Monitor and the Wildlife Trade

from The Green Gazette June/July/August 2020

New Michael Moore Film Planet of the Humans–Friend or Diabolical Foe?

Owls are heavily traded in many countries as pets and for their parts used in traditional medicines. These owls are illegally, yet openly, for sale in an Indonesian bird market. Photo: Monitor

Illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade poses an urgent threat to an increasingly long list of animal species around the world. In many cases, it is the primary threat, though this is often not recognized or addressed. Trafficking, in combination with habitat loss and other threats, has led to population declines for a variety of species, and sadly, the extinction of some. Many more will become extinct soon if current trends continue.

Few people realize the scale of the illegal trade—it is comparable to the global trade in drugs, arms, and humans, and worth billions of dollars annually. Animals are sourced, often in enormous volumes, to supply demand for wildlife used for meat, in medicines, as ornamental and luxury goods, and as pets. While some are sourced in a legal and sustainable manner, many are not. Unfortunately, the consumer is often unaware that their purchase and use of animals, or the parts and products derived from animals, may be supporting organized crime activities and contributing to the decimation of wild populations. This means the pet turtle you bought may have been falsely declared as being captive bred and was laundered into the global pet market. It means the marine fish you have in your tank may have been captured using cyanide. It means the ivory trinket you bought while on holiday might be from a poached elephant and you may have violated national and international laws while bringing it home. A lack of transparency and traceability systems means you would most likely not be able to determine if your python skin purse or shoes came from a legally or illegally sourced snake.

Many species are often traded openly in the now-famous wet markets in Asia, with some suspected to be linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. These wet markets are filled with live animals that are slaughtered on the spot, and with raw meat lying on counter tops or on plastic laid on the ground. Animals from near and far are packed into small cages or stacked in tubs and containers, still alive. In markets like these, stress levels are high and immunity levels are low, providing ideal conditions for the transfer of viruses, parasites, and more. Wild meat is sold and consumed around the world, and while the latest pandemic may have come from China, the next could come from

Article by Chris R. Shepherd

anywhere—and there will be a next time, as long as wildlife trade is permitted in the manner it is now.

While the trade in some species is regulated by domestic legislation, and some, though far fewer, by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), many are not, and trade in these is largely a free-for-all. The main reason behind this lack of legal protection from overexploitation is a sheer lack of knowledge and information.

Corruption, complacency, and lack of general awareness and concern are among the greatest hurdles in reducing levels of illegal and unsustainable trade. Low levels of political will, weak legislation, and ineffective enforcement efforts hamper efforts to stem this trade. A lack of support for efforts to tackle the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade is a further impediment. Increasing affluence and easy access to global markets, including the rapidly growing online trade in wildlife, is exerting more pressure on these species. While the plight of some species is well-documented, for instance that of tigers and black rhinos, the declines of lesser-known species, such as the Sumatran serow, pig-nosed turtle, and hairy-nosed otter–species most have never heard of–occurs largely unnoticed. For the little-known species, the dearth of evidence continues to impede conservation efforts, enables illegal trade, and undermines efforts to achieve sustainable trade in species that may be suitable for harvest and commercial trade.

It is because of the urgent need for action to protect these lesser-known species that the Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor) came to be. Monitor was established in 2017 to focus especially on lesser-known species (standing up for the underdogs!) and issues in wildlife trade. We believe that sound research, strong policies, and effective enforcement efforts at national and international levels are essential to achieving our primary goal: the reduction of illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. Monitor aims to fill information voids related to poaching and trafficking and to catalyze evidence-based conservation interventions, policy changes, and enforcement actions. We also strive to find ways in which (CITES) can be of more benefit to these lesser-known species. Through the provision of sound research, useful recommendations, and effective conservation interventions, we believe we can affect positive change for these species.

Among the species currently included in Monitor’s portfolio of work are the many Asian songbird species threatened by the insatiable demand for their song, plumage, and perceived rarity, such as the straw-headed bulbul and the Sumatran taughing thrush (http://www.thegreengazette.ca/silencingthe-songbirds-southeast-asias-illegal-andunsustainable-trade-is-pushing-a-multitudeof-songbird-species-towards-extinction/). Our work on the live reptile trade includes pig-nosed turtles, Indian star tortoises (http:// www.thegreengazette.ca/the-tortoise-andfreshwater-turtle-trade-crisis-one-morespecies-receives-increased-internationalprotection/), pit-vipers, crocodile skinks, and more, traded in the millions for the pet trade. Our work on mammals includes bears (http://www.thegreengazette.ca/unbearablethe-illegal-trade-in-asian-bear-species/), serow, clouded leopards, pangolins, and otters (http://www.thegreengazette.ca/ilegaland-unsustainable-trade-threatens-otters/), all traded for their parts used in traditional medicines, for their meat, and in some cases, as trophies.

Monitor is made up of a small team of dedicated experts with decades of experience in researching, analysing data, and publishing peer-reviewed papers on the global wildlife trade. We believe in making our findings public and seeing these findings put to good use. We believe that evidence and information is key to informing policy changes, catalyzing enforcement actions, guiding conservation efforts, and raising concern among the public. -GG

Chris R. Shepherd is the executive director of the Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor).To learn more about Monitor’s work and to read our publications, follow our campaigns, or financially support Monitor’s efforts, please check out our website at https:// mcrsociety.org/ or Facebook page at www. facebook.com/mcrsociety/

An added benefit to having backyard chickens: adorable, feathered companions. Photo: Ryan Elizabeth Cope

Good Green News

By Ryan Elizabeth Cope

The coronavirus pandemic came culture, consumers are also taking back their at everyone like a freak storm lawns, terraces, and kitchen counters with arising out of nothing. Even for plants. This pandemic made it clear that those self-reliant with backyard or consumers really do care about where their terrace gardens, the DIYers of the world, or food comes from, the safety of it, and how the homesteading types, physical distancing it’s produced. For many, it’s easier and less rules and myriad restrictions and shortages stressful to #GrowYourOwn. threw everybody for a loop. Although we have fared better than some places, here in BC, we 4. Nature Nurtures have not been without our share of illness and tragedy. Being in nature is profoundly healing and

With spring and summer come themes of calming for our frenzied, anxious minds, now renewal, rejuvenation, and new life. These more than ever. But travel restrictions and past few months have been fraught with social distancing measures have hindered our anxiety, uncertainty, and lots of unease, but ability to really get out and explore. The rise of we’ve also welcomed many positives and what “staycations” in our own backyards is ensuring amounts to something of a culture shift. Read we find peace of mind and discover something on about five success themes that showcase new (locally)… without the need for airplanes. our collective ability to rally, persevere, and innovate in times of crisis. The true test will 5. Meditate on This be our willingness to hold onto these “new norms” as we venture out of our physically and So much has changed in our physical world socially isolated environments. in such a short time that it can seem incredibly overwhelming and hopeless. However, this has 1. The Rise of Sourdough Culture given rise to a new generation of meditation practitioners, since finding peace within is the

Take a look on any social media platform, only real tool we have at combatting a world of or simply poll ten of your friends. Chances are uncertainty. This is the kind of mental calm we good that someone you know is mixing flour need to cultivate new ways of being. and water together and letting it sit on their counter, hoping to capture wild yeasts out There are many other positive stories of the air. With commercial yeast shortages coming out of such a dark time in our history. across the province, people are finding ways Some of those include communities finding to continue their baking by cheaper, more ways to connect despite physical distancing magical means. requirements; families spending more time together than ever before (even if it is over 2. Hatch a Plan for Success Zoom); the “Buy Local” movement seeing a massive influx; and increased interest in The pandemic threw into sharp relief the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) pitfalls of our cumbersome, globalized food initiatives and farmers markets across the system. Outbreaks of the virus ballooned at province. The pandemic has been bittersweet, meat-packing plants and there were runs on but ultimately, it has taught us that when we staple foods like eggs. Many consumers took bring our efforts closer to home and focus on matters into their own hands and are investing building up our communities, we can create in small flocks of backyard hens, making the our own resilience. -GG distance between producer and consumer that much shorter. Ryan Elizabeth Cope is a Kelowna, BC-based advocate for plastic-less, healthful living. 3. Grow Where You Are Planted She blogs at Seven in the Ocean (www. sevenintheocean.com/) where she marries Similar to the influx of newbie backyard her love of food with her disdain for plasticchicken owners and the rise of sourdough wrapped garbage.

Adapted from Thug Kitchen by Ryan Elizabeth Cope

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

This fresh, vibrant potato salad is the perfect accompaniment to any summertime meal gathering. Gather fresh herbs from your own herb garden or pick some up at your local farmer’s market. By early fall, new potatoes will become available along with fresh carrots making this dish a locavore’s dream. Happy eating!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp dijon mustard 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 Cup walnuts, pumpkin seeds, orc sunflower seeds 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup carrot, shredded 1/4 red onion, sliced thin (optional) 1/4 cup chives, chopped* salt and pepper to taste *feel free to add/omit fresh herbs to your liking! Parsley, cilantro, or basil would all work

METHOD

1. Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place them in a sauce pot and just cover with cold water. Sprinkle in a generous portion of salt, stir, and bring to a boil. 2. Once boiling, reduce heat slightly and cover with a lid (leaving ajar for steam to escape). Cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork (10-15 minutes). 3. While the potatoes cook, assemble the vinaigrette. Mince garlic (or use a press) and combine in a small mason jar with mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and oil. Screw on the lid and shake, shake, shake! 4.Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the dressing and gently toss with a rubber spatula. 5. Add shredded carrot, onion (if using), chives, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.

6.Cover with a lid, beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to sit for at least 30 minutes, allowing the potatoes to soak up all the vinaigrette goodness.

Downtown Williams Lake Businesses Adapting to Change

By Jordan Davis, Executive Director, Downtown Williams Lake BIA

There are many things I have been thinking of over the past months of dealing with COVID-19.

First of all, I am very proud of our downtown business community. In BC, and particularly in our area, we didn’t have the same strict shut down of non-essential businesses that happened in other regions. While some local business operations unfortunately were deeply affected or closed their doors this spring, many others found creative ways to adapt to the crisis. With circumstances everchanging, we don’t know how the business landscape will evolve as we progress into the summer, but we are hopeful that since May 19 when many businesses opened up again, that with protective measures in place, we can continue to support and maintain our local business economy.

Here are a few examples of how Williams Lake businesses adapted to the new reality in the earlier stages. In the earlier stages of the pandemic this spring, the local bookstore, The Open Book, closed its doors to customers, but offered flexible options, including free local deliveries, an increased variety of products online, curb side pick-up, and adjusted hours. On May 25 they reopened the store for browsing with a minimum of six customers at a time.

Mint and Lime Catering owners, Jenn Brown and Mindy Johnson, opened up mainly as a catering company last year, and in mid-March, Staff at Downtown Williams Lake Business Improvement Association. (L. to R) Jasmine Alexander, events

coordinator; Jordan Davis, executive director; and Brent Dafoe, business coordinator pose with their

due to the COVID-19 regulations, they quickly window character doubles by Dwayne Davis of @Davis Arts Business Portrait Project. Photo: Lisa Bland shifted gears to offer more in-store quantities of their waste-free meals in a jar as well as more Jar Meal catering options. With social time. If you’re looking for somewhere to share walking and driving, smiling and saying hello distancing measures in place and cleaning a warm smile and some much-needed human and enjoying the beauty of summer. and sanitizing in between, customers can stop interaction, and you’re hoping to find a special Many people have reached out in our by one at a time for meal pick-up. They also gift or cherished item, this is the place! As of community to ask how they can help, and we partnered with South Broadway Liquor Store May 25, their store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m encourage them to support local businesses to offer Fresh Jar Meals on Fridays. Despite the Monday to Saturday. and keep their purchases in Williams Lake. We challenges of COVID-19, they maintained their The Realm of Toys adjusted their hours of have made it through difficult times, such as waste-free approach with everything from operation and number of people in the store the 2017 wildfires, and we have managed to the use of wooden cutlery and compostable along with offering many of their best-selling come out on the other side, even stronger. The containers to partnering with the Cariboo items for sale online and via their responsive importance of supporting our local economies Chilcotin Conservation Society and sending and interactive Facebook page to a wide local and food systems is now more glaringly clear kitchen scraps to a local farmer for their following. They also offer curbside pickup. than ever, and I think we are now actually animals. Bean Counter Bistro now has a fabulous understanding this at a practical level.

Taylor Made Cakes also adapted their way of new, fire engine red take-out window, and I continue to be hopeful that we will grow doing business. Customers can visit the shop many of their regular customers are ecstatic and adapt to these changes, and I hope our and see Dayle Taylor’s smiling (masked) face to have them back in operation in the businesses continue to thrive. At the end of at the front of the newly arranged storefront. downtown core. the day, humans need each other, and this Customers now form a line outside of the I am overjoyed by how many business means supporting that which supports us shop and are served individually, keeping adapted and continue to adapt in our close to home. social distancing measures in place. By the community, including many more I can't Our focus at Downtown Williams end of June they will be open Wednesdays to possibly mention. Lake during this time and into Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. While this spring was difficult for everyone, the future will continue to be Local Food

The Mantel home decor adapted to the I feel encouraged and hopeful with the easing and Local Goods. Please support our local changes by adjusting their hours and reducing of restrictions as the summer advances. It is businesses and keep your dollars local. Our the number of customers in their store at a heartwarming to see people downtown again, community needs us.

Berkey Water Filters: Water, Water Everywhere… but Nary a Drop to Drink

British Berkefeld or “Berkey” water systems have been around since the 1890s and are commonly used as the water purification system of choice by first responders to disaster areas where clean water and power are unavailable. One of the many advantages of the Berkey systems is they work without power because they use gravity to deliver the purified water from the top canister to the bottom canister.

Notice I am saying purified water, and not just filtered water. There is an important difference. You can filter water just putting it through a coffee filter, but purified water has a legal definition and must meet very stringent guidelines to allow the use of the term. Many of the commercially available water filters do little more than remove taste and odour but leave bacteria, cysts, viruses, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds behind.

Water treated by reverse osmosis filtration or distillation is purified, but many of the beneficial components of water—the minerals

Article by Ron Young

such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium— are removed in the process. Reverse osmosis water becomes mildly acidic (hypotonic) and can actually strip out valuable minerals from your blood and lymphatic system to get flushed out of your body. Over time, your body will begin to rob your organs and bones of these minerals. Reverse osmosis will also not remove pathogenic bacteria like E-coli and giardia.

Berkey water filters remove pathogenic bacteria to a log 7 degree. Log 7 equates to a 99.99999 percent bacteria removal rate.

The cost of producing purified water with a Berkey system is less than 2 cents per gallon versus 35–50 cents for distilled and 20–65 cents for reverse osmosis.

Bacteria, parasites, inorganic minerals, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals are removed or reduced by up to 98 percent by the Berkey purification elements. See detailed information on our website at www.solareagle.com/berkefeld1.html or email info@solareagle.com. earthRight has sold Berkey systems since 1999 and have many satisfied users throughout the Cariboo. If you are on a stream, a well, or even on city water, you should consider the health benefits of a British Berkefeld water purifier. There’s a reason why they say water is life. -GG

Ron Young is a renewable energy professional that designs and sells solar, wind, and microhydro systems. He operates the earthRight store in Williams Lake, BC and can be reached at info@solareagle.com

Skywatch

with Bill Irwin

There are four general ways we can observe the stars. Ideally, starting with your naked eye. In the Cariboo, when it’s good, it’s good, and we can easily get to a dark place where stars of 6th magnitude, unheard of in the city or suburbs, are visible. Next up is binoculars, where an order of magnitude more stars are visible and faint fuzzy objects can reveal some detail. Then we can graduate to using a telescope. Following the above progression is the best approach and would allow you to get the most out of using a scope.

There is another step, however, which is what the big boys do, and that is imaging. At least half of people involved in amateur astronomy image in some manner.

The camera can absorb light for much longer than an eye and this allows you to see much fainter objects and things that would otherwise be invisible. My 5” refractor would enable me to see faint objects a 20” telescope would reveal to the naked eye.

I still prefer the sharpness of bright objects visually, but the advantages of photography are many. And people love screens!

These COVID-ridden times have had many event casualties. Unfortunately, star parties are one of them. Almost all the big parties in North America have been cancelled this summer, including BC’s Mt Kobau. Me, disappointed? Oh, yeah!

This does leave room for some small informal events if things continue to improve. Prime time for most people is late July thru early September, when nights are still warm and it gets dark earlier.

This will be the season to catch Mars as it approaches a favourable opposition in October. There will be a spectacular close pairing of Jupiter and Saturn this fall, as well.

We might just do some kind of small, informal start party ourselves, if things continue to improve into August. Afterall, Dr. Bonnie Henry says to get outside, and she didn’t specify day or night. Email me for details and updates.

It might well be that stargazing turns out to give immunity to COVID. The lone, solitary, late-night observer would turn in a rock star. The daily briefings would be about how many stars you counted. Skywatch would be more

popular than The Far Side or Mad Magazine. All the Starlink satellites would fall from the night sky as people rediscover the power of the ancient photons.

Well, there is some reason to hope after all!

As usual, I can be reached at irwin8sound@ gmail.com or (250) 620-0596. The stars aren’t going anywhere fast! -GG

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Reclaiming Death as an Honoured Part of Life Memento Mori: “Remember, Thou art Mortal”

Article by Nicola Finch, Cariboo Community Natural Burial Association

One of my chickadee friends on a walkabout on our homestead. I’m wearing my Touch Wood Memorial Ring that is inlaid with my brother Michael’s ashes. @memorialrings Photo: Nicola Finch

In many respects, our new reality feels like a return to an old way of being with a slower, gentler focus on family and community and on the world under our feet—the natural, physical world. We have seen a swift shift back to basics, working with our hands, growing and preparing our own food, mending our own clothes, offering what we have to those who need it, reaching out with our hearts, and pressing in on what really matters.

We are being encouraged to stay home. We are being asked to limit gatherings to no more than 50 well-spaced people and to keep our small get togethers to no more than six. We are expected to avoid crowds and encouraged to meet out of doors whenever possible. From what I’ve seen in our own community, we have all been doing everything we can to be caring, helpful, and compassionate.

And we have been brought face to face with death. I wager that every one of us has had a memento mori moment: “remember, thou art mortal”. It is a humbling thing to sit with death, real or imagined. We have watched whole cities succumb to our worst nightmares: loved ones dying alone in nursing homes and ICUs, bodies stacked in refrigerated trailers, funerals and memorials postponed or cancelled. Grieving alone.

Contemplating our own mortality and the deaths of those we love tends to shift our focus to what really matters. Will our collective and individual meditations on death allow us to live more generously? Can we do with less? Can we be kinder?

We now know it is essential to be there when someone we love is dying, holding their hands, touching their face. It is essential to be with our dying loved ones whenever possible, to have a community to hold us in our dying time and in our grief, and to care for our dead.

Community deathcaring is the old way. It is about deep and honest connections with the people we love. It is about our own loving circles, our own small communities caring for each other, and when there is distance and aloneness, creating new rituals and ceremonies that serve us in these times. It is about allowing the reality of death to bring our lives into focus.

There is another way of being. Slowing down and touching the ground. Planting our gardens and burying our dead gently in the earth. Naturally, simply, and with a deep sigh of gratitude. Gathering with our beloveds in forested burial grounds where we dig the grave and lay our loved ones on a bed of moss and branches and cover them. Where we can grieve together in the open air and walk among the trees. Where the earth is replenished by our bodies and we are in step with the natural world. Here, we send them home.

While we minimize physical contact and reach out to stay socially connected, most of us are virtually connected to the whole wide world. There are more online offerings than we have ever seen. There are children’s story hours, craft workshops, grief counselling, museum tours, courses, webinars, and Zoom gatherings on every imaginable subject. We literally have the world at our fingertips.

It is my hope going forward that our time at the keyboard is met with dirt under our fingernails, with a deeper connection to the world right in front of us. The fir and the spruce and the stands of aspen, the spiders who make their homes on our stairwells, the mosses, the mountain chickadees, and the sandhill cranes in our meadows. We have been ordered home. We have slowed down. Let us linger here. And while we are here, let us ‘reclaim death as an honoured part of life’. (Quote by Judith McGill).

Memento mori, my friends. -GG

Nicola Finch volunteers with two local nonprofits: the Cariboo Community Deathcaring Network, offering resources and education on Community Deathcaring, and Cariboo Community Natural Burial Association, which is working to establish a natural burial sanctuary in the Cariboo. For more information visit www.ccdcnetwork.com and www. cariboonaturalburialsanctuary.ca.

Article by Pat Teti

Ultragrain bread. Photo: Pat Teti

Who would have thought that toilet paper and baking yeast would be two of the most talked about items in short supply during a pandemic? The surge in home baking has been a positive outcome during an otherwise grim situation, but the difficulty of finding yeast seems to have thwarted some baking plans.

This got me thinking about ways of using less commercial yeast and inspired me to review my favourite recipes and experiment with new ones. In this article, I describe four strategies for being less dependent on commercial baking yeast while also expanding your creative options. They include yeasted bread using a fraction of the normal amount of yeast, using sourdough starter, quick bread, and unleavened bread.

Option 1 - Start bread with a pinch of yeast

You might be surprised that you can make an oven full of yeasted bread starting with only a pinch of instant yeast. I use this technique to make my favourite every-day bread, which I call “fermented ultragrain” (https://iberianpixels.blogspot.com/2019/07/ whole-grain-bread-can-be-ultra-delicious. html) but it can be used for almost any yeasted bread. The key is to make a “pre-ferment” consisting of all the water in the recipe, half of the flour, and a pinch of instant yeast. Let it sit covered at room temperature for a few days and then follow the rest of the recipe. I use only 1/8th of a teaspoon of yeast to make four large loaves. Another recipe is in one of my previous Green Gazette articles, http://www. thegreengazette.ca/recipes-squashed-bread/

The pre-ferment, known as a “poolish” or “bigaliquida,” develops a wonderful fermented aroma. In fact, it becomes a sourdough and a portion can be saved as a starter. Multi-day fermentation improves the digestibility, flavour, and keeping qualities of bread. If you use this method, you don’t need to maintain a starter, and it’s more predictable than sourdough. A 100 gram jar of instant yeast is sufficient to make hundreds of batches of bread and keeps for years if stored in the refrigerator.

Option 2 - Sourdough from a starter

Sourdough baking produces yeasted bread without packaged yeast, and if you’re a sourdough baker, you might recognize option 1 as being similar to how you make bread already. In fact, I don’t need to tell you how to make bread. However, if you’re new to sourdough baking or if you are wondering about the viability of your starter, then I suggest that you try making sourdough using option 1 and save a jar of the three-day old poolish as your new starter. Just take it before adding the rest of the dry ingredients. A half pint is plenty. Even if you start with a pinch of commercial yeast, it will “go wild” over time due to the diversity of yeast and bacteria that are present in grains and in the air. Many websites describe how to work with sourdough, but I just keep my starter in a jar and freeze it if I’m not going to use it within a week.

Option 3 - Unyeasted quick bread

Quick breads don’t require any yeast because they use baking soda or baking powder, which release CO2 gas during baking. They’re also fast because they don’t have to be given time to ferment or rise—just mix and bake. I prefer baking soda over baking powder because it has fewer chemicals. There are hundreds of quick bread recipes online, but my current favourite is a whole grain quick bread with dates, nuts, and no refined sugar. You can read about it in my blog here:https:// iberianpixels.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-quickand-healthy-bread.html

Option 4 - Unleavened baking

It’s easy to overlook unleavened baking but there are many delicious recipes, especially for flatbreads and thin cakes. I’ll never forget the first time I had “torta di cecci” in Italy. It’s a thin cake made from garbanzo bean flour, olive oil, and rosemary. I would never have thought that something that good could be made with bean flour. It’s easy to make, and the Williams Lake Bulk Barn carries bean, chick pea, and lentil flours. Watch for a future article on torta di cecci. -GG

Pat Teti was a research scientist with the BC government for 18 years and has always enjoyed making things.

?Esdilagh First Nation (Alexandria First Nation) Enacts Historic ?Elhdaqox Dechen Ts’edilhtan (“Sturgeon River Law”)

In ?EsdilaghTŝilhqot’in Territory, the ʔEsdilagh First Nation (Alexandria First Nation) has enacted the historic ʔElhdaqox Dechen Ts’edilhtan (“Sturgeon River Law”) exercising their governance over stewardship and management over the waters that flow throughout the whole of its caretaker area. The law, originating from Tŝilhqot’in inherent teachings, has been unveiled in its written form.

The ʔElhdaqox Dechen Ts’edilhtan is a component of the broader Tŝilhqot’in laws governing lands and water. The waters are vital to the Nation and the law articulates the time-honoured customs to ensure water will remain safe and clean for current and future generations.

Signing ceremony on May 27, 2020 with Chief Roy Stump, Councillor Chad Stump, and Councillor Howard Johnny. Photo: Tŝilhoqt’in National Government

“The Nation is currently appealing a BC Ministry of Environment permit amendment, which allows the Gibraltar Mine to increase the rate of its effluent discharge by 50%, sending tailings effluent straight from its tailings pond to the Fraser River,” says Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse, Tribal Chair, Tŝilhqot’in National Government.

“Despite years of requests to seek alternate water management treatment solutions, this permit was approved. By obligation of our Elders and historical teachings the Nation is united to uphold this law—water is essential to our existence. Documenting our traditional laws and having them recognized is a vital component of implementing our rights and title. We’re excited to see this law come into effect, and the Nation will continue to develop our laws to ensure we move forward in a way that is sustainable.”

On June 26, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada declared Aboriginal title for the first time in Canadian history, in the homeland of the Tŝilhqot’in people. The community of ʔEsdilagh is one of six communities that comprise the Tŝilhqot’in Nation, and as such has rights and title over the territory, including the waters in the territory, which connect the entire Nation and sustain the culture, wildlife, fisheries, and livelihoods that exist there.

The ʔElhdaqox Dechen Ts’edilhtan was enacted by the ʔEsdilagh First Nation on May 27, 2020, and was endorsed by all six Tŝilhoqt’in Chiefs on May 28, 2020. The law applies to all waters in ʔEsdilagh territory. Awareness of and compliance with the law is sought from both existing and proposed projects, and all other users who may impact the waters throughout the territory.

Nits’ilʔinYaz (Councillor) Chad Stump, ʔEsdilagh First Nation says any proposed activities within the territory and those which could impact the ʔElhdaqox (“Sturgeon River”), must have ʔEsdilagh First Nation’s consent.

“Our people have always relied on water from ʔElhdaqox to meet our basic needs, and for cultural and spiritual purposes,” he says.“We recognize the importance of protecting and preserving the ʔElhaaqox from degradation, including discharging effluent or dilution of discharge.”

The community has witnessed the destructive impacts of irresponsible government and industry, and its members are exercising their rights to ensure that the destruction of the territory lands and waters does not continue.

“Those who wish to pursue projects on our lands must ensure they seek consent from our Chief and Council, and ensure they are following the law,” says Nits’ilʔinYaz Stump. -GG

Keeping Wildlife Wild and our Communities Safe in the Summer

WildSafeBC file photo. Credit: Jitze Couperus

WildSafeBC is the provincial leader in preventing conflict with wildlife through collaboration, education, and community solutions, and it is delivered by the BC Conservation Foundation in communities across BC. Mareike Moore is the new WildSafeBC Cariboo Coordinator and is excited to be delivering WildSafeBC’s program initiatives in new and innovative ways during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These programs include door-to-door information delivery campaigns, garbage tagging, and webinar delivery of the highly requested WildSafe Ranger Program for school-aged children and Wildlife Awareness and Safety Education sessions.

While the weather is getting better and people are spending more time outside, it is also fawning season for deer. It is important for pet owners to keep dogs on leash during this time as does may see pets as predators or threats to their newborns. If a dog comes too close, the doe may become aggressive and attack the dog. WildSafeBC would like to remind people that if they find a fawn, it should be left alone and that picking up any wildlife is illegal under the Wildlife Act and could result in a fine.

We frequently see bears in our communities. A habituated bear, one that has become food conditioned through foraging an area for human-provided foods, tolerates humans in much closer proximity than what is safe for both bears and humans. This increases the potential for dangerous interactions between bears and humans. Some simple solutions to help avoid these conflicts include storing garbage in a secure building until collection day, harvesting fruit trees early to let the fruit ripen inside, or picking fruit daily as it ripens.

Please report wildlife in conflict to the Conservation Officer Service 24/7 at 1-877- 952-7277. Residents can also report sightings of bear, cougar, coyote, or wolf in an urban area. These reports are uploaded daily to WildSafeBC’s Wildlife Alert Reporting Program (WARP), available at www.wildsafebc.com/ warp. This program allows the public to see what wildlife has been reported in various neighbourhoods and to be alerted of new sightings.

For further information on wildlife and how to reduce human-wildlife conflict or more information on WildSafeBC’s free programs in the Cariboo, please email Mareike at cariboo@ wildsafebc.com, follow its local Facebook page @WildSafeBCCariboo, or visit www. wildsafe.com.

WildSafeBC Cariboo is grateful for the generous support the program receives from its funders, including the Cariboo Regional District, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, and the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. -GG