{"id":314,"date":"2021-10-12T08:59:52","date_gmt":"2021-10-12T15:59:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/?p=314"},"modified":"2021-10-15T07:59:31","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T14:59:31","slug":"tiny-ecology-motivating-local-action-through-the-creation-of-green-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/tiny-ecology-motivating-local-action-through-the-creation-of-green-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiny Ecology: Motivating local action through the creation of green space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
The Gorge Waterway, Victoria, B.C.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNarratives situate events in a certain place and a certain time\u201d claim Bremer and Kra\u00df in their article titled \u2018The role of place-based narratives of change in climate risk governance.\u2019  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My initial thought as I sit, looking out over the Gorge waterway in my hometown of Victoria, B.C., is how much this place has changed in such a short amount of time.  Today, I watch locals (human and non-human) enjoy this space in a myriad of ways – there are cyclists, joggers, rowers, and paddle-boarders. Crows and seagulls dip close to the water, a blue heron stands stalk-still near the shore, and seals bob, keeping an eye out for kayakers who slip silently past. Less than 15 years ago these waters were considered toxic due to decades worth of pollution from sewage and industrial waste (CRD, 2021).  Now, thanks to a community initiative to \u201cclean up the Gorge\u201d, this waterway teems with wildlife and recreational users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone with a keen interest in climate action, I am often humbled by the harm humans are able to inflict on the planet, seemingly without a care, and in such a small amount of time. We are known to make short work of destruction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I am humbled instead by how quickly humans can create change for the better when we work together – how we can take a \u201ctoxic\u201d space and turn it into an area to be enjoyed by all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bremer and Kra\u00df discuss the use of narrative as a way to drive moral change; a way to \u201cmotivate legitimate local action\u201d (Bremer and Kra\u00df, 2020).   As I observe this place, I see a motivating narrative playing out in front of me – a narrative that tells of a sanctuary once lost to pollution and industry, revitalized and appreciated more than ever before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Selkirk Trestle<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

During the record-breaking heatwaves this summer, I, like hundreds of my neighbours, took refuge in the cool waters, letting the kelp wrap around my ankles and the saltwater soothe my skin.  People lounged on the shore, dove off docks, read under the shade of the huge oak and arbutus trees lining the waterway. The narrative of the Gorge Waterway in this place, in this time, is healing.  By enjoying this space, we are ensuring its protection and its longevity; giving the animal and plant species that also call this waterway home a chance to heal alongside us.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By enjoying this space, we are also narrating the type of world we want to live in – by occupying this land we are fighting for more spaces like this one – more public green space, more nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is impossible to appreciate something you don\u2019t have access to. By cleaning up the Gorge and providing ample public access for the community to enjoy this space, we have opened the doorway for more local initiatives, more ways to motivate local action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rosehips lining the pathway to the Gorge.
Fiddleheads, Horsetail, Eelgrass, and Blackberries can all be found here too. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Today, I hear splashing in the water, laugher on the bridge as children run past. In my immediate surroundings, I can see at least four indigenous medicinal plants that I recognize, and I wonder how many more I don\u2019t yet know. It occurs to me that access breeds curiosity, which breeds appreciation. That even in the middle of a city, green space such as this can garner curiosity and appreciation of nature for those who might not have access to it otherwise. Green space teaches us that nature isn\u2019t only \u201cout there\u201d but also right here, in our own communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But humans are creatures of opportunity. I wonder if protecting a communal space in which to enjoy nature is enough<\/em> to inspire the protection of nature as a whole? Does a community initiative like this one or even something as simple as a beach clean-up motivate others to continue this work? Or does it provide an unintentional moral-licensing that the entire community can rest behind? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krau\u00df, W., & Bremer, S. (2020). The role of place-based narratives of change in climate risk governance. Climate Risk Management<\/em>, 28<\/em>, 100221. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.crm.2020.100221<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gorge Waterway.<\/em> Capital Regional District. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.crd.bc.ca\/education\/protection-stewardship\/harbours\/gorge-waterway<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNarratives situate events in a certain place and a certain time\u201d claim Bremer and Kra\u00df in their article titled \u2018The role of place-based narratives of change in climate risk governance.\u2019   My initial thought as I sit, looking out over the Gorge waterway in my hometown of Victoria, B.C., is how much this place has changed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":953,"featured_media":317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,1],"tags":[37,42,41,44,78,80,81,77,79],"class_list":["post-314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cals502","category-uncategorized","tag-climate-action","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-emergency","tag-climate-mitigation","tag-gorge-waterway","tag-observation","tag-place-based-narrative","tag-tiny-ecology","tag-victoria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/953"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":329,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314\/revisions\/329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webspace.royalroads.ca\/k5martin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}