Earth Days

Tuesday, April 22nd is Earth Day. I love celerbrating the Earth, because I love the Earth. I don't necessarily think that one day a year is sufficient celebration, but it is a start. I hope that in time Earth Day becomes everyday. If everyone starts thinking about their actions in relationship to the Earth, we'll be leaps and bounds closer to living sustainably.

Part of our celebrations at Royal Roads is the ceremonial planting of three trees. I volunteered to say a few words about this ceremony for those who participate. This is what I will say:

"Welcome to this ceremonial tree planting in honor of the Earth.

This week we are celebrating the Earth; its bounty and our responsibility to it.

This land, where we stand now, and where a lot of us spend most of our days, has supported life for millennia.

It has seen the passing of ages, the ebb and flow of countless tides, the scouring work of glaciers.

The tapestry of the past is woven by the ocean and streams, the wind, and both the inner and the outer fires. And IN the tapestry is all life: the plants, the animals, and even the fungi and bacteria.

And of course, the people, who have also been here for a long time. These are the traditional lands of the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. And we pay tribute to them today.

In the fertility of such a rich past, blooms the present. The students, staff, faculty and other community members; all of us visitors to this place of learning, and of discovery. This is a place to become, a place to remember.

OUR future may be uncertain, but this land will persist. The future holds yet untold stories, generations of people, of animals and of the long-lived trees.

It is the trees that represent the eons of this land, and the human qualities which we seek.

Trees represent knowledge, and it seems appropriate that this university is surrounded by them.

They represent wisdom, with roots that hold them strong to the earth, to their foundations. They stretch tall, seeking the light.

And so, in honor of the Earth, we plant these three trees, which represent the past, the present and the future of this land.

Something that Greg Sam said to our class last week stuck with me. He said that his people live with the land. Not ON the land, but WITH it. If there is one thing to keep in our minds this week, while we are celebrating, it is for each of us to try to live with the land."

Although I am slightly pessimistic about the amount of people that will show up for all the events we have planned, I think it is so important to make a big deal about Earth Day. We can provide the opportunity, but we cannot force anyone to learn. I'm happy to provide. I'm also happy that these days of events have the potential to lead to community development. I get so wrapped up in my own cohort and work, that I don't even give thought to the other cohorts on campus. I hope that some of these people will participate and our social capital will expand as we get to know each other. If we cannot be united in our learning, maybe we can be united in our passion.

Community Livability Survey

These were some of the main themes I took out of the survey:

• Methods of travel
• Safety concerns
• What is available
• Walkability
• Connection
• Volunteer opportunities
  
• Diversity of social opportunities
• Community involvement
• Trust in media
• Acceptance in community

I think these are interesting because it goes to show how many different aspects of a "community" there are. Having a sense of community is very important to me, but there were some aspects of the survey that I had never really considered before, such as which media outlets I trust (none! well, except the CBC radio a little) and the connections of the community. Eventually, when I decide where I want to put down some roots, I will consider a lot of these factors, but it really wasn't until going through the survey that I realized how much I would not have considered...just because I didn't recognize the need. For example, I know that if I end up living in an urban setting, walkability and accessibility to various services are a must. But will I walk around to the potential neighbors and see what their ethnic backgrounds are or if they are associated with any "questionable" groups (like NAMBLA!)? Probably not, thought I certainly see the wisdom in it.

The exercise we did in class on April 10, in which we spoke with our group about our own sense of connectedness, was interesting for me. As I said last week, I don't feel particularly a part of the Langford community because I feel transient, so I also don't feel very connected. I do have a lot of connections through the school and my cohort, but in my personal life the connections are definitely lacking. One team member suggested that he feels the same because he doesn't see any point in putting a lot of effort to build a community here when he knows he'll be leaving fairly shortly. I kind of agree with him. But then another classmate said that he feels that line of thinking is lazy and a bit of a cop out, because even if we are here for a short amount of time, there is definitely enough time to get involved and be a part of the community. The investment is worth putting the effort in. This made me think that my community is really what I make of it. I could be doing a lot more to make living in Langford a meaningful experience.

Langford = Community?

I'm not even sure that I live in a community. I feel like I just live in a neighborhood. I like my neighborhood, at least the way it looks, with a lot of big trees and houses that are all more or less different than the one next door. But community? Granted, I consider myself somewhat transient; I have no intentions of staying here when I'm finished with school. There could be a rich community that I don't know about because I haven't bothered to look for it.

So what is my definition of community?

• People know each other in a community;
• there are community events;
• there is something that ties people together, whether it be where they live, what they are interested in or issues that unite them and;
• there is cooperation, trust, and empowerment among community members.

I've noticed that in the mall near where I live there are often events, and they do draw community members. There is an Earth Week celebration coming up, focused on teaching kids about sustainability...at a mall. I am all for teaching kids about sustainability, but there is something depressingly contradictory about doing it at a mall. Despite the place, at least there are events that bring community members together. I would be curious to ask long time residents if they feel they are a part of a community. I feel that my strongest communities are smaller than the "suburb" level, they are the intimate communities based on a shared passion. If other people feel like Langford is a community than it is, even if I don't feel a part of it.