Beautiful British Columbia

By Liam Reilly

Waking up in British Columbia is an experience. The lush greenery of our proud rainforest, the tranquil songs of our plentiful species, and the crisp air brought to us by the vast Pacific and freshened by majestic mountain ranges. Each one of us is privileged to enjoy this province, and we take pride in it. From our provincial slogan to our ranking on lists of the best places to live, British Columbians are always aware of the unique gifts of calling this wonderful province home. From the peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the sands on Burrard Beach to the shores of Lake Okanagan, our beautiful environment is part and parcel of why this is among the most desirable places in the entire world. And it is the responsibility of each of us to protect that legacy.

British Columbia’s cities are more than a synthesis of nature and construct, they are a full proof-of-concept of an entire philosophy – a way of life that stresses harmony over conflict. We are lucky enough to sit at one of the hubs of this cultural revolution, one that comes from the union of grassroots optimism, cooperative citizens, and public policy. As British Columbians we have the unique opportunity to be among the first to reject the notion that societal progress must come at the expense of environmental goals, and we must not squander the opportunity to spread this thought far beyond our borders and across the entire world. As a centre of trade and communications we have no excuses not to act as advocates for this way of thinking, the idea that through the judicious application of clean energy and ecotechnology we can preserve our beautiful province while continuing to further our economic aims and uphold the standard of living that makes our home so special.

The case for doing so lay in the hearts and minds of our children, the next generation of British Columbians. Those who will live and laugh and love in this province, and those who will protect and nurture it for their own children. Aside from well-studied benefits to both physical and mental health, the conservation of our province fosters a sense of community and respect that is part and parcel of this place we call home. By furthering this goal of preservation through education, the NWPS strives to contribute to this balance by providing future leaders with valuable perspective on the importance of ecology in our society.

Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society encourages a connection between people and nature, and a passion for wildlife preservation. In this blog series, Our Wild World, volunteers, staff and friends share their thoughts about the natural world that surrounds us. Stay tuned for more great posts.