Think Local
Recently I met with Fin Donnelly, Member of Parliament. It's not the first time I've been able to speak to him about the state of our planet. We talked about, among other things, some environmental issues that are a concern to the people in his riding and to me, as an environmental advocate. Fin has always been a defender of sustainability, nature and issues relating to the environment, especially as they relate to our local waters and oceans. It's because of his stewardship and championing for local ecosystems and the species within them that I have always been a fan. I like to think that if I were old enough to vote, I would vote for someone based on their policies more than their party, but that remains to be seen because I can't vote - yet!
During our conversation Fin made me aware of an opportunity that I would encourage others to consider if they want, like Fin, to be environmental stewards right here in British Columbia. Fin founded the Rivershed Society of B.C. after swimming the Fraser River (1370 km in length) over the course of a month. Since then he's taken part in over a dozen environmental swim marathons. One of the programs that has come out of this endeavour is the Sustainable Living Leadership Program that takes successful applicants down the Fraser River over the course of three weeks by various means of travel to visit communities along the river, to navigate and appreciate the various climate zones that visitors travel through along the way and to learn what it means to be sustainable. The end result is to develop your own sustainability project to be undertaken in your own community.
It's an amazing opportunity and one that offers participants the opportunity to give back as much as they receive from a trip such as this. If you want to find out more visit rivershed.com and see for yourself.