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💧 Swales Pay Off! 🌿 Over ten years ago, Eri

💧 Swales Pay Off! 🌿

Over ten years ago, Erinanne began her garden on naturally sloped land by building two long swales—shallow ditches that follow the contours of the land. She filled them with well-aged humanure and organic matter, then planted directly into them.

Today, those swales have blended seamlessly into her vibrant garden of food and medicinal plants. A line of thriving elderberry and walnut trees, along with perennial herbs and flowers, mark where water is captured and slowly absorbed. She now barely needs to water, even through dry summers—only new plantings get six weeks of care.

A living example of the 4S water principles: Slow, Sink, Save, Store. 💧

#PermacultureDesign #Swales #RegenerativeGardening #DroughtResilience #SaltSpringIsland #WaterSmart #LighterLiving #waterstewardship

💧 Caught It Just in Time When Sue Earle’s wa

💧 Caught It Just in Time

When Sue Earle’s water meter started spinning out of control, she knew something was wrong. What followed was a weeks-long hunt for a hidden leak on her 13-acre Duck Creek farm — a junction box buried and long forgotten.

Thanks to a proactive shut-off valve and help from the North Salt Spring Waterworks District, Sue caught it before major damage occurred. Her advice?

✔️ Know where your water meter is
✔️ Install a shut-off valve
✔️ Always turn off your water if you’re away for more than a week

Sign up to our Lighter Living newsletter and get more water-saving tips! https://signup-can.keela.co/lighter-living-series-subscription

#WaterConservation #SaltSpringIsland #NSSWD #LeakDetection #HomeownerTips

🌧️🌿 Shape Your Land, Save Your Water: Why

🌧️🌿 Shape Your Land, Save Your Water: Why Berms & Swales Matter 🌿🌧️

Want a healthier garden and better water management — without turning on a tap? Berms and swales are simple, powerful earthworks that help you work with the natural flow of water:

🌊 SLOW & SPREAD rainwater across your landscape
🪨 PREVENT erosion and protect soil health
💧 RECHARGE groundwater and reduce runoff
🌱 BOOST plant health with deep, steady moisture
🦋 SUPPORT pollinators & biodiversity with lush, thriving plant zones

Swales are shallow channels that follow the contour of the land, guiding rainwater where it’s needed. Berms are the gentle mounds alongside them, holding water in place and creating microclimates for plants to flourish, even in drought!

The result? Less irrigation, healthier soil, and a more resilient, self-sustaining garden ecosystem.

Whether you're on a farm, suburban lot, or rural acreage, berms and swales can transform your land into a sponge, not a slide.

🌍 Ready to shape a better future with the land under your feet?
👇 Share your berm-and-swale success or ask us how to get started!

#Waterconservation, #savewater, #lighterliving, #waterconservationtip, #waterprotection, #northsaltspringwaterworksdistrict, #sustainableliving, #saltspringisland

🧡 Behind the Scenes: Preparing for the Elders F

🧡 Behind the Scenes: Preparing for the Elders Feast

Kurt Irwin and Jason Roy-Allen shared their skills with Jon Cooksey and Pam Tarr, filleting 20 salmon donated by the Penelakut community for tonight’s Elders Feast—an incredible act of generosity at the heart of Indigenous Peoples Weekend.

The celebration started today! Many more pan-Indigenous arts, music, culture, and storytelling events across Salt Spring Island throughout the weekend.

📅 Full schedule: gulfislandevents.com/indigenous-peoples-weekend

#IndigenousPeoplesWeekend #Penelakut #ReconciliationInAction #SaltSpringIsland #IPW2025 #GulfIslandsEvents

🧡 Prep for Indigenous Peoples Weekend is in ful

🧡 Prep for Indigenous Peoples Weekend is in full swing!

Last night, Kurt Irwin and Jason Roy-Allen showed Jon Cooksey and Pam Tarr how to fillet 20 salmon donated by the Penelakut community for today's Elders Feast.

Join the multi-day celebration of pan-Indigenous arts, culture, music, and storytelling starting today. This event invites us all to deepen our understanding of reconciliation and build lasting relationships between Indigenous and settler communities.

📅 Check out the full list of events: https://gulfislandevents.com/indigenous-peoples-weekend

#IndigenousPeoplesWeekend #Penelakut #ReconciliationInAction #SaltSpringIsland #IPW2025 #GulfIslandsEvents

🌿 Science, Stewardship & Students: Restoring Ou

🌿 Science, Stewardship & Students: Restoring Our Watershed Together

Grade 11/12 students from Gulf Islands Secondary School are stepping out of the classroom and into the Hwmet’utsun (Mount Maxwell Creek) watershed—one of Salt Spring’s most critical ecosystems.

In partnership with Transition Salt Spring’s Climate Adaptation Research Lab (CARL), these young leaders are planting native plant guilds that help restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and protect our drinking water.

This is hands-on learning that builds resilience—for our forests, our water, and our future.

🔗 Learn more about CARL’s work: transitionsaltspring.com/mt-maxwell

#SaltSpringIsland #WatershedRestoration #ClimateEducation #NativePlants #YouthForClimate #ForestStewardship #GulfIslandsSecondarySchool #EnvironmentalScience

💧🌿 The 4 S’s of Water-Wise Gardening: A Pe

💧🌿 The 4 S’s of Water-Wise Gardening: A Permaculture Power Move! 🌿💧

Want a thriving garden that’s resilient and sustainable? Tap into the 4 S’s of permaculture — a simple but powerful way to work with nature, not against it:

🌊 SLOW the flow of water on your land
Dig swales, use mulch, and shape your landscape to prevent runoff and erosion.

🌍 SINK water into the ground
Encourage absorption where it lands — with healthy soil and native plants that act like sponges.

🛢️ STORE water
Install rain barrels or cisterns to collect rain for dry spells. It’s free, clean, and climate-smart!

🌱 SAVE water
Use drip irrigation, mulch, and plant choices to stretch every drop — without sacrificing beauty or bounty.

Whether you have a small veggie patch or a whole yard to reimagine, the 4 S’s help create a regenerative garden that gives back more than it takes.

🌦️ Let’s build landscapes that hold water, feed soil, and nourish life. Nature knows best — we just have to follow her lead.

#Waterconservation, #savewater, #lighterliving, #waterconservationtip, #waterprotection, #northsaltspringwaterworksdistrict, #sustainableliving, #saltspringisland

👉Indigenous Peoples Weekend Returns - June 20–22, 2025

Join the multi-day celebration of pan-Indigenous arts, culture, music, and storytelling across the island. This event invites us all to deepen our understanding of reconciliation and build lasting relationships between Indigenous and settler communities.

Check out one of these amazing 21 events!
https://gulfislandevents.com/indigenous-peoples-weekend/

🎁 Elder Gift Bags are being assembled for the I

🎁 Elder Gift Bags are being assembled for the Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend celebrations (June 20–22), and we need your help!

We are reaching out to the community for donations. Any number of items is welcome; some suggestions include:

• Preserves
• Good quality chocolate (Salt Spring, Salish Sea, Denman Island, etc.)
• Beeswax candles
• Bath products

📍 Drop off at the library circulation desk starting Friday, June 13, and final pickup is Friday, June 20 around noon.

📌 More info + event details:
https://saltspringexchange.com/list/save-the-date-the-indigenous-peoples-weekend-returns-june-20-22/

Thank you for supporting this meaningful community effort!

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TSS Working Space at SIMS: 124 Rainbow Rd, Room 6
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 768, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2W3
Registered Charity: #870791084 RR0001

Don't forget to drop your Country Grocer receipts in box #7

Salt Spring Island is located on the traditional and unceded territories of several First Nations and tribes, including the SENĆOŦEN and Hul'qumi'num speaking peoples. We recognize that reconciliation with the First Peoples of this place is a crucial path we need to follow to achieve climate justice for all. Traditional Indigenous knowledge is essential to help us come together and build the resilience we need to thrive as our our climate becomes more unpredictable and our communities face new challenges. See Our Land Acknowledgement.