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GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “A defining moment for me was the Salmon in the City Conference in 1998. It was a memorable event,” stated Susan Haid, career environmental and urban planner in BC local government, and adjunct assistant professor at the University of British Columbia


“It is really heartening to observe the recent renewed interest in what I think of as ecosystem-based planning and is now often called green and blue systems in cities,” stated Susan Haid. “It sounds simple, but it is heartening because this has NOT really been a key theme in the public dialogue for some time. The pandemic has reminded us of the importance of green space and access to nature. It is even more important now because in 1997 we did not have the kind of weather extremes such as atmospheric rivers and heat domes that we are now regularly experiencing.”

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CONNECTED BY WATER: “While inter-regional collaboration was the context for my conversational interview with Zoe Norcross-Nu’u, the story behind the story went in an unexpected direction,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket Editor


“Zoe Norcross-Nu’u, a marine scientist who previously taught at the University of Hawaii Maui College, is in her second decade with Comox Valley Regional District after joining in 2012. Her responsibilities revolve around the Comox Lake Watershed Protection Plan. At the end of our conversation, Zoe connected her reflections about Hawaii and interweaving Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science to Blue Ecology, the water-first approach that bridges cultures. Zoe represents the Comox Valley Regional District on the Partnership’s Watershed Moments Team,” stated Km Stephens.

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GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “Inter-regional collaboration allows us to support each other in addressing problems that transcend boundaries,” stated Zoe Norcross-Nu’u, Comox Lake Watershed Protection Coordinator


“When the regional districts on the east coast of Vancouver Island present a united front, it is so much stronger than us trying to speak as an individual local government, especially for a small one within a larger provincial context when you are one among many. In a provincial context, we are just one tiny voice. Coming together as neighbouring regional governments has strengthened our relationships and increased inter-regional communication and sharing of methodologies, ideas, strategies and information–all our communities are benefitting!” stated Zoe Norcross-Nu’u.

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GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “Think of Blue Ecology as a compass in terms of how it relates to a water-first approach to Water Reconciliation between cultures,” urges Richard Boase, Vice-President of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia


“We are implementers. Blue Ecology reinforces the attitude change that is necessary to support widespread use of tools and resources that the Partnership has been pioneering for more than two decades to help local governments design with nature. We have both been at this a long time. From experience, we have seen and know why the situation on the land has not been changing for the better. Our call for restorative action is this: design in concert with nature and make better decisions around our landscapes,” stated Richard Boase.

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GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “It is exciting to follow the work of the British Columbia Partnership for Water Sustainability and see how their approach exemplifies network leadership as I have conceptualized it. Their success is so similar to what I have seen in my research,” stated Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern of the University of California at Berkeley


“The network emerges around a common goal, rather than a particular program or organizational model. The community mobilizes the resources from throughout the networ based on existing relationships Once a network is up and running and proves itself to be effective, it becomes the primary vehicle for change, rather than the individual organizations themselves. Once you put committed people in a room together and build trust amongst them, and allow them to experiment and learn, that is when amazing and wonderful things happen,” stated Jane Wei-Skillern.

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SUMMIT AT THE BASTION IN NANAIMO: “Storytelling becomes a really important way of pointing out successes. Be the next success story,” stated Ray Fung in his closing reflections on what he heard


Ray Fung, a founding director of the Partnership, captured the mood of the summit with this summation: “The Partnership is seen as a resource that is stable, that is there, and that people can draw upon. I liked the comment that THIS IS A MOVEMENT. I find that is really inspiring to not see ourselves just as a network. We leave the summit inspired to figure out how the FORM of the Partnership will follow the FUNCTION. We can learn things from expanding our perspective. Part of that holistic approach includes the SPIRITUAL as well as the physical connection to the land.”

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GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “Succession within the Partnership for Water Sustainability legal entity is an intergenerational commitment. The 70-yr-olds pass the baton to the 60-yr-olds… who in turn groom the 50-yr-olds…and so on and so on and so on,” stated Kim Stephens at the Summit at the Bastion in Nanaimo (October 2023)


“Growing a network breaks all the rules of conventional thinking. It is the antithesis of building an organization that has staff. Instead, the network aligns individuals and organizations to deliver results across organizational boundaries. However, a network does require a nucleus for legal and organizational continuity,” stated Kim Stephens. “One ambassador described the Summit at the Bastion in Nanaimo as a turning point in our convening for action story. In fact, it will be the springboard to creating a future which so many of us desire, one which coalesces around a shared vision for Water Reconciliation.”

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A VISION WITH A TASK IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD: “Honouring of Jody Watson with the 2023 Watershed Moments Award is both timely and a great example how one individual with a long term vision and determination can make a difference,” stated Eric Bonham at the Partnership for Water Sustainability Forum held in Nanaimo (October 2023)


“Early in her career, Jody Watson realized the importance and value of local government-community relationships built upon mutual trust, respect and common purpose. In her role as Supervisor of Environmental Initiatives, Jody has emphasized collaboration and teamwork at every opportunity. Creative community partnerships are being forged to address changing circumstances. An able communicator and mentor who ‘walks her talk’, Jody is both a visionary and a pragmatist, for the vision and task are equally important, and that is what makes the difference,” stated Eric Bonham.

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BRING SCIENCE INSIDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT: “The job of a scientist is to provide the best advice to help people make a good decision,” stated Dr. Dave Preikshot, Senior Environmental Specialist with the Municipality of North Cowichan


“Scientists walk that tightrope between being overly reactive or not bringing the appropriate dynamics to bear on a situation. That is the debate in so many policy decisions which ultimately are up to senior managers, politicians and the public to make. Hopefully, scientists can provide information that helps. I believe that scientists need to talk to politicians, managers, and community members. However, it is really hard to keep everybody interested over the long term that characterizes ecosystem management questions. That is a challenge I face,” stated Dr. Dave Preikshot.

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BLUE ECOLOGY IS A PATHWAY TO WATER RECONCILIATION: “Rather than wondering how much more can we take or impact land before we need to stop, instead we should ask how much longer should we let the water and land heal, before we ask for more,” stated Michael Blackstock (September 2023)


The Blue Ecology video documentary seeds the idea that hope lies within the spheres of influence for local governments, whether Indigenous OR non-Indigenous. At its heart, Blue Ecology is about taking responsibility for care of the land and passing on the intergenerational baton. The video also seeds the idea that making it so requires a change in attitude to achieve the five Blue Ecology principles – Spirit, Balance, Harmony, Respect, Unity. The primary audience is local government. The Watershed Moments goal is to help remove their fear of saying or doing the wrong thing.

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