Kootenay Permaculture

Protect Your Lungs from Wildfire Smoke

Protect Your Lungs from Wildfire Smoke A practical, natural-medicine guide for smoke season

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Given the scope and scale of wildfires currently burning in B.C., and to further protect public safety, recreational off-road vehicle use will be prohibited on Crown land in the Kamloops and Southeast Fire Centres, as well as parts of the Cariboo and Coastal Fire Centres. This prohibition is effective immediately, as of 12 p.m. (noon) on August 10, 2026.

Full information for current prohibitions and restrictions is provided here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions

Another legend has passed away.
I was very happy to meet him many years ago and walked around his backyard and see all the amazing plants that he was growing on Vancouver Island.
A great man and very generous with his knowledge and time.
Thank you Bob!
RIP Bob

Robert William Patrick “Bob” Duncan | Obituaries | McCall Gardens Funeral and Cremation Service | Victoria BC Bob’s final days were unexpectedly short. They were spent surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and beloved Verna holding his hands and filling his room with love. At 78 years of age, he passed into the arms of Jesus on 20 July 2026 at Victoria General Hospital, Victoria BC. Robert William Pa...

https://wildsight.ca/2026/06/23/conservation-through-the-lens-of-lichens/

Conservation through the lens of lichens — an interview with lichenologist Toby Spribille Toby Spribille was 18 years old when he first discovered a new-to-western-science species of lichen, and became hooked on lichenology. “I realized there was quite a bit of unrecognized species diversity among lichens,” says the now world-renowned lichenologist and author. “This idea that there...

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4pk07npvvo

Mangrove forests are healing after decades of human destruction Swampy mangrove forests are staging a surprise comeback - which is good news for coastal communities and the climate.

RIP David Polster

My Dave was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2020, several years later also with Parkinson's disease. I find it remarkable to note in this beautiful tribute from the Society of Ecological Restoration that during the year he was diagnosed he presented a webinar to this group. He continued actively working, with my support, for several years.

Dave In Memoriam: David Franklin Polster (1952–2026)

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) mourns the passing of David Franklin Polster, a pioneering Canadian plant ecologist, restoration practitioner, educator, and longtime leader within the restoration community. Dave passed away on May 11, 2026, following a lengthy illness. He was 74.

Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, Dave helped shape the science and practice of ecological restoration across Canada and beyond. Widely recognized for his work restoring severely disturbed landscapes, he championed restoration approaches grounded in ecological succession and natural recovery processes. His work on mine sites, industrial disturbances, unstable slopes, and other degraded ecosystems demonstrated how understanding nature's own regenerative capacity can guide successful restoration.

A dedicated member and leader within SER, Dave played a foundational role in establishing the Society's British Columbia Chapter, which later evolved into the SER Western Canada Chapter. Dave also served on the SER Board of Directors and, in 2019, was among the inaugural recipients of SER's Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) credential.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to ecological restoration and to SER, Dave received the Society's John Rieger Award in 2013. A generous educator and mentor, in 2020, he presented the SER webinar Natural Processes for the Restoration of Drastically Disturbed Sites, highlighting the approach that guided much of his life's work.

Dave’s influence can be seen in the ecosystems he helped recover, the restoration professionals he mentored, and the enduring impact of his ideas on the field of ecological restoration.

SER extends its deepest condolences to Dave's family, friends, colleagues, former students, and the many restoration practitioners whose lives and careers he touched. His legacy will continue to inspire restoration efforts and practitioners for generations to come.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/ckgp58lp7xdo

Mushrooms help remove sewage and E. coli from Devon rivers The turkey tail mushroom has been been shown to remove 80% of dangerous E. coli strain from Devon river in trials by Anglian Water.

https://sasknow.com/2026/06/21/quebec-town-of-terrasse-vaudreuil-recognizes-trees-as-living-beings-with-rights/

Quebec town of Terrasse-Vaudreuil recognizes trees as living beings with rights MONTREAL — A small town west of Montreal has decided to officially recognize trees as living beings with rights of their own, in what an environmental organization describes as a first in Quebec and Canada. A resolution adopted by Terrasse-Vaudreuil ci...