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Tim Pringle

    CONVENING FOR ACTION AT THE BC LAND SUMMIT: “The 3-year transition strategy for embedding EAP at Vancouver Island University has multiple layers and partnerships, with several moving parts to balance,” stated stated Anna Lawrence, Project Coordinator, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute at VIU


    “Absorb, communicate. and refine the communication. I am very focused on the 3-year transition strategy because Year One was just trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. And so, in Year Two I think it is time to begin that communication process. And Year Three will be refining that communication process. In Year One, it was a juggling process with many moving parts and trying to keep them all in balance. And so, we look forward to sharing our EAP experience at the BC Land Summit,” stated Anna Lawrence.

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    GEORGIA BASIN INTER-REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE: “Vancouver Island University is all-in because EAP, the Ecological Accounting Process, is an idea that can change the game and students are excited to contribute to the change,” stated Graham Sakaki of Vancouver Island University


    “The story behind the story is about the importance of embedding knowledge of EAP into the youth who are going to be the future of our local governments. The framework that we have set up ensures this will happen. There are lots of partnerships that exist for selfish reasons. But the EAP Partnership is selfless, and from all angles. It is a leap of faith for member local governments. Partnership for Water Sustainability commitment to passing the baton is unwavering,” stated Graham Sakaki when he spoke about the 3-year transition strategy to embed EAP at Vancouver Island University.

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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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    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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    PARTNERSHIP FOR WATER SUSTAINABILITY PASSES ECOLOGICAL ACOUNTING BATON TO VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY: “I just wish that partnerships like this existed among all research projects. Unfortunately, they do not,” stated Graham Sakaki, Regional Research Institute Manager


    “There are lots of partnerships that exist for selfish reasons. But the EAP Partnership is selfless, and from all angles. It is a leap of faith for member local governments. Partnership for Water Sustainability commitment to passing the baton is unwavering. The EAP Partnership was set up in a really unique, really valuable and viable way right from the beginning. The Partnership for Water Sustainability made the connections to the three local governments. Vancouver Island University, as a smaller university, is very focused on applied research and community engagement. This is a good fit for the EAP mission,” stated Graham Sakaki.

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    COMMITMENT TO A CAREER IN ONE PLACE: “Philosophically the Official Community Plan is very important to me. It ties together where Courtenay is going. We are on a new path,” stated Nancy Gothard, Manager of Community and Sustainability Planning with the City of Courtenay


    “My commitment is to the community that I love and so my career strategy has been different. It has meant I may not grow as quickly as I could, but in the passage of time I feel rewarded for staying with one organization. We are currently experiencing rapid change in our organization and priorities. With all this change there is a need for institutional memory to provide stability, insight, and rapid response to these new opportunities. Now that I have evolved into a more senior role, I feel the strategy of commitment and patience is allowing me to contribute more decisively and effectively,” stated Nancy Gothard.

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