Parksville 2019 on YouTube > Make Better Land Use Decisions – “Value the water balance services provided by nature. The worth of a creekshed is a package of ecological services made possible by the hydrology. Looking through the ‘worth lens’ leads to a fundamental shift in philosophy,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC, in his context presentation for the morning session on Day Two of the Symposium (April 2019)
Note to Reader:
The Parksville 2019 Symposium has been captured in its entirety in a comprehensive set of videos that have been uploaded to the Partnership for Water Sustainability’s YouTube Channel for ease of access by those who are curious and/or interested to learn about what transpired on April 2-3-4 in Parksville, British Columbia.
Because memories are short, each morning and afternoon session kicked off with a context presentation by Kim Stephens. These set the scene for what was to come, while at the same time reminding delegates of the big picture.
Kim Stephens quoted Storm Cunningham to set the context for Day Two of the Parksville 2019 Symposium on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate. The first module in the morning session was titled ‘Make Better Land Use Decisions’.
“The goal of making the world ‘less worse’ does not go far enough,” says Storm Cunningham. “Rather, we have it within our power to undo previous damage and make the world better. Shrink our destructive footprint while growing our regenerative footprint. The process of restoring our planet and revitalizing our communities is becoming a rigorous discipline, with the proper education and tools.”
Kim Stephens is the Executive Director, Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC. An engineer-planner, Kim Stephens has more than four decades of experience. This covers the continuum of water resource and infrastructure engineering issues and applications, from master planning and modelling to implementation of capital projects.
He specializes in public policy and professional development, and has played a leadership role in a series of initiatives in BC related to water sustainability, watershed health, rainwater management and green infrastructure.
KIM STEPHENS TOPIC: Value the ‘Water Balance Services’ Provided by Nature. View the 16-minute video clip that is posted on YouTube:
What Do You Wonder?
The story of Parksville 2019 is told in a magazine-style narrative titled “RE-CAP AND REFLECTIONS”.
The “re-cap and reflections” document was written for two audiences – first and foremost, for those who attended Parksville 2019 and wish to have an accessible and quotable reference document at their fingertips, so that they can share the story with others; and secondarily, for those who have heard about Parksville 2019 and are curious to learn more about the ‘story behind the story’, so that they may understand why this event represents a watershed moment for so many who were there.
About Parksville 2019
Close to 200 delegates attended this 3-day event. Parksville 2019 comprised a field day followed by a 2-day symposium. The program objectives for Parksville 2019 helped to inform and establish expectations. It was a matter of providing context and then being clear and succinct about the desired takeaways.
To provide relevance for streamkeepers, the theme for Day One was Sustainable Stream Restoration. To capture the attention of those in local government, the theme for Day Two was Restorative Land Development.
To Learn More:
Download a PDF copy of the Re-Cap and Reflections document at: https://waterbucket.ca/viw/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/Parksville-Symposium_re-cap-and-reflections_May2019.pdf
Download a PDF copy of the context presentation by Kim Stephens: Value the ‘Water Balance Services’ Provided by Nature.
