Seeing Through Watchers’ Eyes – Between the Worlds is a digital interactive learning tool for learners of all ages and backgrounds that tells a complex and deep story seen through the eyes of Coast Salish practice and teaching.
Rebecca Gunn Hansen is a youth leader. Rebecca took part in Sierra Club BC’s Youth Environmental Leadership Program (YELP). For many years, YELP provided a space for powerful and transformative youth learning on environmental issues.
From September 20 to 27, more than 7.6 million people across the globe rose up for climate justice. So, what’s next?
By Education Program Manager Ciera DeSilva
June 2019
I am thrilled to join Sierra Club BC as the new Education Program Manager and to work alongside our passionate Environmental Educators, Kirsten and Amira. The previous Education Program Manager, James Davis, was patient and thorough in training me and will remain in the Victoria area working on projects related to music and community, often fueled by bicycle power!
My path towards this environmental position was long and curvy.
Like all pre-schoolers in my native Bermuda, I learned not to waste water, as all drinking water is rainwater collected on one’s roof and stored in a big tank under one’s house. Starting at age five, I had a passion for monarch butterflies. I learned about local plant species with my grandfather, whose home was surrounded by bright flowers, aloe vera plants, a small banana patch and a papaya tree. My school created an edible plant garden and encouraged entry in the national agricultural exhibition.
Year round, I retreated to my favourite hangout spots in trees near where I lived. Summers included day camps—that had us outside sketching nature and collecting beach glass for art projects—but mostly, beach time. This included boogie boarding, building sand castles, exploring tide pools ecosystems and collecting garbage. I also adored visiting green turtles at the local aquarium, all rescued after boats collided with them. My ‘factual’ knowledge of coral reef ecosystems was enhanced by snorkeling among coral reefs that, luckily, my government and many non-profit organizations were working to protect.
My family moved to unceded Cowichan territories when I was 11. Joining Grade 7 Canadian students full of questions about my origins made me think about who I was in a new way. I enjoyed fieldtrips, but felt disadvantaged as I didn’t know about plants, animals or ecosystems on Vancouver Island. Though I hated the long rainy days and (relative) cold, I soon felt happy among friendly classmates and art class became my favourite.
Spending my formative years in the Cowichan Valley permitted me ample nature time. I swapped my tropical tree friends in Bermuda for sturdy Douglas firs and colourful maples trees. I learned to compost, hike, camp, kayak and build a campfire. I was thankful to never be far from the smell of salty waters and marine life of Cowichan and Maple Bay.
At school there was, tragically, little to no mention of the First Nations whose unceded land we lived, worked and played on. I first thought about this difference while living and attending public school on unceded Mayan territory in southeastern Mexico following Grade 12. My interdisciplinary studies (International Relations, Spanish and French) allowed me to pursue my interests, and launched me towards an internship in northern Peru. There, my non-profit team offered programs that included literacy, environmental sustainability (reducing plastic consumption, recycling and tree-planting) and teaching advocacy and leadership skills to youth and parents in marginalized communities.
Peruvians inspired me to dedicate my life to education. I moved to Vancouver for a Bachelor of Education program and stayed for my first teaching contracts. Joining the teaching profession in 2016 meant internalizing the importance of reconciliation. Our communities, schools, politicians, families and our own individual selves are at different places and moving at different paces in unique journeys towards reconciliation. I aim to bring the First Peoples’ Principles of Learning more authentically into Sierra Club BC Education Programs, while forming meaningful partnerships with First Nations communities.
Your presence reading this blog shows your interest in environmental education. Perhaps this fascination is rooted in memories of time that you, like me, were fortunate to spend outdoors while growing up. Regardless of how you got here, thank you for forming part of this learning community, for your openness to growth and to try new activities with your students and education community members.
I would love to hear your education suggestions, ideas, success stories and challenges via phone or email. Je parle français, yo hablo español e eu falo português (I speak French, Spanish and Portuguese), so don’t hesitate to contact me in one of those languages if it is more comfortable for you.
Best wishes for a beautiful Summer Solstice and season of peace, warmth, and refreshing ties with your communities.
Ciera DeSilva
250-386-5255 x 245
ciera@sierraclub.bc.ca
By Education Program Manager James Davis
May 2019
It is with mixed emotions that I move on from my role as Education Program Manager. I have learned so much over the past two years and feel grateful for the opportunity to have worked with an amazing team of people here at Sierra Club BC, as well as teachers and students across the province.
I am excited to spend lots of time outside this summer and will be helping out at the Earth Activist Training permaculture course at OUR Ecovillage as a teaching assistant. I am also working with a team to organize the Victoria Bicycle Music Festival, which will take place in Lekwungen Territory on July 21st.
I am thrilled to be handing over the role to Ciera DeSilva, who has spent the past three years working as a teacher in Vancouver.
Ciera will have a chance to tell you more about herself in our June Education E-News, but I can tell you that I have been very impressed by her passion, creativity and dedication to reconciliation and equity. I look forward to working with her over the coming weeks to get her oriented before I leave Sierra Club BC in mid-June.
Thanks to all of you who are working hard to connect children and youth with nature. May the kinder, more beautiful world that we envision come into reality!
By Kirsten Dallimore, Environmental Educator
March 2019
When I go out into nature I am looking to feel some sort of connection. I use my senses to explore the landscape, the flora and fauna and the water. I always need to go to the water because being near water brings me a sense of calmness like nothing else. I have a quiet mind and child-like play comes out when I am near water, which leads me to have a deeper nature connection moment in that place.
When I am in nature I am often searching for a place to spend time reflecting in, or I am looking to have a big wild nature moment. A big nature moment is when you finally reach the top of the mountain and look out and see a bald eagle flying above you. I’m always seeking out adventure and also a feeling of being alive and free. I know my big nature moments will lead me to have a great story to share when I get back home.
A core routine I like to practice is sharing my story of the day. Sharing your story with someone who is fully listening is a way you can experience a fulfilling and longer lasting deep nature connection moment.
There is a lot of talk out there about making a connection with nature. What is connection? What does it look like for you? How does it feel when you make a connection with nature? How are we able to connect more deeply with nature? And at the same time how can we connect with ourselves and others in a meaningful way?
One endeavour I’ve taken on this year is participating in a program called the Renewal of Creative Path. This is a program shared by Jon Young through the 8 Shields Institute. The 8 Shields Institute is a global movement in rebuilding nature-connected intergenerational mentoring communities.
I’ve felt very excited to find this place where I could dive deeper into these questions about building connection. I wanted to see what I could discover about what it takes to be fully alive and engaged. I want to share with all of you the eight attributes of connection.
Photo by Elisabeth Hazell
Each attribute is associated with one of the eight directions:
To get started on this journey I encourage you to go through each attribute and ask these five simple questions:
The goal of having all of these attributes working within you is to become fully connected with nature, yourself and others in your community. Once you have gone through each question for the eight attributes, you can start to design your own ideal scene journal.
An ideal scene journal is something you can create at the beginning of each year that sets the stage for how you can be working towards being fully connected. This can be created by writing down how you envision yourself embodying these attributes. The more specific, the better.
Best wishes to everyone in finding your own path to connection with nature, yourself and your community.
I encourage you all to get connected with the 8 Shields Institute to learn more about deep nature connection, mentoring and cultural repair. You can learn more at: http://8shields.org/about/about-the-8-shields-model/
Feature image by Jess Alford
