My Homeland is on Fire
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead
This hurried snapshot is destined to become one of the iconic images of the climate crisis. It shows member of the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation fleeing their ancestral home in northern Ontario, minutes ahead of a wall of fire that consumed an entire world. Bill McKnibben Substack post
I’m mad as hell. My focus is on positive conservation stories in this blog space but last week I hit the wall when the US president told Prime Minister, Mark Carney, that Canada must do better controlling the smoke that was “invading” American cities.
Ontario, my home province, is on fire. More than180 wildfires are active this morning in the far north, including 12 that ignited in the last 24 hours. Ontario’s massive boreal forest covers over 50 million hectares stretching from the Great Lakes forests to the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Wildfires have burned through 7,250 square kilometers in the last 10 days forcing evacuation of 13 communities, 12 of them indigenous.
In my world when your neighbour’s home is on fire you show up to help. In fact, despite the inhumanity of a few American politicians in the current administration, there is a long history of neighbourly co-operation between Canada and the USA. The truth about the growing number of wildfires is they are a symptom of climate change. Scientists are clear, the best solution for fighting growing global wildfires is ending dependence on fossil fuels and choosing clean energy solutions.
I encourage you to read American climate activist Bill McKnibben’s excellent article on the impact of climate change on our Boreal forests in his latest Substack post. Climate change knows no borders. We are all living with the consequences, we all need to be part of the solution.
Okay, I’ve finished with my rant. I’d rather focus goods news in the climate action department. National Geographic Photographer and Sea Legacy Co-Founder, Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier, shared a story about Titouan Bernicot, a young man from French Polynesia gave Mitty the name “Ocean Mom”.
https://coralgardeners.org/
In Mo'orea, surfer Titouan Bernicot watched the reefs he grew up diving turn white and decided to act. What started as a local effort to regrow coral has become Coral Gardeners, a global movement of scientists, gardeners, and innovators working to identify resilient coral, grow it in nurseries, and restore reefs before it's too late. Titouan's story goes beyond the shores of Mo’orea, and is proof that one person who refuses to accept the death of a place can change the fate of it.
This is why the work of Coral Gardeners is so important, and why Titouan's story matters beyond the shores of Mo’orea. What began with one surfer who would not accept a bleached reef as the end has become a model for how coral reefs might be saved around the world.
Need a dose of hope and inspiration? Watch Titouan’s story in this inspiring 15min. film
I’m struck by the contrast of these two climate stories. There’s no doubt in my mind that threats, ignorance, isolationism and taxing those not responsible for damages increase conflict and contribute to the on-going destruction of the earth. It’s vision, compassion, determination, selfless dedication and hard work, education, generosity and mutual support that will heal us and this planet.
Yes, you can do something! Donate (no amount is too small) to leaders and climate visionaries, follow them, share their stories. Take action in your own back yard to protect nature: plant a garden, plant trees, go out into nature! Titouan Bernicot says it well “Conservation needs to be cool.”
https://coralgardeners.org/
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