Gambier Island Local Trust is the host of the next Howe Sound Community Forum taking place at Camp Fircom on Gambier Island/Cha7elkwnech on April 26th, 2019.
Our goal is to have a completed nomination for UNESCO in Paris by the fall 2019. The nomination process is a challenge in itself, but actually being a biosphere reserve means living up to UNESCO objectives and the particular strategies of the MAB Programme itself.
Howe Sound Sustainable Development Goals Forum took place September 28th, 2018 at the Gleneagles Golf Club House in West Vancouver. Lively dialogue among the 90 attendees that included elected and campaigning municipal candidates, industry representatives, Squamish Nation members and NGO's. Speakers from Squamish River Watershed Society, District of Squamish, District of West Vancouver, Coast Ocean Research Institute, Town of Gibsons, Squamish Nation, Islands Trust, and Helping Hands Squamish gave examples of how their organizations contribute. Questions were explored on what local leadership is needed to advance SDGs in the region.
A report produced by British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) provides an account and an overview of the presentations, discussions and conclusions that were presented throughout the forum. The Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum was hosted in collaboration by Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative (HSBRI) and the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC).
The forum was used as an opportunity to discuss leadership on sustainable development in the Howe Sound through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
What's the connection between affordable housing, a healthy marine environment, and decent work for all in the Howe Sound region? The Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum will connect the dots and promote local leadership through the power of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Hosted by the BC Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) and the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative (HSBRI), the Howe Sound Sustainable Development Forum will take place on Friday, September 28 from 10 am to 3pm at the Great Hall, Gleneagles Clubhouse, West Vancouver.
The atrium at the Gibsons Public Market was an ideal location for Ruth Simons to provide a summer update for the public on the Biopshere Region Initiative.
June 4-8th, Howe Sound was represented at the 58th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) and the Canadian Biosphere Reserve Network Association (CBRA) meetings and AGM on Ottawa.
The theme over the four days was preparing for the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages. Reconciliation is a focus within CCUNESCO's priorities of peace, equity and sustainable development and CBRA's priorities of biodiversity conservation, reconciliation and sustainable development.
Highlights of the four days included the Day on the Hill Reception hosted by CBRA. Members of Parliament were invited to enjoy food and beverages from each of the Biosphere Reserve regions and to hear about the work of the 18 Canadian Biosphere Reserves. This was a well attended event and many enjoyed smoked spring salmon caught in Howe Sound, chocolates featuring local art from Art Meets Chocolate, Squamish made Elderberry cordial from Frost Bites and award winning craft beer from Howe Sound Brewing and Persephone.
The delegates to the CCUNESCO AGM were honored to have the presence of the Indigenous Chiefs, leaders and Elders that made the journey from their territories.
Howe Sound Biosphere Region is a prospective Biosphere Reserve and only becomes a member of the Network once an application to UNESCO has been submitted. We were one of two prospective reserves welcomed to attend. We are richer for the experience of meeting the representatives from the Canadian Biospheres and the members of the Indigenous Circle. Howe Sound will be in good company should our nomination be accepted. We already benefit from the network and we look forward to sharing those benefits with the Howe Sound community.
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO responded to the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative (HSBRI) working group's status report submitted November 2017 encouraging more engagement with First Nations. In 2017 UNESCO developed a policy on engaging with Indigenous People, a document that applies internationally and is a guiding document for all Biosphere Reserves across the country. Collaboration and support from the Squamish Nation is essential in order to move forward with this initiative. We look forward to this engagement.
Advance greater understanding of our role in Canada's achievement towards SDG's, UNDRIP and 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets.
Advance Squamish Nation's goals for reconciliation through communication and dialogue.
Financially support existing and ongoing conservation and research projects related to biodiversity in the region.
Ensure continued networking and communication between all levels of Government, stakeholders and First Nations in Howe Sound.
Inspire, engage and coordinate with existing and future volunteers and leaders in Howe Sound organizations.
We continue to explore long term sustainable funding for HSBRI.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. On March 23rd, members of our Working Group participated in a full day Alliance 2030 dialogue in Vancouver on how the 17 SDG's are being implemented by various organizations. We look forward to bringing this conversation to Howe Sound in cooperation with the BC Council for International Cooperation.
Interested in sharing your story? Contact us at howesoundbri@gmail.com.
On November 16th, our Working Group submitted a "Status Report" to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO for review and comment from the Man and the Biosphere Committee who are meeting November 22nd, 23rd. We look forward to comments, questions and general feedback from the committee as to the viability of our proposal for Howe Sound. This is a first step towards completion of the nomination document we are working on for submission by end of January.
Please review the report to understand more about this initiative and what is involved.
Nestled in the woods along the Cheakamus River, The Cheakamus Centre in Brackendale achieves its mission "To create a hub of innovative, authentic educational experiences in nature that inspire all learners to make informed, sustainable decisions through a deeper understanding and connection to the natural world." This was an ideal location for a meeting of Howe Sound Conservationists on October 3rd.
Representatives from 11 conservation organizations from around Howe Sound came together on our invitation to learn more about our initiative and to share thoughts on the future of conservation work. A long list of issues was raised that will be explored further as we help to build capacity to support restoration, education and research projects in the years ahead.
Issues such as staying relevant, understand what monitoring is taking place, attracting and engaging new members and funders, effective communications, building and maintaining trust, ongoing historical context, building more relationship with Squamish Nation, prioritizing projects, influencing policy making and being adaptable were some of the issues that will be further explored.
Represented at the meeting was Squamish River Watershed Society, the Squamish Nation Environmental Manager, Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, Bowen Island Conservancy, Gambier Island Conservancy, Squamish Environmental Network, Keats Island Conservancy, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, Seagrass Conservation Working Group and the Squamish Streamkeepers. For more information contact HoweSoundbri@gmail.com.
The Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society (HSBRI) is now incorporated under the Societies Act of BC. While not a registered charity that can issue receipts for tax purposes, our organization welcomes donations to help fund our expenses directly related to this important initiative.
Support for Howe Sound to be designated a UNESCO Biosphere Region continues to grow. Each of the Sound's regional districts: Metro Vancouver, Squamish-Lillooet and Sunshine Coast, plus each of the local governments, have now expressed their support in principle through resolutions.
This fall we anticipate committee members of the Canadian Commission of Man and the Biosphere (CCMAB) to visit the region. Regular updates are being provided to the Commission and we look forward to increased interaction with CCMAB on the progress towards our nomination.
In October, representatives of conservation groups are meeting to discuss the future role and governance of a Biosphere Region organization. Recognizing the challenges that non-profit organizations face today, HSBRI will work with other key stakeholders in the creation of an effective governance structure, one that will facilitate conservation efforts sustainable into the future.
For regular updates and upcoming events, please follow us on Facebook.
Q. Why do you call this a proposal for UNESCO Biosphere Region and not Reserve?
A. We have been assured by UNESCO Paris and the Canadian Commission of Man (CCMAB) and the Biosphere that our initiative can be referred to as "Region". We prefer the term "Region" to the term to "Reserve" because of the negative historic connotation of reserves in Canada, especially for First Nations peoples.
Q. How do you determine the boundaries and who makes the final decision?
A. The Draft boundary follows the watershed boundary. It also follow closely the Squamish Nation traditional territory boundary and the extent of the Howe Sound Cumulative Effects Assessment Framework, currently being undertaken the by the provincial government. We believe HSBRI has the capacity to nominate, designate an manage a Biosphere Region area this size. The final decision to use the boundary we have chosen will be made by UNESCO and will depend on support for the application.
Q. What is the process for achieving the designation?
A. It is a comprehensive process which entail a number of steps. It starts will gaining support for the concept from all sectors in the region, especially government. It entails completing an extensive nomination document and navigating a strictly controlled application submission process through the Canadian and UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Committees. HSBRI has been advised that a first step is to submit an "annual report" i.e. a summary of what we have achieved through developing the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative. The report will show how we reach the criteria of the UNESCO MAB Programme. We have been developing our nomination package, and we currently awaiting new/revised "nomination document guidelines" that will provide an overview of what CCMAB expect from a Biosphere Reserve in the Canadian context. Once we have met CCMABs guidelines we will complete the Nomination application document and submit it to CCMAB. If accepted our nomination will move forward to UNESCO Paris for approval.
Q. Are First Nations supportive?
A. There is interest expressed by the Squamish Nation in the opportunities that a Biosphere Region designation by UNESCO would provide.
Our volunteer working group is targeting November 2017 to submit a completed draft nomination form to the Canadian Commission for Man and the Biosphere (CCMAB). We envision the year 2020 to be celebrating the designation by UNESCO if accepted.
At present we are seeking authors of sections on: Overviews, Key Habitats, Species, and Threats related to: Forest, Rivers, Lakes, Rare Endangered Species, Important Wildlife. If you are interested in participating and have professional working knowledge in these areas within the proposed boundary, please contact us.
Support for the Initiative has been growing as word spreads about the opportunity. We are seeking more opportunities to engage with those who live, work and play in the Howe Sound Region. To-date our initiative is supported in writing by the District of West Vancouver, Village of Lions Bay, Bowen Island Municipality, District of Squamish, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Squamish Lillooet Regional District, Town of Gibsons, Gambier Island Local Trust and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. The Suzuki Foundation and other conservation groups are sending letters of support for the initiative. Interested in having us speak to your group? We welcome the opportunity to inform and answer your questions.


In a statement, the board said it convened an urgent meeting with the company's executive management and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
CAPE TOWN/JOHANNESBURG – The Eskom board announced its plans to launch an "in-depth audit" on Monday night after the power utility implemented stage 4 load shedding.
Stage four outages started at 1pm on Monday afternoon and were set to last until 10pm.
In a statement, the board said it convened an urgent meeting with the company's executive management and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Following the meeting, the board has assured South Africans of a systems and operations update over the next 24 hours.
Eskom said it was uncomfortable about the stability of its generating units after escalating from stage 2 to stage 4 load shedding on Monday.
By Monday night, Eskom said four units had returned to service and the remaining three would be up and running by Tuesday.
The power utility, however, said stage four load shedding would remain in place.
Residents and businesses have been urged to use electricity sparingly.


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Category Archives: Larry Schug
May 18, 2014 by Christina Hamlett
At Gloaming
"Poetry," wrote Dylan Thomas, "is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toe nails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own." In this month's feature interview, award-winning published poet Larry Schug invites us inside his world and introduces us to the elements that inspire him to be creative.
Q: Let's start with a brief overview of your journey as a writer. For instance, did you come from a literary background when you were growing up or did the desire to write not take root until adulthood?
A: My mother and father were both readers. My dad read westerns, Louis L'Amour, etc. and my mother read romance novels; not exactly classic literature, but a story is a story. Though my father only finished eighth grade and my mother just high school, they somehow set me on the reading path. My mom's sister, who was a school teacher, taught me to read before I started school and I've been an avid reader my whole life. I've always been fascinated with words, their power to paint pictures in my brain, to make my heart beat fast, to stir emotions inside me, the sounds they make coming out of my mouth. I think I was a decent writer in school, at least academically, if not creatively. It did not cause me pain to write book reports, term papers or essays for class, in fact, I enjoyed doing so. I do remember getting positive feedback from a teacher for a poem I wrote in third grade and, for some reason, that stuck with me as something I could do well. But really, my ambition as a child was to be a baseball player or a cowboy, not a writer. I continued writing poems while growing up, but never showing them to anyone or even keeping any of them. I actually wrote quite a bit while in the army, a way to achieve catharsis, more than anything, but again, not keeping them or sharing them with anyone. After my parents died while I was in my thirties, I wrote poems to express my grief and I finally shared them with other people, some of who told me I had a gift and should try to publish them. I finally listened. To this day, I think my best poems come from dealing with grief, having survived my parents, a brother and good friends who have passed on. I guess you might say I have broadened my horizons to include writing about everything I've encountered in life.
Q: What part did/does poetry play in your life and in shaping your particular outlook about the world and about your relationships with others?
A: At this point, I think I see life as a poem constantly being written, the way I imagine a musician sees the world as song or the way a painter perhaps views the world as images to be painted. My wife and I are fortunate to be able to live on a beautiful piece of property we share with deer, coyotes, otters, sand hill cranes and a wide variety of bird life. I am enamored and influenced by the natural world, its beauty, its grace and the way it has shaped us. I'm a dedicated "tree hugger" and very concerned by what seems like our planet's slow but certain degradation. I sincerely hope I'm wrong about that and I hope that my poetry in some way can influence others to do better by our little planet. Earth is the only place we can live and what makes it such a magnificent place is its beauty and all the other creatures that share our planet with us. A goal for my poetry is to inspire others with the beauty, variety, and magnificence of our world and I do see signs of hope in the upcoming generations.
I feel a need to write my life and my observations down and poetry is the form it most frequently takes. Poetry helps me figure out this state of being we call life in all its twists and turns. Being a fairly shy person, I've found poetry is a way for me to communicate. I also like to read poetry. I read poetry every day as a learning tool, but also I love the music inside words. Poetry enlightens me, shows me life in new and unexpected ways and from different viewpoints. Poetry teaches me how to be a human being.
Q: Your biography reflects that you've spent a lot of time at physical labor. How does this come out in your poems?
A: Writing is a physical task. I think performing most kinds of physical work is doing "one thing at a time". I've worked as a paperboy, groundskeeper, farm worker, forest firefighter, forestry technician, grave digger, dish washer, factory worker and recycler, all of which are physical and repetitive. I find my make-up is well suited to these kinds of tasks and I see them as Zen-like in their performance in that a person must be aware of what their body is doing in order to work safely and efficiently, focused in the here and now. I've also been heating my house with firewood for at least half my life and cutting, splitting, carrying and stacking firewood must be done with this same Zen-like outlook. I would probably make a good ant or honey bee (perhaps I was in a past lifetime!) as that is how it seems they go about their work, picking up pollen at a flower and returning to the hive or gathering leaves and returning to the anthill repeatedly. Writing poetry is no different, especially when it comes to re-writing or finding the right word to accomplish the work of a poem. Poetry requires intense attention to the job at hand, not a multi-tasking approach. I write all my poems with a pen on paper, including all re-writes. I like the physicality of doing it this way; for me, writing is as much physical as mental. Only after a poem is "finished" does it go to the computer.
Q: Which of your poems do you believe best captures who Larry Schug really is? (feel free to insert it in the interview along with your explanation of why you chose it)
Mending Mittens
Mending my leather mittens
for the third time this winter,
I sew them with waxed string
made to repair fishing nets,
hoping they'll last
until the splitting maul rests
against the shrunken woodpile
and the hoe and spade come out of the shed.
I find myself praying.
Blessed be those who have laced together
the splits at the seams of this world,
repair its threads of twisted waters.
Blessed be those who stitch together
the animals and the land,
repair the rends in the fabric
of wolf and forest,
of whale and ocean,
of condor and sky.
Blessed be those who are forever fixing
the tear between people and the rest of life.
May we all have enough thread,
may our needles be sharp,
may our fingers not throb or go numb.
May each of us find an apprentice,
someone who will take the needle from our hands,
continue all the mending that needs to be done.
Mending Mittens is the real Larry Schug. It reflects my relationship with physical work and also brings out my spiritual side. It captures me as a "dreamer", yet, I think portrays me as being realistic. This poem captures my love of the natural world and all of its inhabitants and my fears and sorrow at the injuries we are inflicting on what gives us our very life.
Q: Has retirement – and the change of lifestyle this has introduced – impacted your writing and creative processes?
A: It has, in that while I was working I had to "schedule" my writing to early morning or evening times. Now I'm free to stop what I'm doing and write if I feel the need. What I may have lost in concentrated discipline, I have gained back in time. Yet, I feel I have maintained the proper discipline needed to be productive. I now spend more time away from people, but when I am with others it is not solely in a work environment, which was rather limiting. I am not a hermit. I volunteer as a writing tutor with college students and also volunteer as a naturalist, both of which provide an avenue of contact with people in a more open way. I think my creativity has expanded with an increase in time devoted to different pursuits. Another change is that I have more time to read, which is important to writing, opening up new avenues of thinking.
Q: Share with us how a new poem is conceived in your imagination and how long it takes to actually be "born" for a publishable debut.
A: Poems come from paying attention to being alive and all that entails. Again, this a Zen-like outlook and just as meditation requires that a person be mindful of their breathing, poetry requires that I must be aware of what is going inside as well of outside of me. With practice, I've been able to develop a sense of poetry in everything. I can't think of anything not fit for a poem. Along with that, my internal dialogue seems to have a visual component; in that I see things that happen as poetry and I see my thoughts as poems if I pay attention to them with a poetic outlook. A poem often begins with an image in my head. Having said that, I write down my thoughts and observations and then transform them into poems with the use of language, metaphor, sound and all the other tools in a poet's toolbox. If lucky, the poem may just happen, but most likely, I'll have to go to work and make these thoughts or images into a poem, shaping them in a poetic form. All this can happen quickly, but more often it's like trying to put a puzzle together, which takes time. Rewriting is crucial. Each poem has a life of its own and its own time frame. I think I've learned to listen to the poem and let it tell me how it needs to be written. Like a lot of endeavors, the journey is as important as the destination. I've also learned to let a poem tell me when to stop, when it is done, when enough is enough.
Q: What governs your decision on how to physically format a poem? The New Yorker, for example, has a gimmicky fondness for displaying a lot of poems as inverted pyramids, antlers, skinny columns and PacMan circular motifs – none of which really adds to a greater appreciation of the content. I'd be curious as to how you approach the presentation question.
A: How a poem appears on paper is important. Line breaks are crucial in finding the correct form and so, in that way, the poem forms itself. I write in complete sentences, not fragments, but that does not mean a line of a poem can't be just one word if that words needs to be emphasized. This can lead to a poem assuming an unconventional shape. I've only written one "picture poem" in which the poem formed an image, in this case a stalk of wheat, in the poem "The Roots Know", published in my first book, Scales Out of Balance.
Q: When and where are you at your most creative?
A: I have always been a "morning person", probably because I got up with my dad who was an early riser. My first real job was as a paperboy, delivering the morning Minneapolis Tribune. This does not necessarily apply to my writing schedule, though I do feel a certain receptivity early in the day. I try to keep myself open and receptive at all times. I always make sure I have paper and pen with me as I go through the day, so location is not much of a factor either, though I do most of my writing in a notebook on a small wooden typewriter table in "my corner" of the upper floor of our small house.
Q: You devote a section of At Gloaming to New Mexico and Ghost Ranch. Explain the connection.
A: Ghost Ranch is a retreat/educational/conference center near Abiquiu, New Mexico. It is a place of peace and creativity, perfect for contemplation. I have been going there for the past nineteen years with a group of college students as part of a service program called Alternative Break Experience sponsored by Campus Ministry at the College of St. Benedict. We work for Ghost Ranch, helping them to fulfill their mission and also work in the community doing various kinds of work from cleaning acequias (irrigation ditches), working at a local animal shelter, planting trees with an environmental organization and helping the elderly or working in local schools. Ghost Ranch has a long history, going back to the Spanish incursion into New Mexico and the native cultures that inhabited the area before that and finally to the Anglo-American culture, but the history of the land goes back to the dinosaurs. Georgia O'Keefe had a house at Ghost Ranch and did much of her painting there and, somewhat ironically, the people who developed the atomic bomb at Los Alamos went to Ghost Ranch for R and R. The focus of our experience is environmental justice, but we also learn much about local history, geology and about the mix of Anglo, Hispanic and Native cultures. It is a place of great beauty in the high desert, a land of mesas, buttes, arroyos and mountains. All this, plus the people I've met and worked with, is very inspiring to me to me as a poet. The culture and landscape is vastly different than the culture I grew up in here in Minnesota and I have fallen completely in love with it. I think the difference is something I needed to experience and explore and, for me, what better way than poetry? This difference has opened new doors to my way of thinking and seeing things that I need to translate to poetry.
Q: Who are some of the poets whose work you admire and who may have had an influence on your own writing style?
A: Duluth, Minnesota poet Barton Sutter, a former Creative Writing teacher of mine, is a big influence. Lucille Clifton, Ted Kooser, Jimmy Santiago Baca and John Caddy are just a few of many poets who have influenced me and taught me through their poems. John Caddy in particular, showed me that it was ok to write about growing up in an alcoholic family situation and that good poetry can come from that experience. I almost hate to list anyone, because it seems an insult to leave so many great poets off this list. When I speak to students I tell them that it's imperative to read good poetry in order to write good poetry. All of the poets I've mentioned write in a clear and understandable yet lyrical voice. I do like to stretch my brain, but I really don't like poetry that I can't understand and leaves me scratching my head in befuddlement.
Q: If you could go to lunch with any of these poets, who would it be, where would you go, and what question would you most like to ask?
A: Tough question. Today I would choose Jimmy Santiago Baca because I'd like to know more about him and also because he lives in New Mexico and we could go to my favorite restaurant, El Farolito, in El Rito, New Mexico and eat the world's best sopapillas. His background is intriguing and I think he'd be a great person to know. I would love to hear his thoughts on writing poetry, how he goes about it, its purpose, etc. I'd ask him all the questions you're asking me in this interview.
Q: Your poetry has been recognized with a number of awards. Congratulations! Tell us about them.
A: I have won a number of local grants from the Central Minnesota Arts Board and had a couple poems nominated for the Pushcart Prize, but the award I am most proud of is winning a Loft McKnight Fellowship in 2008. My second book, Caution: Thin Ice was a Minnesota Book Awards finalist and Arrogant Bones was a Midwest Book Award finalist. I certainly don't think any award means that a person is a "good" writer. Awards are pretty subjective and, really, luck plays a part. I think an award means that something I wrote touched a certain human being or group of them at a certain time. It is a validation of what I do, of course, but my ego is not so big as to put a lot of self-congratulatory stock in any award. They serve as a source of motivation to push myself farther.
Q: Poetry is often labeled as a writing venue that doesn't pay very well. Sadly – and at least in California – the study of poets and poetry composition in classrooms has been steadily diminishing. What's your response to this?
A: I suppose I get rather cynical, sometimes, about this, but it is what it is. As Guy Clark once sang, "Ain't no money in poetry, that's what sets the poet free". I certainly don't write poetry for any monetary reward or compensation, but, I'm afraid the fact that our society doesn't place much monetary value on poetry somehow reflects its cultural value in America in 2014. I recently had a poem chosen to be the subject of a painting, a poet/artist collaboration, which was a great honor. The painting will sell for $1200.00; the poem will sell for $0.00.
As far as poetry in the classroom, I find that it is valued by many teachers and students, but apparently not by administrators or those who set up curriculums. Again, this reflects an educational system training students to be cogs in our economic machine rather than being fully developed human beings who are thoughtful and in fact, even able to think critically. Our children are being taught to be sheep. I am saddened by this and I think it could have dire consequences for our society in so many ways such as understanding cultural diversity, the environment and how people relate to each other and to themselves. Poetry leads to an open mind, which seems to be the enemy, especially in the world of politics. I apologize for the rant! (Not really.)
Q: Your best advice to an aspiring poet?
A: I would tell them to read good poetry, study it and figure out what makes it appeal to you. This is imperative. I learn more from reading the poems of others critically, than I've ever learned in a classroom. I'd also tell them to read more of everything else they can get their hands on—fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, cereal boxes, street signs; anyplace they can find a written word . I would advise them to pay attention to life. Put down the electronic devices and use all your senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch and use your brain. Think your own thoughts. Explore your emotions honestly. Don't be afraid to go places inside or outside of yourself that may not be pleasant places to visit. Be honest with yourself. And, of course, there is the best advice on how to get better at anything– practice, practice, practice.
Q: If you were asked to write a job description for the occupation of "poet," what would it say?
A: Pay attention to being alive and pass that on in your writing. A poet must keep in mind that he or she is not writing only for himself or herself, though that may be a part of what we do. Hopefully, other human beings will read our work; therefore it is part of our job to put into words what others may not be able to express. We should be able to enable others to achieve catharsis and healing, help them think and spark their curiosity. We must write as documenters of the past and the present. Particularly we must honor the "now", for it is the only time we have. We are the story tellers and the "rememberers" of the tribe. We are artists in the same sense as any other artist-painter, sculptor, musician or dancer. We must also be entertainers, not so much as in the Hollywood sense of the word, but in a more thoughtful way. J. F. Powers, a famous American fiction writer of the last century, once told me a writer is nothing but an entertainer. We all need to be entertained and when we are, it can lead to a more meaningful existence. It is a blessing to entertain and to be entertained. If we are not entertaining, who is going to read or listen to our words?
A: I think many people are surprised that I, as a poet, am not an academic, which, I think, is the stereotypical view of a poet. As I've stated above, I have made a life of doing menial, physical labor. I worked in the maintenance department at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota for 34 years and when my first book came out, it was greeted somewhat with surprise by the faculty that a person who mows the grass or sorts other people's garbage (the fancy name for this is Recycling Coordinator) had an interest in or talent for poetry. Having said that, I must say I was very well accepted by the faculty and administration for my literary efforts. I received a lot of support, often being asked to speak in classes and having my books used as texts in various classes as well as official publications of the college.
Q: What are you currently working on?
A: Right now, I'm just writing poems with no real goal for them as far as a new book. That will happen when it happens. I do like to explore a subject in detail. I have been writing lately about what goes on in Kay's Kitchen, a small town café in St. Joseph, Minnesota that I have frequented for 40 years or more. I'm currently working on another poem that takes place there, though it is purely fictional as far as the characters and what they do, but at the same time, realistic.
Q: Where can readers discover more about you and your work?
A: My web site is www.larryschugpoet.com. Readers can also google me and find some poems and newspaper and magazine articles. Send me an e-mail; I love to converse with readers.
A: I would just like to thank you for this opportunity. I have learned much about myself as I answer the questions and see my writing in a clearer light. I would ask the casual reader to explore poetry. Contrary to popular opinion, poetry is not dead. It's a vibrant art form that in some way relates to everyone.
Posted in authors, interviews, Larry Schug, nature, poetry
Tagged Larry Schug, nature, poetry

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Givendale Gardens visualization
The Meadoway
Scarborough, Ontario
A Blueprint for Revitalization
Located within the mowed grasses of the Gatineau Hydro Corridor in Scarborough, Ontario, The Meadoway is a transformational project to develop 16 kilometres of underutilized, highly maintained monoculture into one of the largest urban and linear greenspaces in Canada, featuring a meadow habitat, active transportation link, and vibrant public space.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, with a generous donation from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, retained our Toronto studio to design and develop a visualization toolkit for The Meadoway's community-powered greenspaces which will connect people and neighbourhoods across the City of Toronto. The design, visualization toolkit, and an inclusive engagement process assist the public to understand the scope, magnitude, challenges, and opportunities of this landmark project.
Once complete, The Meadoway will use nature to connect Toronto's downtown with the Don River Valley and Rouge National Urban Park. It will serve as a blueprint for revitalization, a world-class example of active, linear greenspace, and a precedent for future hydro corridor restoration.
Client: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Size: 10 mi
National Award of Excellence, Planning and Analysis
Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, 2020
Brownie Award - Reach Out: Communications, Marketing, and Public Engagement
Canadian Brownfields Network, 2020
The Meadoway is reclaiming infrastructure, revitalizing community, and restoring habitat.
Virtual reality was delivered through experiential QR codes.
Inclusive and Innovative Public Engagement
Public and stakeholder engagement was a key component to the success of the project. Developed by our studio in-house, the engagement strategy invites residents and stakeholders to participate in the design process using interactive sessions and technology to help them imagine the experience of The Meadoway when its physical space is complete.
Informed by our field investigations, bike and walking tours, helicopter surveys, as well as multiple community touchpoints, our engagement strategy included a variety of experiential elements such as a 12-metre long annotated map of the corridor, 360 degree photos and videos, as well as virtual reality and physical models. These elements were shared with the community at public meetings and augmented by on-line tools including QR codes and direct outreach with school children, residents, and other stakeholders in the field.
A 12-metre long map was used to facilitate community conversations around the draft corridor plan.
Community engagement sessions were created to include people of all ages.
Morningside Meadows visualization
All visualizations were produced in collaboration with Future Landscapes Design + Visualization.
The design expresses The Meadoway as an opportunity which reclaims valuable infrastructure, revitalizes community, and restores habitat featuring:
Native and low-maintenance planting restoration promotes return of native bird and pollinator species. Over 1000 species will call The Meadoway home. It will serve as year-round habitat for some species, while providing a migrating corridor for others.
Food and Urban Agriculture
Community and allotment gardens strengthen community and encourage stewardship. Residents will benefit from a place to garden and socialize.
Trail and Bridge Connections
The ravine system is one of the most distinctive and natural features in Toronto. New and safe bridge crossings will provide expanded access to the City's trail system.
The restored meadow habitat provides enormous opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the range of natural species, with hands-on experiences like planting.
Celebration of Nature
Lookout points, areas for rest, and wayfinding and interpretation will teach visitors the history of the lands and ravines as important Indigenous passages for travel and trade.
Highland Creek Crossing visualization
Wetlands visualization
Sustainability and Resilience
The Meadoway will serve as a model for the revitalization and restoration of infrastructure corridors throughout the GTA and internationally. It will create vital urban habitats that promote biodiversity, mental and physical health, and the enjoyment and stewardship of nature. Consistent with Toronto's new Resilience Strategy (authored by Perkins&Will), The Meadoway will offer a variety of neighbourhood-scale community gathering spaces that support neighbourhood resilience.
As one of Canada's largest linear greenspaces, not only will The Meadoway increase habitat for wildlife, improve ecological diversity, and extend Toronto's active transportation network through natural ravine systems, it will also create a new destination, increase community connectivity, and contribute to the diversity of the City's urban greenspace.
Thomson Gardens visualization
Many stakeholders expressed the need for more community gardens to support culture of urban agriculture.
Paul Kulig
John Slack
Next Year in the Park: Will the Public Realm ever be the Same?
The Meadoway wins CSLA National Award of Excellence
Perkins&Will and The TRCA Awarded 2020 Brownie Award for The Meadoway


text:
Storage Solutions For Your Reorganised Home Space
Story from Home
Our Favourite Storage Solutions For Your Reorganised Home Space
Sadhbh O'Sullivan
Photo Courtesy Of Ikea
The world is opening up again, the worst of lockdown is for the most part over, and you have your half finished projects from the last year to sort away. Whether it was puzzles or crafting or the more organisational impulse to spring clean, reorganise or reevaluate the clutter you've built up over the years, there's been a lot of stuff moving around in our homes.
With reorganising and reevaluating comes a need for somewhere to put all the stuff that has been organised and evaluated. And for that you need some clever storage.
Unless you're lucky enough to have storage space to spare, you're going to have to be clever with what you have, which means using the corners of the room, under the furniture, or even replacing furniture with storage built in. Lucky for you, there are plenty of good options going if you know where to look.
Storage Buys For Reorganising Your Home
Home • Living
written by Sadhbh O'Sullivan
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By 1935 Giacometti had already turned away from the playfulness and fantastic elements of Surrealism; he wanted to capture the living presence of a human being as it is experienced in a personal encounter with another individual. For twelve years he searched for a solution; in 1947 he found it in the form of his weightlessly soaring thin figures. La cage is a wonderful exemplar of the principle of "phenomenological" realism: stand and cage represent human beings in their consciousness within which the bust as self-consciousness is inextricably bound up. The tiny statuette on the plinth reveals the content of consciousness to be that which is perceived by sight: it is only the viewer who brings the work to life through the act of viewing.


The candidates who fulfill the above qualifications/experience should appear for the interview on 03/05/2012 at 03:30 pm In the Office of Prof./Dr. O.P. Sharma. CAS at Room No. 325, Block-VI, 2nd Floor, IIT Delhi. Kindly bring your formal application through proper channel along with Bio-data with complete information regarding educational qualifications indicating percentage of marks of each examination passed, details of working experience and a recent passport size photograph, along with photocopies certificates (both academic & professional) addressed to the Assistant Registrar (IRD), IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi -110016 on the date of interview. The advertisement No., Title of Project and Post applied for must be mentioned on top left side of the application.