by the water, I shall not be moved. I shall not be, I shall not be moved. . . .” The hymn may say I shall not be moved, but I often am, in that strange and mystical way engaging in nature often moves us.

There is an elegance to birches, tall and slender, with their distinctive white bark. I’ve always liked them because my long-departed mother loved them so. Born, raised, and buried on the semitropical Texas Gulf Coast, she never saw a live birch, only pictures in a book. Mother’s favorite tree, however, was the native magnolia, which flourishes all along the Texas Gulf Coast and adjacent piney woods. She loved their strength and the fragrance of their large white blossoms. That scent permeating and enveloping in the heavy humidity of Texas nights is among the fondest memories of my childhood. I smell it often, even when a magnolia is nowhere in sight.

I like to sit out there on the river for a long while, and take a deep breath and close my eyes. Nature doesn’t please only our sense of sight. I can hear the soothing sounds of running water and swaying leaves in the background. Nature has the power to inspire one’s mind and move one’s soul like great music or poetry. It can fill you with humility when you encounter the otherworldliness of the Grand Canyon. It can fill you with awe when you tilt your head back and try to tease out the top of a towering redwood. It can spark your imagination as you try to visualize a time when the entire continent was as wild as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. And it can fill you with sadness when you see how much the glaciers in Glacier National Park are receding. What are we doing? What have we done?

I am an optimist by nature, and I believe we can find a will to save the planet. We have a strong and growing environmental sensibility in this country and around the world — especially among the young. But there are hurdles, not the least of which come from many of our elected officials. We have seen the undue influence of big money from the fossil fuel industry, along with their allies in government, actively undermine climate science. We have seen crises like what has taken place in Flint, Michigan, call into question our national commitment to equal access to clean water and air. To the countless generations yet to be born, what world will we leave for them? We have seen that we can make progress and repair damage to the environment. But now, when it is needed with an urgency we haven’t really seen before, we are blinking. How can we open our eyes once again to the notion of a fragile planet, our only home?

Apollo 8 was on its fourth pass around the moon when the commander, Frank Borman, initiated a scheduled roll of the spacecraft. On the audio recordings, you can hear William Anders, who was the lunar module’s pilot, react to a sight no human had ever seen before: “Oh my God! Look at that picture over there! There’s the earth coming up. Wow, is that pretty.” Anders called out to the third crew member, Jim Lovell, asking if he had color film. There was a scramble inside the spacecraft to get the picture taken before it was too late. They got their shot.

The astronauts were not looking for Earth when they went on their mission. The space historian Andrew Chaikin said Anders told him later, “We were trained to go to the moon. We were focused on the moon, observing the moon, studying the moon, and the earth was not really in our thoughts until it popped up above that horizon.” We need this vision of a unified and cohesive Earth to pop up once again over the horizon of our global complacency. We need to consider, with awe and humility, the future of our fragile home.

- Dan Rather

(Above is the "Environment" essay from my book What Unites Us)

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atlanticcanada · 3 years

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Single-use food packaging litter on Canadian shorelines nearly doubles last year: report

The proportion of single-use food packaging litter found on shorelines across the country nearly doubled last year, according to a report from the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

The cleanup is a conservation partnership between Ocean Wise and World Wildlife Fund Canada.

“We suspect that change has to do with the implications of COVID-19,” explains Megan Leslie, the president and CEO at WWF. “More people are ordering takeout, consuming individually packaged foods.”

Every year, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup compiles a list called The Dirty Dozen – the most common litter found in Canada.

“For the first time ever in the shoreline cleanup’s 27 year history, volunteers reported find PPE (personal protective equipment), like masks and gloves,” Leslie explains.

Angela Riley is the founder of Scotian Shores - a business that collects litter from shorelines and turns it into products that helps to fund their cleanup operations.

Riley says she agrees with Leslie, adding people need to be more aware of how they’re disposing of their personal protective equipment.

“Masks, gloves, there’s definitely been a huge uptick since we started this,” explains Riley. “We’ve been finding a lot of them and that’s scary because those masks can get wrapped around a bird’s neck or something.”

Along with pandemic pollution, the president and CEO of WWF Canada says in Nova Scotia alone, the most common item picked-up is rope from fishing gear.

In Halifax, Kimberley Wotherspoon volunteers with the Clayton Park West Litter Prevention Committee to help keep communities and shorelines clean.

She encourages others to do the same.

“We’re trying right now, through the Clayton Park West Litter Prevention Committee, is trying to pick up some of the garbage before it does get to the ocean, before it blows there,” explains Wotherspoon. “You’re finding the classics washed up on the shore, along with stuff like rope.”

With many people heading to the beach this time of year, those dedicated to maintaining our pristine coastlines are offering some helpful tips.

“Pack out what you pack in, that’s a really great saying,” Riley says. “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos. I’m really hoping we can see more of that happening.”

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3cQKuCL

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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rj15zq · 5 years

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Online, Interactive Audiences & Audience Agency in New Contexts: Dobson Case Competition (Blog 2 Week 10 + 11)

As this blog is sadly coming to an end, I would like to wrap up my audience experiences by relating the course concepts taught by Professor Good to the Dobson Case Competition which I took part in on November 14th 2019. I will be connecting general audience theories to this particular experience while primarily focusing on Chapter’s 9 and 10 of the textbook (Week 10 and 11).

Do you remember in my first blog how I mentioned that you’re constantly part of an audience? Even when you’re not intending to be? Well, that’s kind of how I ended up in the competition… let me explain. I had heard my Professors promote this competition in both first and second year as an audience member of their classes, but I wasn’t entirely sure if I was interested and so I never really took the initiative to form a group and sign up. Third year rolls around, and a couple of my Professors promote it again announcing that this year’s theme would be the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. I thought about how I’m already in third year and I haven’t really done much to differentiate myself from average person working towards my same degree, and that was starting to concern me a bit (a LOT).

I was looking to enhance my resume and gain valuable marketing/advertising experience, and I knew that if I decided not to take part this year I would regret it later on. It also helped that the theme for this year was extremely relevant in regards to climate change.

Before I could actually create a campaign outline based on the given brief, I needed a competing group. Obviously, my first instinct was to ask my friends to sign up with me, but no one wanted to commit due to busy schedules as this was happening during midterm season (brutal!). This is where my first question comes in to play. I was sitting in Professor Botterill’s lecture as I heard two students speaking to her about potentially signing up for the competition but needing another group member. Was I purposefully eavesdropping? Nope! I was sitting in the top row while they were standing at the bottom. As Professor Good stated, audience members are actively listening, even subconsciously, just as I was in that moment. I decided to step out of my comfort zone (way out), approach the group, and offer to join. Then and there, “SIR Advertising Agency” was formed!

Now, let’s focus on Chapter 9 and how the Dobson Case Competition relates to online, interactive audiences in a digital media world. The chapter begins by defining digitalization as “the standards by which media texts, images and sounds are recorded and transmitted” (Sullivan, 2013, p. 216). Nearly half of my group’s communication and strategy for this competition occurred based on digitalization. For example, digital technologies were integrated in building our campaign with the use of online video messaging, Brock’s online database for research, Google Images, Google Slides component, as well as Brock’s educational software platform Sakai to upload our campaign proposal. Sullivan (2013) states that digitalization entails the advantages of using space effectively, maintaining quality and operating as a common language (p. 216). In seminar on November 19th, we discussed how instead of having to burn music onto CD’s we could just create playlists on Spotify, and instead of purchasing DVD movies we mainly stream on Netflix now. Similarly, instead of having to download our campaign presentation onto a USB, we simply pulled it up with a user login through Google Slides. Without these digital properties, preparation for the competition would have been a lot more time consuming... so yeah, thanks digitalization!

Sullivan (2013) goes on to discuss how YouTube is the single most important online tool for empowering audiences in today’s digital age (p. 220). YouTubers are constantly inspiring their audiences by enforcing creativity, i.e. DIY’s, makeup tutorials, cooking lessons, music, etc. In the case of the Dobson Case Competition, I as an audience member watched public speaking videos and a video uploaded by CPCF TV on last year’s competition to empower and prepare myself in understanding both the judges and my team as audience members. I also used YouTube as a source to learn more about climate change and gain additional advertising and marketing knowledge in support of our campaign pitch.

CPCF TV’s 2018 Dobson video:

youtube

Before the day of the competition, I made sure to “clean up” my LinkedIn profile as well as any social media, just in case any of the judges or industry professionals decided to take a look (not that anything on there’s inappropriate, but you know, precautions!). Chapter 9 discusses this topic of social media and audience surveillance in a networked environment. Not only do marketers and advertisers follow audiences into networked spaces, but you guessed it, so do employers!

The day of the competition we were fortunate enough to attend a networking dinner with everyone involved, including the judges. At my table sat the Owner/President of Naked Creative Consultancy. As expected, I did my best to appear as presentable as possible, not only with my appearance but with my words as well. However, in the age of Web 2.0, social networking is implemented on such a large scale that face-to-face “analysis” isn’t the only thing that matters anymore. Audience surveillance has become accustomed in these digital environments and although some may argue that it’s an invasion of privacy, it is up to online users themselves to control what they do and don’t post online. The article assigned for this week by Athique (2018) emphasizes this idea by stating “as users become aware of the pervasiveness of data trails, there is now an obvious ‘chilling’ effect [and] users have started to take evasive action online” (p. 67).

Time to shift gears to our last and final chapter of the textbook, Chapter 10! Chapter 10 was covered by Professor Good in class on November 21st and concludes Sullivan’s Media Audiences textbook by overviewing audience agency in new contexts and returning to some of the major themes already discussed throughout these blogs.

Sullivan (2013) states that access to information through shifts in technologies has fostered easier and expanded access to information, creating new opportunities for audience engagement (p. 240). Our Dobson Case Competition campaign was titled “Generation Change” and focused on a mobile application and competition between post-secondary schools to track which institution could collect the most shoreline trash within one academic year.

Through audience and media consumption trends, we’re able to see that conversation surrounding climate change and environmental initiatives is beyond more prevalent today than it was 10 years ago. Yes, heavily due to the change in climate, but we have social media to thank for the spread of its awareness.

The Internet allows for audiences to access information about nearly anything, which is why the judges saw potential in our campaign. Audiences today don’t just have deeper exposure to news and information, but they have the sources to access it. Our campaign implemented Facebook advertising, Twitter promotion with the use of hashtags, Instagram ads, QR codes linking to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup website and Generation Change ads, as well as real-life events such as virtual reality stations to encourage our target audience to recognize the waste problem in Canada and seek more information on how to help reverse the detrimental effects of shoreline waste.

The article assigned for this week by Livingstone (2019) focused on audiences in an age of datafication. Our seminar has had several discussions regarding whether datafication and digital surveillance are an invasion of privacy and whether there should be restrictions. Personally, I have never been bothered by my data being tracked, sorted, and monetized as I’m essentially aware of it as I’m posting. What’s interesting about this article, however, is that as we’ve been learning about datafication, our focus has been on the audience perspective (the average consumer). Through creating a marketing campaign, my Dobson team and I got to experience the side of the one’s surveilling, the side of the advertisers. Cool, right?

For example, as I mentioned, we implemented social media and QR codes as promotion strategies. Hypothetically, as advertisers we would be able to target audiences based on online activity, the people they interact with, the people and hashtags they follow, the events they have attended, etc. With the use of QR codes, we’d be able to see the number of scans, the location of the scans, the time of the scans, what kind of device it was scanned on, etc. “Academic attention has turned to the analysis of the algorithmic manipulations of audience’s digital traces that increasingly allow everything people do to be tracked, as their data are bought and sold above their heads and below their radars” (Livingstone, 2019, p. 176).

Here’s an activity to get you thinking: Go to your web browser history and analyze your last visited sites. Social networks? Online shopping? Banking? Dating site? Reflect on how you feel knowing that all those activities have been and continue to be tracked through datafication.

Datafiction isn’t always a negative thing, however. As I mentioned, I personally don’t mind the surveillance that comes with online activity. I would much rather get advertisements that are targeted towards me than get an advertisement for something that I find little to no interest in, as that would come across as irrelevant and more of a disturbance. I can’t speak on behalf of everyone, but I’d pretty much say same goes for my Dobson “Generation Change” campaign. Our target audience included 18 to 24-year-old students in Canada who are interested in the climate change initiative and potentially attended the climate strike march. If our Generation Change ads were to appear on the Facebook timeline of a student who is passionate in protecting the environment, surely they’d be more than happy about being exposed to the sustainable opportunity that the campaign provides. Likewise, when we see Netflix recommend shows that we’re likely to enjoy or YouTube recommend videos based on the content we consume and like, it’s more interesting than bothersome. At the end of the day, consumers have preferences and not all consumers think a-like.

At last, we’ve finally reached the end of my Audience Studies blogs. This blog has covered several concepts such as the ways people are empowered agents in their roles as audience members, the ways in which audience members are affected by their various roles, how content and reception of content affect audience members, how technology has changed audiences, etc. Through understanding audiences, we can now become more aware of our participation as consumers, producers, and prosumers of audience content. Before I go, I’d like to thank you for being such a great audience member of my blog! I hope you’ve enjoyed your time reading it. Good-bye!

References:

Jennifer Good, Lecture November 14th & November 21st 2019

Seminar Discussion November 19thth & November 26th 2019

Athique, A. (2018). The dynamics and potentials of big data for audience research. Media, Culture and Society, 40(1), 59-74.

Livingstone, S. (2019). Audiences in an age of datafication: Critical questions for media research. Television & New Media, 20(20), 170-183.

Images: Giphy, Brock CPCF, Google Images

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delicatelysublimeforester · 6 years

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Pitch In Week April 22-29, 2019 starting on Earth Day! However, the MVA city wide clean-up lasts longer than one week, how super for the city of Saskatoon

In 2019, Earth Day is Monday, April 22

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, south west sector, in the City of Saskatoon, SK, CA before Volunteer Community Clean UP 2016

Clean Up Volunteers at the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, SK 2016 Community Clean Up

We need you this spring to help out, please!!!!

Pitch In Week Monday April 22 to Monday April 29, 2019

sponsored by Tim Horton’s. Register before March 1, 2019!!!

What a great combination, to also register and find resources at

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup wherever water meets land.

Since 1981, the MVA has hosted the

City Wide Meewasin Clean up Campaign

in the spring for four weeks starting on Earth Day,

cleaning up couldn’t be easier!

For directions as to how to drive to “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park

For directions on how to drive to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

For more information:

Blairmore Sector Plan Report; planning for Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and George Genereux Urban Regional park and areas around the afforestation areas and West Swale inside of Saskatoon city limits

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. 52° 06′ 106° 45′ Addresses: Part SE 23-36-6 – Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – wherewhere NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063 Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)? with map

Facebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park

Facebook: StBarbeBaker

Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

Facebook: South West OLRA

Contact the Meewasin Valley Authority at 402 Third Avenue South Saskatoon, SK S7K 3G5 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The MVA has begun a Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area trust fund. If you wish to support the afforestation area with your donation, write a cheque to the “Meewasin Valley Authority Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area trust fund (MVA RSBBAA trust fund)”. Please and thank you! Twitter: StBarbeBaker Please contemplate joining the SOS Elms coalition or make a donation to SOS Elms ~ leave a message to support the afforestation area 😉

1./ Learn.

2./ Experience

3./ Do Something: ***

“I believed that God has lent us the Earth. It belongs as much to those who come after us as to us, and it ill behooves us by anything we do or neglect, to deprive them of benefits which are in our power to bequeath.” Richard St. Barbe Baker

Clean Up Announced!!! In 2019, Earth Day is Monday, April 22 We need you this spring to help out, please!!!!

#City of Saskatoon #Clean up #Earth day #Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup #Meewasin Valley Authority #pitch-in week #Saskatchewan #spring #Tim Horton&039;s #trash clean up

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mnranger5 · 5 years

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A Houseboat Vacation, Voyager’s National Park, 5/23/19 – 5/27/19

Over the years, our family has done vacations via car, airliner, RV, train and passenger van. We’ve stayed at 5-Star Resorts, hotels bordering on 0-Stars, rental homes and under the stars in a tent. What they all have in common is that they all involved some kind of adventure. Not wanting to duplicate any trip we’ve ever done, we decided to embark on a HOUSEBOAT ADVENTURE with Dyan’s family into Voyager’s National Park in the Boundary Waters, one of the most remote and beautiful areas of the country.

Situated along the Minnesota – Canadian border, Voyager’s is mainly made up of three large lakes: Rainy Lake, Lake Kabetogama and Namakan Lake.

This place is a true fisherman’s paradise. Comprising nearly 300,000 acres, you could spend a week on a remote island and never see another boat. The pristine, unpressured water can result in trophy walleye, musky, northern pike and tough fighting smallmouth bass. Needless to say, when Dyan mentioned the idea of a trip here, I was ALL IN.

Joining us on the trip were Mike, Rachel, Madison and Morgan as well as Dean and Deb. Voyager’s is Dean’s old stomping grounds. Before the national park was created in 1979, Dean’s dad had a cabin on Kubel Island. Dean would bring Dyan, Rachel and Amanda up to the cabin on memorable summer vacations when the girls were little. After Dean’s dad passed, the property was ceded to the National Park. Dean still makes annual trips to the area, and is an expert navigator of the park’s waterways. One of the great things about having Dean with us is that he knows where to go, and where to stay away from. He also claimed that the big smallmouth couldn’t resist a green Mepps in-line spinnerbait…we’d see about that.

5/23/19

At 7AM, we were on the road heading north, a caravan so-to-speak.

We had four trucks and two boats (the Blaniels needed both our rides in order to fit all seven of us + the boat + our stuff).

We made a quick stop in Ham Lake for breakfast, another in Cloquet for gas, and a final in Orr for some lunch and bait. We made great time rolling into Ebel’s Voyager Houseboats on the Ash River Trail at 1PM.

First order of business was unloading all our gear into the houseboat and launching the bass boats.

Promptly at 2PM, we broke away from the dock and headed north up the Ash River.

The river is too narrow to pull the boats behind the houseboat, so Mike and I cruised out ahead of the mothership until we reached Sullivan Bay. This was the first time I really had a stretch to open the new Mercury motor up. I stepped on the gas and ripped across the lake, with no regard to what was going on inside my boat. In my excitement to hit 60mph, I never secured the container of nightcrawlers that ‘had’ been sitting on the bow of the boat by the trolling motor. I say ‘had’ because they were no longer on the bow of the boat. The container got picked up in the onslaught of wind and the entire contents spilled out all over my brand new boat. I had worms and soggy dirt everywhere (to go along with my trolling motor oil). This boat was a disaster. As I was cleaning up my boat in the middle of the channel, Mike and Aidan were busy casting a rocky looking shoreline, and picked up 3 pike in less than 10 minutes!

When Dean caught up to us, Mike and I tied off the Nitros and let them dangle off the back of the houseboat, side by side.

We putzed to the east for about three hours before reaching the east side of McManus Island, our first campsite of the weekend.

Just before arriving, Mike and I took the Nitros up to the island and scouted out the deepest part on the beach for which to beach the houseboat. Once we radioed in the correct line, Dean flawlessly pulled the houseboat right up on shore. Mike and I tied off the houseboat at 45 degree angles and drew the plank from the bow onto the sandy beach. In moments, the kids swarmed like gnats at a BBQ. The kids were everywhere. In the woods, out of the woods, in the water, out of the water, in the boat and out of the boat. We scavenged the island for wood to throw in our sputtering campfire. All the wood was waterlogged from our record wet spring, so getting the fire going was a challenge.

As the kids explored the island, and the girls prepared Dyan’s homemade lasagna dinner, Mike and I headed out for a couple of hours of fishing. It was chilly, with temps only in the low 50’s, Mike had better luck than I as he hooked into a couple of smallmouth as we tried shallow and deep around the Wolfpack Islands. In the spirit of some friendly competition, Mike made sure to get my boat in the background of his fish picture. This picture was the closest my boat would get to a fish that day.

Back at the campsite, birthday cupcakes were being consumed as the girls celebrated Madison’s birthday.

That evening, we hung out around the campfire as the sun lit up the tree tops across the bay…it looked, and felt almost fall-like.

As it got darker, I made a quick walk to the other side of the island and caught this pretty sunset.

5/24/19

I was up early, around 5:45. I looked out the window. Mike had already taken off in search of a honey hole. I quickly got dressed and headed out to the boat. What a glorious morning.

I headed around the north tip of Sheen Island and fished the channel to the west of Sheen and McManus. I was marking fish in 20FOW, but didn’t know what species they were, or what they would bite on. I tried the jerkbait, crankbait, spinnerbait, dropshot and shakeyhead. Nothing. After an hour of fishing, Mike pulled up beside me and I told him I had a spot I wanted to try. It was a barely visible rock pile in the middle of Randolph Bay. We both buzzed over to the spot. Mike fished the north side of the rocks, I fished the south side. Immediately, Mike got bit on his first two casts, and then got a third bigger fish a short while later.

Both of us were using deep running jerkbaits, but I could not seem to get bit. At 8, we headed back to the houseboat for some breakfast.

The kids were getting a bit restless, they wanted some excitement. As we pushed off the island in route to our next campsite, the girls came with me for a boat ride while Aidan went with Mike for some fishing. We blazed across the lake in the chilly damp air as the girls laid across the casting deck and shrieked with enjoyment.

We couldn’t hit waves big enough for them. We couldn’t go fast enough for them. We couldn’t stay out long enough for them! They were having a ball. About the time we were heading in to tie up to the mothership, Brianna got hooked up with my crankbait. That’s the biggest and best thing I would catch all weekend!

The morning cruise to the Pike Bay campground was much shorter, maybe 90 minutes. Dean captained the houseboat perfectly as he navigated the often tricky waters. He’d probably say it was a piece of cake, but after looking at the dings on the bottom of my boat after the weekend, it absolutely was no cakewalk.

After the houseboat was tied off on the beach, first order of business was a fire, and some exploring. The girls hiked into the woods in search of birch bark for the fire. Aidan chopped wood with the axe.

After only one day, we were a well oiled machine in terms of gathering wood and getting the fire going. Well, most of us were a well-oiled machine. Nice work or retrieving some birch bark ladies...

After lunch, the rain started coming down. Aidan and I went fishing in an unnamed area southeast of Juniper Island. The bite finally turned on for me. Using a jerkbait, I picked up 3 species of fish in less than an hour. My first fish was a 20” northern pike. The second fish was a 15” walleye. And finally, my third fish was exactly what I had been hunting for – a chunky smallmouth bass. mike also caught a couple more smallies.

We saved the walleye in the livewell in case we caught a few more to fillet up.

Later that afternoon, we played a kid-friendly version of Farkle and the kids tried out the teenie weenie hot tub on the roof of the houseboat. They loved it!

While everybody was busy having a good time, Mike and I snuck out on his boat for a little more fishing in the rain. Once again, we headed over to the same area we had fished earlier in the day. Our focus was on isolated rocks or rocky points. Mike and I were both throwing jerkbaits. We caught 2-3 fish on every spot we stopped at. It was actually pretty comical with the amount of smallmouth flying through the air as we flipped them into the boat. I stopped keeping track around a dozen fish, but it would not surprise me if we hauled in 30+ smallies in the few hours we were out. Only one of the fish we had on was a true giant (guessing 5+ pounds?), but Mike lost that one right at the boat. Mike also reeled in another keeper walleye which we knew Aidan would want to eat, so that one went into the livewell. Also in the livewell were our biggest smallies of the evening which we kept so that we could get some pictures back at camp.

The funniest fishing story of the afternoon happened right next to the houseboat. As Mike and I were wrapping up fishing, for the evening, we both made a final cast. Mike had a fish slam his jerk bait. Just as quick as it slammed the jerk bait, his line snapped. The fish was gone. He was not happy. It was his last deep running jerk bait he brought with him, and that was the only bait that was constantly landing fish. As I was retrieving my lure to finish the evening, I snagged a fishing line. At first I quizzically looked at the line wondering whose line I caught, then realized, it was probably Mike’s. I started pulling on the line and hand reeled in his Northern Pike. Mike had his lure back!

We had baked mac & cheese for dinner before settling in at the dining room table to recap the fishing stories with the rest of the adults. We also began the lengthy process of getting everybody’s phone accessible for airdropping pictures. This ended up being a fun way to share everybody’s pictures from the day.

5/25/19

Today was our longest houseboat ride of the trip, so morning fishing was cut a bit short, which was fine. The fish weren’t biting other than a couple of small pike. After returning to camp and having breakfast, Mike, Aidan and Madison filleted up our couple of walleyes much to Aidan’s pleasure! He was so excited for walleye dinner!

By 8AM, we were pushing off the beach and heading to our next campsite in Mica Bay. During the boat ride, kids watched movies on iPads, colored at the table and helped Puppa steer the boat.

We arrived in Mica at 11AM and on cue, the sun broke through the clouds for the first time of the weekend. It felt glorious.

The beach was awesome, so we promptly built up a fire as the kids explored and gathered birch.

The girls even found time to create hand’s free cup holders for their next boat ride.

We had some delicious venison sloppy joes for lunch before all boarding on the Nitros and heading to Kettle Falls, the junction of Namakan Lake and Rainy Lake. Kettle Falls is one of the few unique places in the United States that you can look south and see Canada.

Popular with loggers, and fur traders in days past, the Kettle Falls Hotel still remains as the national park’s only full service lodging catering mainly to anglers today.

The bar is as unique as they come with a slanted floor the kid’s loved as they danced to old saloon music bellowing from the classic jukebox.

We spent some time touring the property and the Kettle Falls Dam before heading back to the marina and getting ice cream at the outpost.

As the kids enjoyed their ice cream on the dock, Mike and I raided the outpost looking for deep running jerkbaits. I snagged a couple at $17/lure but Mike damn near bought out the store. He invested so much money in the store it became a running joke that he was now part owner of the outpost.

After returning to the houseboat and dropping off the kids, Mike and Dean and I took the Nitros out fishing. We caught nothing in the beautiful afternoon sun. However, at one point, I one of my boat bumpers flew out of the boat. I circled around to retrieve the bumper when I noticed a school of giant fish on my graph in about 20 FOW. I had no idea what they were, but they were big marks. I quickly decided to fish instead of retrieving the bumper. I’d keep an eye on it and retrieve it after I had fished the spot. I hit spot lock on the trolling motor. I dug in my rod locker and found a drop shot setup. The weight on the drop shot was tangled a bit with my other rods so it took some time to get it sorted out. By the time I was ready to fish, they were no longer on my graph. To make matters worse, the bumper had drifted at least a hundred yards away and was now skirting the shoreline of a rocky island. I motored in close to the island. It was treacherous with giant boulders just under the water’s surface. I banged the skeg on the lower unit a couple of times…. hope I don’t put any holes in the bottom of the boat. I did get close enough to net the bumper and safely get away from the island. However, that was when Mike hopped on the radio and asked something to the tune of whether I had a Canadian fishing license. In my quest to get the bumper, I had crossed into Canada and was currently an illegal alien. I promptly crossed back into the Minnesota and looked for a more legal fishing location.

While we didn’t catch any fish that afternoon, we did make a trip to the house of Dean’s long-time family friends, Skully and Sandy. They own a home on Kubel Island. Dean’s Dad used to live in the cabin next door to Skully and Sandy. The friendships run deep, the alcohol runs freely, and the colorful stories Skully cooks up run from one to the next, not knowing where one stops and the next begins. After a couple beers with Skully and Sandy, we headed back to camp for dinner and a boat ride with the kids.

After dinner, we did some more fishing, working entirely around Mica Island. I got bit right off the bat using a square bill crankbait around fallen timber. I picked up the first three fish of the evening, the largest being about 2.5lbs. As we approached a tree, I called it out for Aidan, telling him to cast that tree until he got a bite. On Aidan’s first cast, he turned the reel one time before yelling out, “I got one!” I turned around to see Aidan line pulling around to the back side of the boat. This fish was a fighter! The fish thrashed around in the water and Aidan perfectly pulled him up next to the boat. I reached into the 47 degree water and plucked the brown fish out. Aidan had his first smallmouth bass ever!

We continued around the island picking up two more small smallies. At one point I got snagged on a rock. Trying to keep a safe distance from the shallow rocky area, I tried my best to position the boat and pop the lure off the rock with one hand. On one of those pops, my St Croix rod slipped from my hand and dove into the lake. Horrified, I quickly started fishing for the rod in the water and fortunately was able to save the $200 rod. Whew! In the 10 seconds of chaos, my lure had popped off the rock, so I guess it was my lucky day. But that was a good place to end the night. We headed back to camp, with Mike and Dean trailing just behind.

Once we rendezvoused back at the houseboat, Dean showed everybody his big fish for the night! Holy cow, that thing looks like a football!

At 4.5 pounds, that giant would be the biggest fish on the weekend. And guess what, he caught it using a green Mepps inline spinner bait, exactly what he recommended earlier in the trip. Damn, I should have listened to him earlier. Next time I come, I guarantee you I will either have one in my tacklebox or I’ll buy one at Mike’s Bait and Tackle Outpost! That night, we airdropped, had a few beverages and called it an early evening.

5/26/19

We were up early, and on the water fishing by 6AM. We fished the current down near Kettle Falls. At our first stop, I picked up a pike and a couple of smallmouth in the first 10 minutes, but after that, fishing shut down for Aidan and I. Fishing was slow for Mike too, as he had this two pounder to show for his efforts.

Around 9AM, we were on our way to our final and best campsite of the weekend, Kubel Island. Specifically, right in front of the former site where Dean’s family vacation cabin used to sit. Unmarked on any map, this site sits on a wooded rocky shoreline, going unnoticed by boats passing by. It isn’t a recognized park campsite, nor ideal for a houseboat - which is all the better because it’s unassuming location means most anglers, and tourist don’t even know it’s there.

This site was almost perfect for us… except, the shallow bay meant the houseboat beached about 10 feet further from the shoreline than the plank would stretch. Dean took a second run at the shoreline, trying to drive the houseboat as close to the shore as possible. The result was the same. We pulled the walking plank out from the houseboat. It was still about 10 feet short. I could tell Dean was having second thoughts about staying here if everybody could not get to sand without having to walk about 10 feet in the water. But this is where we needed to stay. This is kind of like a home away from home for Dean. I suggested we build a walkway from the plank, to the beach. The idea got mixed reviews at first, but after Mike and I started to build the foundation for the walkway by moving some heavy rocks, the idea started to gain a little traction with everybody. For about 30 minutes, we moved boulders and built up the base of the walkway. I suggested we build the walkway out with some wood, and Dean thought Skully probably had something we could use. Mike and I made the quick run next door to Skully’s and acquired a couple 4”x4”x8’ posts. We layed the posts on top of the rock foundation and our plank was ready to roll!

The kids spread out collecting birch bark while exploring.

Mike, Dean and I built a raging fire. Easily, the best fire of the weekend.

The kids spent hours playing on the beach and the wooded pathways between the Dean’s site and Skully’s house. Dean told stories of where the cabin use to be and where the kids played on the beach. This place holds a lot of special memories for the Daniels Clan.

While the girls spent time at Skully’s exploring the exposed walkway above the kitchen, Aidan provided some laughs by attempting to fillet a minnow in front of an small audience and Deb & Morgan caught up on some much needed Z’s. The girls also decided to play with the leaches we bought because it’s apparently fun to let them stick to your finger… unless your Aidan, because he informed us he wouldn’t touch a leach because they suck all the blood out of you. Yikes.

Just before supper time, Mike and I gave all the kids boat rides as we cruised around the island intentionally hopping each other’s wakes. It was chilly, but the kids were having a ball.

In fact, whether it was inside or out of the boat, the kids really enjoyed this area.

After dinner, Mike and I made the decision to go fishing one last time. We made the long run down to the Juniper Island area, where we had caught all the fish a couple of days ago. It was about a 20 minute boat ride at 60mph. With the sun already set, we didn’t have much time to fish before dark - maybe 90 minutes?

Right away, we started getting after the fish. Once again, the smallmouth were salivating for deep running jerkbaits. We caught about a dozen fish before returning back to the houseboat. We saved some of our best fish in the live well, but since it was dark, Mike wasn’t able to make out the size of the fish very well when removing them, or so he said... We brought them inside for a quick picture before releasing them.

After reviewing the picture in our nightly airdrop session, Mike obviously wasn’t very fair in divvying up the fish! I know I caught one of the fish he was holding. Good times and big laughs after that.

5/27/19

I woke up around 5AM but decided against fishing, as did Mike. Sleeping an extra couple of hours was a better choice. Around 7AM, the kids and adults were stirring. We did a quick cold cereal breakfast before pushing off from Kubel Island and heading back the Ebel’s on the Ash River.

The trip was so incredibly awesome. First off, the kids have never been to this area of MN, so I was excited to bring them here. Second, as a family, we’ve never spent an extended amount of time with Dean and Deb. We had a great time with them, shared a great number a laughs and hope we’ll get to do this together in the future. Third, I’ve never fished this area, so it was incredibly fun to spend as much time catching as many smallmouth as we did. Fourth, houseboat vacations are completely underrated if you have somebody (Dean & Mike) that know what they are doing! And last, I am so happy that Aidan stayed safe on the trip. Afterall, he could have been eaten by a freshwater shark, mauled by a bear, had all his blood sucked out by a leach, or fallen out of a boat when going through some waves. I am happy to report, Aidan came home in one piece.

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roundtheworldrambles · 5 years

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Melbourne, Australia

Day 95 – Melbourne, Australia

James dropped me off at the Launceston Airport in the morning, a small regional airport on the outskirts of town. It was only two days before Christmas when I touched down in Melbourne – home to many extended family members, and where my grandmother Noelle had grown up! After more than 3 months of travelling, I was thrilled to spend the holidays down-under, relaxing and visiting with my Aussie fam.

My second cousin Peter and his 3-year-old son Fraser were there to greet me at the airport – Fraser completely mesmerized by the rumble of plane traffic overhead. We drove South into the city, arriving in Peter and his wife Zoe’s home in North Fitzroy, a charming neighbourhood full of leafy avenues and historic Victorian architecture, with beautifully designed wrought-iron terraces facing the streets. Cute neighbourhood pubs seemed to be on every corner, their sunny patios full of people on vacation mode.

Peter, Zoe, Fraser and I headed down to Port Melbourne beach for the rest of the afternoon, walking along the boardwalk and playing in the sand with Fraser. Hungry after a day basking in the sun, we headed to Lygon Street – Melbourne’s Little Italy – for a delicious pizza dinner. It was so wonderful getting to spend time with them again – as it had been a number of years since they had last visited our family in Canada. Returning home for the evening, Zoe and I had a Christmas baking party, and began to work on the Globe and Mail’s Christmas crossword – a famous Thomson/Campbell family tradition – where all of our families compete to finish it the fastest over the holidays! It was a wonderful first day in Melbourne.

Meeting Santa with Fraser!

Day 96 – Melbourne and Olinda, Australia

Today was Christmas Eve Down Under! The Cope Family and I bumped around North Fitzroy in the morning, running errands to prepare for Christmas with the rest of my extended Aussie family. In honour of the Canadian in their midst – the Copes decided that we would go to pick up a Christmas tree on our way to Olinda, the Eastern Township where our family summer cottage is located. Fraser was completely thrilled by this plan – as this would be his first Christmas tree! We had a riot running up and down rows of pine trees, giving piggy-back rides and picking the perfect tree. It was a strange shift for me doing this in the height of summer, when I was used to trekking through snowbanks back home when searching for the Campbell family tree!

Fraser’s First Christmas Tree!

We arrive at Olinda in the mid afternoon, to the family cottage fondly known as “Ben-Kari” by the Cope/Jackson clan. Located in the Dandenong Ranges about 1 hour East of Melbourne, Olinda is a quiet respite from the bustle of city life. Surrounded by a tall, thick forest, this cooler, mountainous region is full of unique Australian vegetation and flowers, many of which I had never seen before. This ramshackle country home has been in the Jackson Family (my grandmother’s family) for many years, and has over time has fallen into some disrepair, with countless upgrades and renovations needed. Peter and Zoe were planning to eventually move to Ben-Kari full-time, and had begun to gradually chip away at some of the bigger projects around the property. When I arrived, it felt like stepping back in time, as the property looked no different than my last visit to Australia over 16 years earlier. Big, overgrown trees and hydrangea bushes spilled over the paths, with cockatoos chirping in the canopy overhead.

Decorating the Tree at Ben-Kari

Zoe’s brother Ben joined us in the late afternoon, and along with Fraser, we set to task putting up the Christmas Tree, and decorating it with vintage ornaments found in the cottage.

After dinner, a few glasses of eggnog (which the Aussies make strong!) and board games, we crashed for the evening, looking forward to the arrival of the rest of our family for Aussie Christmas the following morning.

Day 97 – Christmas Day, Olinda

Christmas at Olinda

Christmas Down Under has finally arrived! I shared the holidays at Ben-Kari with Peter (my second cousin), his wife Zoe, their son Fraser, Julie (my mother’s first cousin) & her husband Jeff, Ann & Mike (Zoe’s parents) and Zoe’s brother Ben. It was a beautiful, sunny Christmas morning as we unwrapped presents under the tree, and skyped my family in Canada (on their Christmas eve!). Peter and Zoe were kind enough to gift me with tickets to the Big Bash Cricket game in Melbourne a few days later!

Bush Christmas Dinner at Olinda

In the afternoon, we set up a table outside for Christmas dinner, complete with bush flowers and hydrangeas picked from around Ben-Kari! Comically, our dinner was accompanied by “music” of the many Kookaburras cackling in the nearby trees. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the good weather outdoors, and in true Australian form – we finished off the holiday with a round of backyard cricket (complete with garbage bins as our wickets!). However, none of us were very good – as we were constantly loosing cricket balls in the deep bush around Olinda.

Day 98-99 – Mount Martha, Australia

In the morning, we cleaned up from the Christmas celebrations at Ben-Kari and headed down to the Mornington Peninsula, where my other cousin Liane lived with her husband Lachlan, his son Lewis, and their 1-year-old daughter Macy in the seaside town of Mouth Martha. We spent the next two days relaxing on the beach and enjoying the company of our family, complete with a yoga class with Liane.

Mount Martha Beach

Day 100 – Mornington Peninsula, Australia

Geoff, Liane and I went on a walk in Mornington Peninsula in the morning to look for kangaroos – and were lucky to spot many big Eastern Greys, bounding around in the wild. They were huge!

Eastern Grey Kangaroos in the wild

In the afternoon we went hiking around Cape Schanck with Peter, Zoe and Fraser, careful to watch out for Tiger Snakes in the undergrowth! Cape Schanck is at the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula and separates the rough ocean waters of Bass Strait from calmer waters of Western Port, where Melbourne’s harbour is located. We hiked all the way out to the colourful Pulpit Rock, where people were hunting for clams along the shoreline, taking advantage of the low tide. We stopped by a few beautiful wineries in Mornington before returning to Melbourne for dinner at Julie and Geoff’s. From their patio, I was lucky to see a few frog-mouthed birds sleeping in a nearby tree. This odd-looking, nocturnal birds gradually began to wake up as the sun went down, before flying off into the night, on their search for insects!

Cape Schanck

Day 101 – Melbourne, Australia

After all the holidays and family reunions – today was finally the day I explored Melbourne! I walked around Federation Square and the Central Business District, admiring the incredible Victorian Architecture of the city. I was lucky to stumble upon Koorie Heritage Trust by Flinders Steet Station, a non-for-profit organization that supports, promotes and celebrates the culture of the Indigenous peoples of south-east Australia. I have always loved the indigenous art in Australia, in particular the unique dot-style paintings. I had a wonderful time exploring this gallery and learning more about their culture and art.

One of Melbourne’s Historic Arcades

I continued onwards to Hosier Street, a nearby pedestrian laneway and a celebrated landmark of the city. Lined with stylized graffiti and sophisticated urban art, I wandered along the street, taking in the colourful murals and enjoying the sights – despite the pouring rain which swept in for the rest of the afternoon! Taking shelter indoors, I explored Melbourne’s many historic, indoor arcades, with glass roofs and intricately tiled floors. Heading over to Queen Victoria Market, a massive open-air market from the 19th century, I browsed the stalls, and picked up a few Australian Christmas ornaments as souvenirs! I met up with Peter and Zoe for dinner in downtown Melbourne, before we headed over to the Docklands stadium for a Big Bash Cricket Game, with the Melbourne Renegades. This was my first cricket game, and a ton of fun! Peter, Zoe and I had a great time cheering on their team, complete with some stadium beers and Aussie meat pies between innings!

Watching the Melbourne Renegades play

Day 102 – Melbourne, Australia

I spent the morning with Geoff and Julie in East Melbourne, enjoying my last day in the city with them! Mid-day, I headed to St. Kilda to meet my cousin Hannah, who I last saw when she visited Canada, almost 8 years earlier! She and her boyfriend took me out for a sushi lunch and a movie, and we explored St. Kilda together. We spent the evening back at her place, catching up and swapping stories over dinner and some wine. It was wonderful spending time with her again after so many years!

#australia

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hey-there-nature · 7 years

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Happy Earth Day!

It’s impossible to avoid hearing about all the issues facing our planet these days - climate change, deforestation, pollution, certain government administrations....

Wouldn’t it feel great to take even a small action against those threats? Today’s a great day to make an actual, tangible contribution to protect the planet from these threats! I’ve listed some fantastic environmental organizations below. If you have anything to spare - even just $5! - just click one of the links below to donate:

A personal favourite of mine, the Vancouver Aquarium’s Killer Whale Adoption Program, which funds ongoing research on an exceptionally well-known wild killer whale population. You can donate small amounts or, if you can swing it, symbolically adopt a wild whale.

For Canada:

CPAWS, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, is dedicated to preserving large natural areas.

Nature Conservancy Canada protects vulnerable species & focuses on preserving natural environments.

For the USA:

The National Resources Defense Council does excellent work protecting environmental resources, particularly through legal avenues.

The Environmental Defense Fund also does excellent work protecting natural habitats and working on environmental policy.

The National Audubon Society is matching Earth Day donations so your $5 will double in value! Their work funds research and conservation strategies, primarily focused on birds. (Looks like only Americans can donate though!)

If donating isn’t feasible today, why not look up a local initiative in your community? Every community has some kind of environmental volunteer opportunities - shoreline clean-ups, park clean-ups, recycling days, and more!

Happy Earth Day!

#Earth Day #Environment #Conservation #Wildlife #Nature #Donate if you can!#Also shout out to everyone who went to the Science Marches today!#Lmao what I accidentally posted this when it was only half-done and it was reblogged before I fixed it

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atlanticcanada · 6 years

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Ottawa launches online public consultation on plastic, marine waste

HALIFAX -- Environment Minister Catherine McKenna launched a public consultation on plastic garbage Sunday as Ottawa tries to develop a national strategy to cut back on how much plastic Canadians use and toss away.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to get other G7 nations to sign a zero plastics waste charter at the G7 leaders meeting this June in Charlevoix, Que., but Canada doesn't yet have a handle on what it wants to do about the problem domestically.

Speaking from the seaside community of Eastern Passage, N.S., McKenna used Earth Day on Sunday to announce a public online consultation to help pinpoint ways for the country to eliminate plastic waste and reduce marine litter.

"We want to hear from Canadians about how we tackle pollution and waste," she said, flanked by Nova Scotia Environment Minister Iain Rankin and Nova Scotian MPs Darrell Samson and Andy Fillmore.

"It's not just cleaning up after the fact: it's actually being thoughtful about how we reduce, how we recycle, how we compost."

The announcement was made shortly before dozens of volunteers flocked to McNabs Island in the Halifax Harbour and McCormacks Beach in Eastern Passage to pick up litter as part of an Earth Day shoreline cleanup event.

According to the federal government, more than 150 million tonnes of plastic waste is clogging the oceans worldwide. It's estimated that plastic could outweigh fish by 2050.

Greenpeace Canada also used Earth Day Sunday to kick off a national campaign with a tool kit to help Canadians find ways to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. The organization says Canadians generate about 3.25 million tonnes of plastic garbage each year, which they say could fill 140,000 garbage trucks. The campaign includes encouraging people to take their complaints about plastic-covered produce and overly wrapped food products to the manager at their local grocery store, write letters to the editor and lobby local politicians to enact anti-plastics policies.

Trudeau caught some heat from Greenpeace last week when he wouldn't agree to a ban on plastic drinking straws, something British Prime Minister Theresa May is enacting in the United Kingdom. The U.K. already saw a drastic drop in the use of plastic grocery bags when it started charging people for them in October 2015.

Many other countries, including Taiwan, Kenya, Rwanda, Italy and France, have enacted bans or limits on plastic grocery bags and straws. Even Queen Elizabeth is on board, banning single-use plastics entirely from royal residences and cafes.

McKenna, however, told The Canadian Press Sunday that Canada is a federation, and has to work with provinces and municipalities, where the jurisdiction for most garbage-related matters lies.

"It's a very complex issue, and it's not just about plastic straws," McKenna said.

Monique Breau showed up at McCormacks Beach Sunday morning with her 5-year-old son Jonas to help clean up litter.

She said it's never too early to teach children about the importance of protecting the environment.

"I want him to be able to eat fish when he's an adult," said Breau. "I want him to be able to play on a beach and not worry about plastic waste everywhere."

Jonas, who was armed with a trash grabber nearly as tall as he was, seemed to have a good idea about how recycling works.

"We throw it in the plastic bin and we make it (into) new stuff," he said.

The event was organized by the Nova Scotia-based non-profit Ecology Action Centre, in partnership with Friends of McNabs Island, Oceans North, and Ocean Conservancy.

Heather Grant, the centre's marine communications coordinator, said the event presented an opportunity for Nova Scotians to learn what they can do better to protect the environment.

"As a coastal province, Nova Scotia obviously has a huge stake in the health of the marine environment," said Grant. "So having people come to clean up the beaches is a great way to get local people engaged and invested in the health of the oceans that the province depends on."

Louie Porta, vice-president of operations and projects for Oceans North, said garbage in the ocean can work its way up the food chain as bigger marine animals eat smaller ones that may have eaten plastic.

It can also contaminate the water and create health risks for people.

"The environment doesn't know how to process plastic and waste. All of the waste going into the ocean isn't coming back out," said Porta. "We need to stem the tide of the waste going into the ocean."

- with files from Mia Rabson in Ottawa.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/2HmDwnt

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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charllieeldridge · 5 years

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A Travel Guide to The Aomori Prefecture in Tohoku, Japan

Beaming with natural beauty, tasty food, welcoming locals and historical sites, Aomori Japan has a little something for everyone. Located at the northern tip of the main Honshu Island, the Aomori prefecture surprised and delighted us at every turn, and left us wanting more.

With easy transport options from the capital city of Tokyo, and relatively untouched nature, it’s easy to see why the Lonely Planet listed the Tohoku region as one of their “Best In Travel” destinations for 2020!

Read on to learn about our experience in Aomori, including the things to do there, how to get around, what to expect, where to stay and more.

An Introduction to Aomori

The Tohoku region is comprised of Aomori and 5 other prefectures (which are similar to states/provinces) — Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, and Yamagata. But, the capital city of the Aomori prefecture is also called Aomori.

It’s a little bit confusing!

The pretty nature surrounding the Oirase Stream

During our recent trip to Japan, we visited the Tohoku region but only the prefectures of Aomori and Akita. It was just a teaser of what this beautiful part of the country has to offer.

Tohoku is known for its incredible natural beauty and welcoming locals, but on top of those things, Aomori, in particular, is also famous for its tasty food.

It’s the largest producer of apples (you’ve probably heard of Fuji apples?), has an abundance of seafood on offer (scallops and affordable sushi), and due to the chilly winters, some hearty, comfort foods are available as well (try the beef bara-yaki, and the vegetable soup kenoshiru).

With volcanoes, mountains, lakes, hot springs, historical sites, parks, and food…Aomori really has it all.

From Tokyo Station, we hopped on the Shinkansen bullet train bound for Shin-Aomori station. The trains in Japan are reliable, efficient, clean…and silent! Talking loudly on a train is a big no-no in Japan.

With a three hour and ten-minute journey ahead of us, we sat back and enjoyed the scenery on the way to Aomori. Not only are the trains comfortable, but they have plug-ins, free wifi, bathrooms and an attendant that comes around offering drinks and snacks.

We arrived at our hotel around 4:00 pm, and between that time and when we went to bed, we had so many wonderful encounters with the people of Aomori City. One man invited us to watch a rugby match on TV with him and his friends, another stopped us in the street to chat about what we were doing in Aomori (and to practice his English), and another just wished us a nice trip.

Our first meal in Aomori was sushi – affordable and delicious!

After meeting some kind people, and devouring some of the freshest, delicious and most affordable sushi we’ve had in Japan (at Asuka Sushi Bar), it was time to call it a night.

Our first impressions of this region of Japan were very positive and we couldn’t wait to explore more.

Things To Do in Aomori Prefecture

During our previous visits to Japan, we spent time in Kyoto, Tokyo and Takayama. Apart from some small walks in Takayama, we pretty much just experienced city life and numerous cultural sites as well. This time around, we were looking forward to seeing the natural beauty of Japan — which Tohoku has in spades.

There are a few main areas that are of interest to tourists in this prefecture — Hirosaki, Aomori City, Towada Hachimantai National Park, and Fukaura.

Many of the things to do in Aomori are focused around the stunning Towada Hachimantai National Park, which spans 862 sq. km (333 sq. miles). Here’s a list of some of the top things to do in the Aomori prefecture, based on my firsthand experience.

Canoeing on Lake Towada

A highlight of our entire trip to the region was the hours spent canoeing on the crystal-clear Towada Lake.

This crater lake spans between the prefectures of Akita and Aomori, and has a surprisingly undeveloped coastline. After a quick safety briefing and demonstration from the canoe guide (Ota-san) at Towadako Guidehouse, we were ready to hit the lake. We’ve done lots of kayaking in the past, but even though we’re Canadian, neither of us had properly canoed before!

Canoeing on Lake Towada was so much fun!

Finding our balance on the boat was easy and before we knew it we were gliding across the calm, crystal-clear water. This was such a peaceful experience and we enjoyed paddling alongside the colourful autumn leaves and rocky shoreline.

Lake Towada can be enjoyed year-round, but public transport only operates from April – November. To get here from Aomori City, take a bus to Yasumiya, which is the main transport hub of Lake Towada. If you have a JR Rail Pass, the bus is included with that pass. To learn more about canoeing on the lake with the company we paddled with, click here, and for more information on how to get from Aomori to Lake Towada, click here.

Wander Along the Oirase Gorge in Towada Hachimantai National Park

Flowing from Lake Towada is the Oirase Stream. Running alongside this stream is a 14-kilometer nature trail. This has been listed on many articles as one of the best things to do in Aomori, but for us, even though it was pretty, it wasn’t a major highlight.

Here’s the reason: it runs along a road.

On one side, you have a beautiful stream, some small waterfalls, and lush forest. But, on the other side of the trail, just steps away, is a road.

I’m sure that it’s not always this busy, but when we visited, it was a long weekend and many locals were here enjoying their day off. So, we had lots of foot traffic, and lots of vehicles passing by.

There’s just something about waterfalls

Regardless of how busy it was, we seemed to be the only ones who minded! And, we still enjoyed the fresh, humid air, the Kumoinotaki waterfall, and watching the local artists painting and photographing their beautiful backyard.

To get here, take the same bus that you would take for Lake Towada. Starting in Aomori, it passes through the Oirase Stream before terminating at Lake Towada. Click here for details on the bus route — again, it’s included with your JR Rail Pass.

Visit the Jogakura Bridge in Towada Hachimantai National Park

This might not be an ancient site, but this 122m high bridge is a beautiful viewpoint! This bridge connects two areas of the Aomori prefecture (Tsugaru and Nambu) and was built in 1995 to make crossing the Jogakura river easier.

When we visited, people were parking at either end of the bridge and walking the length to take photos from different angles. While it’s not somewhere you’d probably go and see specifically for just photos, it’s a great stop in between destinations.

The Jogakura Bridge offers an amazing view of the autumn colours in the fall, and snowy trees in winter.

View from the Jogakura Bridge, gorgeous during the autumn months

Eat All The Apples (Everywhere)

Since Aomori is known for its apple production, it’s no surprise that eating anything and everything to do with apples is a must. At pretty much every restaurant, you’ll find some sort of apple-inspired dish.

We stayed at the aptly named Apple Land Hotel, which had a beautiful ryokan style room and apples floating in the onsite onsen. There was an apple orchard in the backyard, and a massive restaurant with fantastic food featuring (you guessed it) apples! Apple desserts, apple curry, apple sauces, apple sake, apple beer, etc. were all on offer and it was all very tasty.

Another great place to sample some apple delights is at the French restaurant in Hirosaki, Chez Moi. Here, we dined on a 5-course lunch of cod, beef cheek, soup, and dessert — with apples infused into every dish. If you’re a foodie, you won’t want to miss this spot.

Want more apple action? You can actually pick apples at one of the many orchards in Aomori. Click here to learn more about that.

Aomori is known for its apples

Explore Shirakami-Sanchi Forest (Fukaura)

The pristine Shirakami-Sanchi forest area is actually a World Heritage Site. Spanning 130,000 hectares (321,000 acres) across the southwestern part of the Aomori prefecture and the northwestern part of the Akita prefecture, this beautiful place is a great spot to do some hiking around lakes while enjoying the world’s largest beech forest.

There are numerous trails to explore here, plus 33 lakes. “Juniko” translates to “twelve”, so it’s strange that this area of 33 lakes and ponds is called Juniko. We spent a couple of hours hiking around there and enjoying the red, orange and yellow leaves reflecting off of the many lakes. This is somewhere you could spend a whole day soaking up the natural beauty. Click here for a great (English) map of the area.

From Fukaura, it’s a 35-minute direct train ride to the Juniko Station.

One of the many amazing lakes at Juniko

Hirosaki Park (Hirosaki City)

Located in the city with the same name, this large park is a nice spot to wander around. This is considered one of the top 3 spots to view the cherry blossoms in the springtime (there are 2,600 trees planted here), and in the fall, you can enjoy the autumn leaves. Not only are the trees a highlight here, but the entire park is surrounded by a moat with small red bridges crossing the water, and historical gates.

The real highlight of Hirosaki Park is the 400-year-old castle — which is the last remaining one from the Edo Period in the Tohoku region.

The Hirosaki Castle’s temporary spot

When we visited, the castle had moved. That’s right, the entire castle itself was picked up in one piece, and moved 70m. Apparently, the base was becoming weak, and in order to preserve it, the castle was slowly moved to the side for the structure to be repaired. It’ll take around 10 years to completely restore the base and it’s expected to be moved back to its original place in 2026.

Also, don’t miss the view of the Iwake Volcano from the park!

Hirosaki Park is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and while it doesn’t cost anything to enter the main area of the park, if you want to see the castle, you’ll need to pay 320 yen ($2.95). You can also purchase a ticket which grants you entrance to the castle, botanical garden and memorial garden for 520 yen ($4.75). From Aomori City station, it’s around a 1-hour train ride to Hirosaki Station. From there, it’s a 25-minute walk to the park, or you can take a taxi.

Visit a Shinto Shrine

We’ve seen a few Shinto shrines around Japan, but here in Aomori prefecture, we visited the 1,200-year-old Iwakiyama Shrine and enjoyed the view of Mount Iwaki volcano in the background. It’s hard to spot, but when you’re walking towards the main shrine, there’s a left turn you can take. There, you’ll see a small hotspring with people sitting around with their feet soaking in the hot water.

Feel free to join in! We did this on the way back to the bus after checking out the shrine.

You’ll know you’re at a Shinto shrine based on the Torii Gates at the entrance. As with any religious building (church, mosque, temple, etc.) there are do’s and don’ts when it comes to visiting and praying at one, but there’s no need to stress and you should definitely visit one during your trip — keep in mind that as a tourist/guest, you won’t be expected to know all of these rules.

Entrance to the Iwakiyama Shinto Shrine

The main thing to keep in mind when entering a Shinto shrine is to bow before entering the torii gates and walk on either the left or right-hand side of the gates, as the center is reserved for the gods.

Before going into the main shrine, make sure to purify yourself with the water out front. Using the ladle, pour water over your left hand, followed by your right hand, and put some water into your hand to rinse out your mouth (but, don’t swallow the water). Once you’re at the shrine, put a coin into the donation box for the deity. Following that, clap your hands two times, say your prayer, clap two more times and bow.

That’s it.

Shintoism is a belief in the ancestors, nature and sacred powers. This faith originated in Japan in the 8th century and is as old as the culture itself. Shintoism has no scripture, books or propaganda and alongside Buddhism, it’s one of the top two beliefs in Japan.

To visit the Iwakiyama Shrine from Hirosaki, take the Konan bus bound for Karekitai from the Konan bus station, which is in front of the Hirosaki Train Station. It’s about a 40-minute bus ride. Alternatively, you can go on a tour, hire a driver, or rent your own vehicle.

Note: There is a hike you can do from the Iwakiyama shrine to the summit of Mt. Iwaki. This hike takes around 4 hours and if we had more time, we would’ve loved to trek that route. Learn more here.

More Things To Do in Aomori

During our visit, the Hokkada Ropeway (gondola) was under repair and sadly we weren’t able to ride it. But, this is one of the most popular things to do in the area, especially in the fall when you can enjoy an amazing vantage point of the mountains covered in fall colours.

Man painting a scene in Oirase

In the Aomori prefecture alone, there are 15 ski resorts. Needless to say, skiing is a popular winter activity here. To learn more about the numerous ski resorts on offer, click here.

The road between the Hakkoda Hotel and Sukayu Onsen is closed during the winter but reopens on April 1st each year. With high snowbanks on either side, walking and driving through this 10m high snowy corridor would be a pretty amazing sight — check out the cherry blossoms one day, and the snow wall the next!

For seafood lovers, don’t miss the Furukawa fish market (Aomori Gyosai Center) in Aomori City. Here you can create your own seafood rice bowl, called nokkedon. Fill your bowl with rice and top it with your choice of seafood — crab, squid, fish, scallops and more.

Getting To and From Aomori Prefecture

To get to Aomori from Tokyo, you can either fly with JAL or take the Shinkansen bullet train (which is what I recommend).

We travelled from Tokyo Station to Shin Aomori on the Shinkansen Hayabusa train (using our JR Rail Pass). This journey was around 3 hours and 20 minutes long. Once we arrived at Shin Aomori, we simply disembarked, walked down some stairs and found the local train line. It was about a 5-minute train ride on the JR Express Tsugaru from Shin Aomori station to Aomori.

Amazing view of the volcano and autumn colours in Hirosaki Park

Train stations in Japan can be a bit overwhelming. My biggest suggestion is to give yourself a lot of time on travel days. Arrive at the larger stations with plenty of time so you’re not feeling rushed or stressed out. Never be afraid to ask the attendants which gate you should be at, and how to get there. They speak enough English and are more than willing to help you out.

During our trip in Tohoku, we kept saying that having our own rental car would’ve been the best way to see all of the natural sites of Aomori. You can do it by public transport, but having your own wheels will allow you to stop at all the amazing viewpoints, and find your own quiet place for a picnic or a hike.

I don’t recommend hiring a car for the duration of your trip to Japan (as it can be pricey and public transport is so efficient), but maybe just for a day trip to the lakes or mountains in the area.

Final Thoughts

Prior to planning our trip to Aomori, we hadn’t even heard of the region of Tohoku, let alone the Aomori prefecture. Most people have heard of the popular spots in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc.), but if you want to escape the crowds and enjoy a more offtrack part of Japan, don’t miss this Northeast region of the country.

We were here on a quick visit to just get a feel for the prefecture — and even though it was a fast trip, we had a great experience! Due to all the amazing hiking and nature opportunities, we could’ve spent about 10 days – 2 weeks here and enjoyed a more relaxed travel pace.

Visiting Aomori can be done year-round, depending on what you’re interested in doing here. To witness the stunning cherry blossoms, you’ll want to visit at the end of April. Hirosaki Park is one of the top spots in all of the country to see the blossoms, so make sure to book your accommodation well in advance. For those who want to hit the slopes, reserve your accommodation in advance for the peak winter months.

If you want to swim in the Towada Lake, do some walking along the Tanasashi coast, experience the Nebuta Matsuri lantern festival, and enjoy a hot temperature, visit Aomori in the summer months (August for the festival).

Apple based dessert at Chez Moi restaurant – sooo good!

For a cooler, comfortable temperature and to witness the fall leaves changing colour, visit Aomori in October/November. The leaves can be viewed from many parts of the prefecture, but the Towada-Hachimantai National Park and the Hokkada Ropeway are great places to enjoy the view.

When you’re planning your next trip to Japan, consider Tohoku. With easy access from the capital, tasty foods and fewer tourists, it’s an area of the country you won’t want to miss.

We were invited by the Tohoku Tourism Board to explore the region and share our findings with you, our readers. This is an area of Japan we would happily return to and would love to spend more time here. As with all promotional campaigns on Goats On The Road, all thoughts, reviews and opinions remain our own — despite any complimentary services received.

The post A Travel Guide to The Aomori Prefecture in Tohoku, Japan appeared first on Goats On The Road.

A Travel Guide to The Aomori Prefecture in Tohoku, Japan published first on https://travelaspire.weebly.com/

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delicatelysublimeforester · 4 years

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#ShorelineSpotlights

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup celebrated International Shore Cleaning Month and hosted a Cleanup Across Canada. In the GCSC #ShorelineSpotlights, the Sept 19 clean up in Saskatoon at George Genereux Urban Regional Park was featured as follows.

Featured in the above image are Ivan and Ila owners of Ivan and Ila’s No Frills Store in Westage Plazawhich is located at 2410 22nd St W in…

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#GCSC #Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup #ShorelineSpotlights

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louellachittende-blog · 6 years

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10 Interesting Truths Concerning Chandigarh.

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vikingnomad-blog · 7 years

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Photos from Ripley’s Aquarium of Toronto

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Ripley’s Aquarium of Toronto

Ripley’s Aquarium of Toronto, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, opened to the public in October 2013. The 12,500 square metre (135,000 sq ft) facility holds 5.7 million litres (1.5 million gallons) of water. It holds both fresh and saltwater environments, each tailored to the creatures it houses. There are 13,500 animals from 450 different species housed in the Aquarium of Toronto.

The Aquarium of Toronto took a while to come to fruition. It was originally planned for Niagara Falls in 2007 but was moved to Toronto when things fell through. Construction began in 2011 and took just over two years to complete. The final cost was just under $130 million, $21 million contributed by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and millions more in property tax incentives from the City of Toronto.

As with any facility of this sort, the Aquarium of Toronto has come under fire by animal rights groups. There has also been a significant criticism of the capture of endangered tiger sharks. Great care was taken when building the aquarium to ensure the safety and health of the animals. For instance, special shielding was incorporated into the construction of the building to protect sharks from electrical fields.

Visit the Waters of the World

Visiting each of the nine exhibits takes you on a journey around the world and into some alien environments. There is a delicate balance struck between recreating a more natural environment for the animals and allowing guests to see creatures they would otherwise not have the chance to see.

The design of the exhibits allows for an immersive experience. Tanks are not just lined up along the walls. They run from floor to ceiling, they are built into stand-alone units, you even walk through a tunnel inside of one huge tank. Many of the tanks have rounded edges and rippled sides, to create a more natural, flowing feeling. The beauty of the building alone is pretty impressive.

In many places, the lighting is very dim (walkways are well defined and lit). This is to protect the animals who live deep in the sea with very little light. For that reason, flash photography is prohibited as well.

Canadian Waters

The first exhibit is Canadian Waters, which features animals from the northern Atlantic, northern Pacific, the Arctic Ocean, and many freshwater species from Canada’s plentiful lakes. Featured Species include a giant Pacific octopus, American lobster, cod, paddlefish, sturgeon, and wolf eel.

The Pacific octopus tank is set in the wall, with a portion that comes out into the walkway. It was fascinating to watch it move from one space to another. Show up at the right time and you will be able to catch octopus enrichment – basically playtime for the octopus.

One of the most impressive parts of this gallery is the massive Pacific kelp exhibit. It contains almost 360,000 litres of water. The huge tank is more than a story tall, with a spiraling walkway around it.

Rainbow Reef

The Rainbow Reef has animals from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It features coral reefs, home to a huge variety of sea life. Featured animals include the Picasso triggerfish, harlequin tuskfish, lunare wrasse, batfish, unicorn surgeonfish, and sailfin tang. You may even see a scuba diver or two, during one of the dive shows that happen daily.

The gallery is over 200,000 litres of water and contains more than 100 species of fish!

I enjoyed seeing this as I had recently returned from Mexico, where I had snorkeled at coral reefs for the first time. Many of the fish in the exhibit were the same ones I had seen on my trip.

Dangerous Lagoon

Dangerous Lagoon is probably the most awe-inspiring gallery in the Aquarium of Toronto. At 2.9 million litres of water, it is the largest exhibit in the facility. It has a long, winding glass tunnel that works its way through the tank, so you’re surrounded on both sides as well as above as you walk. It is home to some very impressive fish, including green sawfish, sand tiger sharks, green sea turtles, moray eels, lookdowns, and Queensland groupers.

It also has the longest moving sidewalk in North America. A word of warning, if you go to the Aquarium of Toronto during a busy time. There is often a line up to get on the sidewalk. If you are tempted to skip the line and walk under your own power, you can – however, you aren’t allowed to stop in the underwater tunnel. Staff ensured that everyone kept moving, so it’s hard to take photos, even when a huge sawfish swims over your head.

If you are a certified scuba diver over the age of 16, you can book a 30-minute ‘discovery dive’ in the lagoon. Be sure to book in advance, as of this writing, they were booked until the end of 2017.

Discovery Centre

The discovery centre is a hands-on gallery, designed to appeal to younger minds (and those of us who are young at heart). Many of the exhibits are a bit too small for adults, but there are still lots of interesting things to see and do.

Featured species in this area include the clownfish, blacktip reef sharks, wobbegong, zebra shark, and horseshoe crab. You can even reach out and touch the horseshoe crabs in the world’s largest touch tank.

The Gallery

The gallery has much smaller exhibits, containing some of the most delicate species from around the world. I was very excited to see some personal favourites here, including cuttlefish and the weedy sea dragon. Other featured species are a variety of seahorses, piranhas, electric eels, mudskippers, lionfish, and pipefish.

Ray Bay & Shoreline Gallery

A huge, 350,000-litre tank holds rays from four different species and the bonnethead shark. I could sit for hours and watch these graceful animals ‘fly’ through the water. It may not be one of the flashy parts of the Aquarium of Toronto, but it is one of the most tranquil. It provides a much-needed respite from the loud and busy parts of the exhibits.

Shoreline Gallery is the top of Ray Bay, so you can see the exhibit from a different angle. Here, you can interact with rays and sharks in special pools. For an extra fee, you can even get right in the water with them.

Planet Jellies

Planet Jellies was one of my favourite parts of the Aquarium of Toronto. It is dark, with the exhibits lit up in different colours to highlight the jellyfish. The exhibit feels like modern art meets jellyfish tank.

You can see many different types of jellyfish and see their different stages of development, from polyp to medusa. Don’t forget to look up to see the moon jellyfish in an overhead tank.

Life Support System

This gallery offers a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of the Aquarium of Toronto. See what it takes to keep all the water clean and the animals alive, with real-time numbers on display for the curious.

If you’re interested in visiting, the Ripley’s Aquarium of Toronto website has information on hours, ticket costs, and extra programs. Plan for a full day if you want to take your time or a full afternoon for a quick walkthrough.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Toronto – Ontario, Canada Photos from Ripley's Aquarium of Toronto Ripley's Aquarium of Toronto Ripley's Aquarium of Toronto, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, opened to the public in October 2013.

#aquarium #ripley&039;s aquarium of toronto #toronto aquarium #toronto fish #toronto sharks

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