Excerpt from Canada’s National Observer.
Katie Wheeler grew up counting salmon in creeks, swimming in icy ocean bays and examining the trees, plants and creatures in a section of rainforest on the northern end of her small B.C. island.
The 17-year-old’s childhood memories are rooted in her experiences in the Children’s Forest on Cortes Island.
Now the young woman hopes to contribute to a community effort to protect the area so younger kids can enjoy it like she did.
Wheeler acts as a youth mentor for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society, a charity formed in the hopes of buying 640 acres of forest from timber companies for future generations.
“(The forest) has a lot of endangered species of animals, plants and fungi. And ecosystems that are non-existent now in a lot of places because of logging,” Wheeler said, noting pockets of old-growth remain on the properties held by Mosaic Forest Management.
Photo courtesy of the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society
Island Innovation is a social enterprise and digital media company at the intersection of sustainable development and communications, offering specialised services across various sectors. We bring together the private sector, government, utilities, NGOs and universities to advance innovation for sustainability and prosperity in islands worldwide.
