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Blue Ecology

    LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “I always had issues with the discipline of ecology as taught in the university system where it was very much mechanistic, Cartesian dualism of mind and body and human and nature,” stated Dr. Zbigniew Grabowski, principal author of ‘What is green infrastructure? A study of definitions in US city planning’


    “My research is the first systematic review of the use and definition of the green infrastructure concept in local government plans in the US. Many plans fail to explicitly define green infrastructure. How green infrastructure is defined guides the types of projects that local governments implement, with enduring impacts to people and the urban environment. We need a new paradigm that reimagines green infrastructure to address root causes of water quality issues. But most of the academic systems are not really lined up with deep transformative action,” stated Zbigniew Grabowski.

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    LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “With unwavering vision and courage, Lynn Kriwoken brought water management in British Columbia from a jurisdictional backwater to the most progressive in Canada,” stated Mike Wei, former Deputy Comptroller of Water Rights


    “”In the 1990’s, water management in BC lagged decades behind other Canadian jurisdictions. Lynn Kriwoken saw a future of recurring drought, conflicts and urgent need for strong water legislation for BC. With single-mindedness, she articulated her vision to successive governments (NDP and Liberal) and convinced them to take legislative action. Amazingly, Lynn led these and other legislative reforms over a very short and politically unstable period of two decades, a testament to her ability to work effectively across bi-partisan lines,” stated Mike Wei.

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    VISION WITH A TASK IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD: “Living Water Smart is a timeless story about the value of water in all its forms and its message continues to resonate with people today,” says Lynn Kriwoken, recipient of the Partnership for Water Sustainability’s 2025 Watershed Moments Award


    Lynn Kriwoken is a former Executive Director in the BC Ministry of Environment. In government, Lynn was a leader who made a difference behind the scenes with her vision and ability to make things happen. She was the Living Water Smart champion, and her passion and leadership drove it. “We took a different approach with British Columbia’s Water Plan. Rather than a boring, bureaucratic plan that starts with a vision, mission, goals, actions and words and more words…we started with a design. It was a different approach for government,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.

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    MELTING GLACIERS, HEALTHY WATERSHEDS, AND YOU: “It is a story about making a positive difference in the world, influencing change, stewardship and the important role of citizens in all this,” stated Lynn Kriwoken – career water champion, president of the Whistler Lakes Conservation Foundation


    “It is not just about the science; it is about people. It is about our history, our experience, our connection to place. It is the values we hold, the decisions we make and the stories we pass on to our children and grandchildren. The mindset that we are all part of the problem, and all part of the solution. The work that we are doing today in Whistler is part of a continuum that started with the stewardship of the resources and the land by the people of the Squamish and Lil’wats First Nations and the continuation of story over generations,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.

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    LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “My water career started in the field with scientists and progressed into policy then leadership roles. Now I am happy to have my feet back in the water as citizen scientist,” stated Lynn Kriwoken, former Executive Director in the BC Ministry of Environment


    “One afternoon in the summer of 2020 I was enjoying the sparkle of Alta Lake from my deck, when an excited neighbour appeared waving a membership form, telling me I should join this new lake group. Freshly retired from a 30+ year water career with the provincial government, my feet barely back on the ground, I said sure, why not? Not retired, just re-wired. My nvolvement allows me to make a contribution as a citizen scientist to protect the place I love. WLCF has since evolved to more of stewardship, citizen science focus,” stated Lynn Kriwoken.

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    COUNTERBALANCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITH NATURAL INTELLIGENCE! – “The promotion of AI as the greatest thing since sliced bread is constant and we really must counterbalance that. A consequence of the AI drumbeat is the loss of our connection to the natural world,” stated Michael Blackstock, co-founder of the Blue Ecology Institute, and ambassador of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC


    “During the day I listen to the stock market channel on the radio. The talk is constant now about AI. Companies are embracing it because it is viewed as the greatest thing since sliced bread. My observation is that we are being firehosed. It just seems that humans are going down this artificial rabbit hole where business believes technology is going to solve everything; and it is happening with no apparent awareness of unintended consequences,” stated Michael Blackstock.

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    LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “Increasing awareness of Indigenous wisdom related to water and climate change supports the 10-year goals of the Cowichan Drinking Water and Watershed Protection program. Blue Ecology is a work plan element,” stated Kim Stephens of the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia


    “The Partnership for Water Sustainability is all-in with our support for Michael Blackstock and Blue Ecology. In fact, our collaboration with Michael is living proof of what it means to walk the talk and lead by example when it comes to interweaving Indigenous and Western views of water. Leading by example is playing out in the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The umbrella for our current collaboration with the regional district is the Blue Ecology in the Cowichan initiative. Building bridges between two cultures is about a mind-set change,” stated Kim Stephens.

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    LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “How might our understanding of nature change if we recognize non-human stories conveyed in codes, signs, colors, body language, gestures, and signals, as stunning narratives,” wonders Dr. Serpil Oppermann, co-editor of The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Blue Humanities (scheduled for publication in 2025)


    The Bloomsbury Handbook to the Blue Humanities includes a 6000-word chapter by Michael Blackstock on Blue Ecology. Turkish academic Dr. Serpil Oppermann is the catalyst behind the handbook and one of four co-editors. “I am very happy to have Michael Blackstock in the Bloomsbury Handbook to the Blue Humanities. I was overjoyed when he accepted our invitation,” she said. “ Her work explores the intersecting perspectives of natural sciences and environmental humanities. Her mission is to be a bridge between humanities and science studies.

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    FUSION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND NATURAL INTELLIGENCE: “Natural Intelligence, as I define it, is not just a concept; it is a call to action. It urges us to re-evaluate our relationship with water,” stated Michael Blackstock, independent Indigenous scholar and co-founder of the Blue Ecology Institute


    “There is untapped intelligence out there in nature. It is on our doorstep but we are tapping it even less because we are so focused on Artificial Intelligence,” says Michael Blackstock. “There is this vast amount of wisdom out there that Indigenous peoples have seen forever…and that is Natural Intelligence…NI. Avoid getting caught up in only looking to AI to solve your problems. The balance principle is central to Natural Intelligence and Blue Ecology. It calls for a narrative shift towards healing and giving back to the environment. It is about creating a reciprocal relationship with nature.”

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    LIVING WATER SMART IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: “In the urban environment, we cannot bring back the watersheds that were here historically. But we can do things to retain and improve natural areas and the quality of receiving waters,” states Hugh Fraser, former Deputy Director of Engineering, City of Delta


    Hugh Fraser is a green infrastructure pioneer in the Metro Vancouver region. In the early 2000s, he was a leading voice when green infrastructure was in its infancy and was a component of the region’s Liquid Waste Management Plan. Delta’s rain garden program in road rights-of-way began in 2005 as a demonstration application to show how to achieve desired watershed health outcomes. “The program is now in Decade Three. Shared responsibility and intergenerational commitment are foundation pieces for enduring success,” stated Hugh Fraser.

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