For the past three years a three-person Task Force, under the direction of ACAN, has operated the Altona  Community Garden. It has been a pleasure working together and alongside of the many residents of Altona who  have gardened there.  We are also particularly pleased that we have had the full and enthusiastic support of the  Altona Town Council. As a result, a lot of people have had a chance to eat locally-grown, organic vegetables. The garden has a truly international flavor, with about a third of the plots rented by new-comers to Altona. For  many of these gardeners, tending to their plots is an important social outing and in the process they meet and  develop relationships with other new-comers as well as long-time residents of Altona.  From the beginning, the garden has included a space at the centre of the garden known as The Commons. It has  been the meeting point for many gardeners where they access tools, water, compost, advice an...

  A few weeks ago we explored the idea that to be able to move forward together on the big topics  that divide us, we will need to be able to take the perspective of another -- to walk a mile in their  shoes, so to speak. I had a lot of positive feedback from that article (Seek First to Understand)  so it seems it struck a chord.  I also heard some folks saying, “But what about when there seems to be no way to dialogue?  When we just have such vastly different world views that there is no common ground to find, or,  maybe even worse, we don’t even want to try.” I have no simple answers, but I do have some more ideas for us all to consider. I recently listened  to some podcasts about bias that I think offer a few more ways forward.  Bias, in a nutshell, is the particular way we see the world. It is the colour of our glasses; the  filter through which we experience everything.    The trouble is that we tend to think we aren’t bia...

By David Suzuki with contributions from Senior Editor and Writer Ian Hanington - www.davidsuzuki.org As with the 2008-09 financial crisis, CO2 emissions have dropped during the pandemic. But the 2009  economic stimulus and recovery ignited a renewed spike in emissions. The measures revived struggling  economies and it wasn’t long before industrial interests were again fuelling engines of habitat destruction,  pollution, climate disruption and other environmental devastation. COVID-19 is revealing that recovery’s unstable foundation. As governments worldwide develop plans  to recover from this pandemic’s impacts, we have to ensure it’s a lasting recovery that puts us on track  to confront current and future threats, including the climate and biodiversity crises. An International Institute for Sustainable Development study, conducted at the request of leading Canadian  environmental organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation, argues any corporate ba...

  Dealing with a global pandemic has been a significant strain on the mental health of many  Canadians. So much change in such a short time has left us reeling, but a new study suggests  that time in nature may help. The study took a look at the effect of daily walks in nature on the mental health of the  participants. What they found was that they experienced a sense of wonder about the world  around them. Experiencing awe and wonder might sound nice, but scientists are discovering  just how powerful this is. Awe "is an interesting emotion, because it promotes what we call a 'small self,'" said lead  author Virginia Sturm, an associate professor in the departments of neurology as well as  psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the University of California.  "What that means is that when you feel awe, you feel smaller in relation to the larger world and  the universe around us … yet more connected," she said. All of the problems we perce...

  These days it seems there is no shortage of topics to disagree on. Trump? Trudeau? COVID19?  Climate Change? Conspiracy theories? How do you react when faced with a point of view that  is different from your own?  Recently I read a book entitled “I’m Right and You’re an Idiot” by James Hoggan. Isn’t that  exactly what we’re muttering under our breath so often these days? I have to admit it is often  my first reaction when I hear the latest opinions on the street or when scrolling through social  media. The book challenged me to listen to those whose opinions and beliefs differ from mine. Like   really listen. Not the kind of listening where we are actually just waiting for the chance to say  our piece, but listening with the kind of curiosity that helps us learn where someone is coming  from. To hear their story. To uncover the background for their beliefs.     A high school history teacher had us do an exercise where we all...

Many homeowners, whether urban or rural, enjoy the sights and sounds of birds on their yards through all  the seasons.  Spring and fall migration are the busiest times for bird sightings.  Bird feeders and bird baths  are very productive in attracting many species to stop over for shelter and food to strengthen them for  the next leg of their migration.  Bird feeders should include black oil seed, millet, nuts, currants or raisins,  diced apple, suet, and niger seed for finches.  Putting up nectar feeders and orange halves for the last  half of May and as soon as the first hummingbirds are spotted in fall, will help these tiny hummers during  their migration and provide opportunities for close up views and photography.  Orioles, both Baltimore and  Orchard varieties, will also frequent these feeders.  A cold snap in mid May can also bring certain  warbler species to your orange feeder because insects are not active....