Resilient Gardens for a Changing Climate

With renowned gardening expert Linda Gilkeson

Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Via Zoom
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Our regional climate is transforming rapidly as the global climate changes, with extreme weather events setting records. What does this mean for our food gardens and landscapes? How can we take on the challenge of increasing local food resilience and enhancing our landscapes ecologically to respond to our changing climate?

Learn how extreme weather affects plants, including trees, and how to design resilient food and ornamental gardens that help plants survive our changing weather patterns. Discover the important role gardeners can play in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, including designing landscapes to capture carbon.

Join Transition Salt Spring and Linda Gilkeson as she guides you through the many ways you can enhance your garden and landscape by taking climate action!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

About Linda A. Gilkeson, Ph.D.

Linda earned a Ph.D. in Entomology from McGill University in 1986, then moved to British Columbia to work for Applied Bio-Nomics Ltd., a company that produces biological controls. From 1991 to 2002, she worked for the provincial government, promoting programs to reduce and eliminate pesticide use. 

She was head of the provincial State of Environment Reporting Unit for the next six years, then the Executive Director of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy until 2011. Linda now devotes her time to writing, teaching and consulting.

Linda’s comprehensive gardening book, “Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest,” is a BC bestseller. She has co-authored pest management training manuals for the provincial government and organic gardening books for Rodale Press and now focuses on publishing books for local gardeners.

As a private consultant, Linda is a regular instructor in the Master Gardener programs in BC and is busy year round giving workshops on pest management and organic gardening.Linda has served as President of the Entomological Society of Canada, the Professional Pest Management Association of BC, the Entomological Society of BC and the Salt Spring Island Garden Club. She was awarded a Queen’s Jubilee medal in 2003 and an outstanding achievement award from the Professional Pest Management Association of BC in 2005.

Join Linda’s monthly mailing list for tips on what to tend to in the garden each month. http://www.lindagilkeson.ca/

Please Pay What You Can

A great way to learn more and do more is to join our mailing list to keep up to date on all things climate action in the Southern Gulf Islands. 

Webinar presented by the Climate Action Coach Program of Transition Salt Spring

Chat follow up and Recording link from May 17, 2022

Watch the webinar here for more info and answers to some of these questions.

A Webinar on Home Refits and Rebates featuring those with the expertise to give you enough information to get started on climate-smarting your home. Incentives offered by Better Homes BC, Greener Homes Canada, and Transition Salt Spring are also explained.

Links

TSS

• Apply for the Rainwater Rebate
• Apply for the Woodstove Rebate
• Contact the Morgan our coach
• TSS Youtube Channel
• Green Loans: www.greenloanssaltspring.com

Presenters contact and links

• Whirwind, Hanna Hull: https://whirlwindinc.ca
• Sandra Ungerson: alopluvia.info@gmail.com, www.alopluvia.com
• Jeff Chamberland: bearfootrenewables@gmail.com, https://app.bchydro.com/accounts-billing/bill-payment/bill-details/understanding-your-bill-infographic.html
• Sam Wright @ CleanBC Better Homes: https://betterhomesbc.ca/ , ask@betterhomesbc.ca, Better Homes BC Call toll free 1-844-881-9790
  • Submit an online form (preferred) at https://betterhomesbc.ca/connect/ 
• Aron Dalton
  • www.citygreen.ca
  • https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/impacts#:~:text=ENERGY%20STAR’s%202020%20energy%20savings,billion%20in%20public%20health%20benefits.
  • https://betterhomesbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Better-Homes-Rebate-Factsheet_Sept2021_Web.pdf
  • https://www.citygreen.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Onepager-for-Canada-Greener-Homes-Grant_EN_2.pdf
  • https://free.bcpublications.ca/civix/content/public/bcbc2018/?xsl=/templates/browse.xsl 
  • https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre/library/residential-design-construction/best-practices-air-sealing-insulation-retrofits 
  • https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre/library/residential-design-construction/building-envelope-guide-part-9
  • https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/energy/pdf/housing/Keeping%20the%20Heat%20In_e%20.pdf

Let’s Get There Green!

Transportation Solutions for the Gulf Islands

Presented and Recorded on March 31, 2022

Watch Replay Here

For those keen to learn more about transportation issues on Salt Spring, we are please to share the video of our transportation-focused event that took place in March, along with the chat messages – which include responses from the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Rob Fleming on his commitment to complete a full road survey for the Salish Sea Trail by the end of the summer!

Event Video Recording HERE

Full Chat Record and additional answers from Minister Fleming HERE

Transportation is our island’s single biggest source of direct CO2 emissions.

How we get around emits 60,000 tonnes of CO2e per year, or about the same amount of carbon storage a forest one and a half times the size of Salt Spring Island stores in a year. That’s a lot of trees! 

Find out what members of government, local transportation experts, and policymakers are going to do to get us moving in the right direction. We need to act now!

Hear from;

• Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) in conversation with Transition chair Bryan Young on transforming transportation at the provincial and local levels 
• Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands who is working to close the loop on the Salish Sea Trail with its missing link on Salt Spring
• Gayle Baker, Chair of the CRD Transportation Commission developing a greener transportation future for Salt Spring Island

Along with  

• Jean Gelwicks and Bob MacKie from Island Pathways
• Justine Starke, Manager, Southern Gulf Islands Service Delivery at the CRD 
• Tristan Ford, Transit Planner for BC Transit

About Our Guests

Rob Fleming is the BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Rob previously served as the Minister of Education. Before his election to the Legislature, Rob served two terms as a Victoria city councillor. He chaired the city’s finance committee and represented Victoria at the Capital Regional District, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission, the Capital Region Housing Corporation and Tourism Victoria.

As a city councillor, Rob was a leading advocate for public transit and affordable housing. He was instrumental in the creation of the Capital Region’s Affordable Housing Trust and the region’s transportation plan.

Adam Olsen (SȾHENEP) is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North and the Islands and member of the B.C. Green Caucus. As an advocate and facilitator, he is committed to good governance and improving public participation to strengthen all aspects of the community and the province. Adam is also committed to addressing our congested, poorly-built roads, challenging us to identify and implement creative solutions.

Gayle Baker is the Chair of the CRD Transportation Commission and has been for the previous three years. In addition to the completion of two key pathways/sidewalks on SSI, the Commission is working hard to make it easier and safer to “Get there Green.” Gayle has also served on the Board of Transition Salt Spring since 2021.

Jean Gelwicks is a director on the Board of Island Pathways. She is also the chair of the Partners Creating Pathways Committee. Since 2007, she’s spearheaded building nearly $1-million worth of Ganges Village pathway infrastructure, costing local taxpayers about $250,000. These pathways are SSI-CRD community assets. She also spearheaded the Island Pathways’ maps, “Salt Spring Island On Foot,” (Now waterproof and tear-resistant), and a second cycling map, “Salt Spring Island On Wheels.”   

Bob MacKie is a Board Member and Bicycle Working Group Chair of Island Pathways. He is also a member of the Salish Sea Trail Network Working Group and of the Islands Trust Ganges Village Planning Working Group. Bob is a BC Representative on Federal Counsel and Past Interim President of the Green Party of Canada.

Justine Starke is a Registered Professional Planner and has worked with the communities of the Southern Gulf Islands and Salt Spring Island since 2007.  Before coming to work for the Capital Regional District, Justine focussed on affordable housing and sustainability planning as an Island Planner with Islands Trust. Justine is currently the Manager of Service Delivery for the Southern Gulf Islands and spends as much time as possible with her family on Salt Spring Island.

About the Southern Gulf Island Transportation Integration Plan

The Southern Gulf Island Transportation Integration Plan (SGI TIP) proposes a new transportation function for the Capital Regional District (CRD) to support better mobility in the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area: Salt Spring, Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and North & South Pender Islands (SGI). With a new service, the CRD could provide funding for the community buses (public transit), facilitate improvements to active transportation networks (for walking, cycling and rolling), and integrate with opportunities for additional inter-island travel between the islands (beyond BC Ferries). The SGI TIP is an initiative of the Southern Gulf Islands Economic Sustainability Commission for the Capital Regional District.

Also representing the CRD for the SGI will be Paul Brent

Paul is the Chair, SGI Economic Sustainability Commission and Alternate Director for the Southern Gulf Islands Electoral Area (in addition to being an Islands Trust trustee for Saturna Island).Tristan Ford is a BC Transit Planner and engineer-in-training with BC Transit. Tristan has a background in transportation planning and engineering in both rail and bus settings. His current focus is on operational service planning as well as modelling transit recovery in the wake of Covid-19.

Welcome to Wonders of the Salish Sea

Mondays: April 4, 11, 25, and May 2, 2022

7-9 pm (PST)

A four-part online environmental learning series for adults designed to awaken a sense of wonder and foster a deep connection with the Salish Sea marine ecosystem, guided by marine scientists, naturalists, and environmentalists.
Hear from two expert speakers each evening and connect with others in the region interested in our glorious Salish Sea.
Hosted by Transition Salt Spring Society with support from Wonders of the Salish Sea

Suggested Donation: $25 for the series

Register here.

For other payment options or to request a scholarship please register here.

Video- Let’s go shopping for an EV!

Buying an electric vehicle is a huge decision. You can save thousands of $$ on your next electric vehicle through BC’s Point of Sale Rebate Program. Whether you are looking at an electric car or e-bike, we can help make the decision-making process easier and save you money. 

Or Watch the recording of our webinar from Feb 8th on our Youtube channel.

Check out these awesome homegrown films by Elisa Rathje and family at www.appleturnover.tv on Salt Spring Island, BC

Wood stove cookery, continuous improvement + permaculture in episode 1 of the journal of small work

The journal of small work* is the first episode of the new appleturnover series.

How can we live well within the limits of our living systems? This new series is a response to overwhelming urgency. In the face of the daunting prospect of transforming how we live, let’s start where we are, with what we’ve got, and build from there. This first journal pairs the useful, comforting framework of continuous improvement (kaizen) with the principles of multiple and stacking functions (permaculture), redesigning our systems to meet several needs at once. The wood stove illustrates how these frameworks can help us adapt to rapid change without losing our balance. We can apply these patterns all over. What continuous, incremental action are you already taking towards living regeneratively? What stacking and multiple functions will you add next? Your small work inspires us all to action.

Deep Litter for Raising Chickens

The deep litter method is a good old fashioned way to keep chickens in a resilient natural system. See how to create a regenerative, living cycle in the henhouse and chicken run that yields fresh eggs, nitrogen rich compost for the garden and orchard and a healthy, contented flock of free range laying hens, ducks, geese and chicks.

Pick & Prune

Follows a practice of tending the trees that yields much more than fruit. We made this little picture in the old orchard, the food forest, in late winter and late summer, when we are very much preoccupied with the trees.
It follows how we work with natural patterns within a system that elegantly meets the needs of all the contributors, most especially the fruit trees, but certainly the goats, geese, ducks, hens and chicks, not to mention songbirds, honeybees, wild pollinators, and people.

The people, naturally, are looking for continuous improvement in the system, so that less work, plenty of fruit, a thriving ecosystem, happy creatures and more orchard naps are the result. Pruning well is the heart of that project, and we hope this little film gives some insight into our practice.

Every Day Resilience

In a new article for Permaculture Magazine, Developing Everyday Resilience, Lael tells the story of our family’s journey to create an abundant, self-sufficient lifestyle on Salt Spring Island BC.

Raising Chicks with a Broody Hen

A short, Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society (SSIWPS) freshwater awareness film.

The “Freshwater Salt Spring” WPS film short, is part of a larger parallel, educational video initiative for youth and adult viewers – a “Salt Spring Island (SSI) Watershed Stewardship” documentary film.

Using the context of our SSI watersheds, the film will draw on, and highlight, the rich activities of the various stewardship interest groups on the island, and is currently looking for funding. Contact WPS for more information.

HOME ENERGY ASSESSOR Dion Hackett does a blower door test.

Thanks for attending $ave Big with Home Energy Assessments, Insulation and Draft Sealing 7 pm Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021

We enjoyed a great evening of learning with Home Energy Assessment professionals Mike Jackman, Aron Dalton, and Dion Hackett, as well as a Community Energy Coach from the Clean BC Better Homes Program. Please find the recorded video here and the chat here. This public event was hosted by the Transition Salt Spring Climate Action Coach program. Links: TSS Climate Action Coach Program: https://transitionsaltspring.com/cac-woodstove-exchange/ Wood Stove rebate waitlist: https://form-can.keela.co/woodstove-rebate-waitlist For those who attended the webinar live. Special offer of 10% off weatherstripping products at Mouat’s Home Hardware before Dec 15. Email Rob or Maia for the discount code: climatecoach@transitionsaltspring.com For further questions related to the rebates and your renovation plans, please reach out to the energy coach service directly at https://betterhomesbc.ca/connect/ or call 1-844-881-9790 The regional Bring it Home 4 Climate program offers a variety of handy resources for CRD residents to learn more about different energy efficiency upgrades. https://bringithome4climate.ca/  They have a few great consumer guides such as the HRV guide https://bringithome4climate.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Fresh-Air-Heat-Recovery-Ventilator-July-2020.pdf Thankfully we have two advisors right here on Salt Spring Island serving the islands! Go to City Green or Greener Homes BC to get set up with an appointment. Greener Homes BC: https://greenerhomesbc.ca/.  CityGreen: https://www.citygreen.ca/ https://transitionsaltspring.com/ This year you can give the gift of local climate action to someone you love. Give to TSS and we will send a card in your name to those you choose.

Gulf Islands webinar series

Conservation and resilience in the Gulf Islands in the age of climate change and biodiversity loss: A webinar series

A lunch-and-learn webinar series tackling relevant topics being explored by governments at all levels to address the twin biodiversity and climate crises, with a specific focus on the Coastal Douglas-fir habitats characteristic of the Gulf Islands.

Join us at noon every Wednesday in November for an hour-long expert panel discussion followed by a 30 minute question period to learn more about complex environmental issues and the options for better environmental policy and protection in the Gulf and Howe Sound islands. Speakers include representatives from BC-based organizations like Project Watershed and West Coast Environmental Law; scientific experts from academic institutions including Stanford and Simon Fraser University; and government branches including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

All sessions will be streamed to our Youtube and Facebook pages and recorded and available for viewing there afterwards for those who are unable to attend the live session.

1. Freshwater availability: Options for maintaining a healthy water supply into the future 

November 3 2021, shared from Raincoast Conservation Foundation

According to a 2020 study that assessed freshwater vulnerabilities in western Canada, under a high emissions scenario, annual summer precipitation is projected to decrease by up to 32%  by 2100 in the Vancouver Island coastal region. Over the past several years, increasingly severe summer drought on the Gulf Islands has put freshwater availability at the forefront of many islanders’ minds and recently discussions have turned towards potential solutions to this problem, including desalination plants. Though desalination technology has been increasingly adopted and adapted to secure reliable freshwater supply in water-scarce regions around the world since the 1950s, most scientific studies demonstrate that the high energy demands and hypersaline outflows resulting from desalination processes make this technology highly impactful on marine and terrestrial environments. 

To address these concerns and others around freshwater availability, the webinar will begin with a presentation by Dr. Diana Allen, hydrogeologist and professor at Simon Fraser University who will provide a high-level overview of water availability and how it is expected to change over time using Gabriola Island as a case study. Next, Bridget Gile, a civil and environmental engineering PhD student at Stanford University will present a 2020 California-based case study examining strategies available for maintaining freshwater supply in seasonally dry regions increasingly struggling with human-pressure exacerbated by climate change. John Millson of Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society will then present options for local action that attendees can try on their own properties.

Featured Guests

Dr. Diana M. Allen, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University

Diana Allen is Professor of Hydrogeology in the Department of Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Her research focuses on studying the processes that take place as natural groundwater systems respond to stressors like climate change, developing strategies to assess risks to water security, and ultimately, informing decision-makers and policies.

Bridget Carolyn Gile, Stanford PhD Candidate 

Bridget Gile is a civil and environmental engineering PhD student and Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. She graduated from Villanova University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Bridget aspires to create more sustainable and resilient water systems by linking research, policy, and practice through a “one water” management approach. In her graduate work, she studies the role that alternative water supply strategies, including water reuse, stormwater capture, and desalination, can play in shaping a sustainable, drought-resistant water supply portfolio. She finds that water powerfully illustrates the interconnectedness of social and environmental outcomes.

John Millson, Salt Spring Water Preservation Society

John Millson has graduate and post-graduate degrees in geosciences and has spent over 30 years working in resource exploitation industries. From undergraduate options to world experiences, he has developed a keen awareness of water resources, their management, and associated challenges. He is currently a board member of the Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society (WPS) and the Project Manager for the WPS, “Salt Spring Island FreshWater Catalogue” – a project about improving understanding of our island’s freshwater – a delicate water balance.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 6:30 – 8:30 pm via zoom

Thank you to all who joined us for this dynamic discussion with Dr Ruth Waldick TSS, Bill Henderson: Moderator, Musician, Dr. Susan Hannon: President of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, Mitchell Sherrin: Captain at Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue, Mark Whitear: Forester, Bryan Young: Chair TSS.

Please find the recorded video on our Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/SJybr0SJ4_A

Please find the Chat Link Here.

Enjoy this all-star community cast as we dive into ways that you can steward your land to better conserve water, maintain healthier ecosystems and prevent wildfires. An evening for property-owners, land-stewards, neighbourhood pods, foresters and landscapers.

Do you wonder …What should I do to prevent the spread of wildfire around my home?

Should I be cutting trees or branches near my house?

What should I plant to retain moisture, protect my home from fires?

What happens when I limb trees for a view?

What do I do with all the biomass building up?

How can I work with my neighbours to preserve forest ecologies and prevent the spread of wildfire?

What is regenerative forestry, and how does it apply to the land I live on?

Together with a team of forest experts, Transition Salt Spring has been visiting properties with diverse ecosystems to help property owners determine how to retain moisture on their land, conserve water, how to manage native plant and tree species, and protect their properties from wildfire. This evening discussion will help provide you with tips on managing your property and working with your neighbours to do the same while learning more about water retention, fire risk and our forests…!

Our host, Bill Henderson, is best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist with Chilliwack. He is also a member of the Order of Canada and in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Bill is curious about how he, as a community member, can learn more about how climate change is impacting our island ecology and how we take action to steward land in our forested community.

Mitchell Sherrin is a fire captain with 18 years of experience at Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue. Mitchell is an educator, firefighter, and active member of our community. He is the local FireSmart Coordinator for FireSmart BC, and lives on a hobby farm with his wife Mylene, and many great animals. Mitchell is interested in building community resiliency and educating islanders about the responsibilities of living in a rural forested community to prevent the spread of wildfire. 

Susan Hannon is a retired ecology professor who spent her professional career working in forests and studying the effects of forest fragmentation on birds. She moved to Salt Spring 11 years ago and immediately joined the Salt Spring Island Conservancy with the goal of doing ‘hands-on’ conservation. As the President of the SSI Conservancy, Susan has recently been working with SSI Fire and Rescue to understand the state of our forests and how to protect them into the future. Susan is active in the community serving on other conservation boards and the Coastal Douglas-fir Science Working group.

Mark Whitear is a forester, miller and high-end custom furniture maker who came directly to SSI from the U.K. in 1990 and set up an organic farm on an overgrown 1800’s farm. He follows the system Orville Camp developed in Oregon called “natural selection sustainable forestry,” which harvests weaker trees and leaves stronger dominant trees standing to increase growth. Mark derived income from tree cutting but stopped selling raw logs, choosing instead to purchase a portable bandsaw mill to make lumber locally. Mark does custom milling and has deep experience managing a forest on SSI.