Every time I enter the ocean, it shows me something beautiful and unexpected. I’m looking for sharks, and a fin whale surfaces, breath bursting into fine mist. Sea lion pups encourage me to play, spinning in the water, swimming fast then turning on a dime and blowing bubbles. Floating at the surface, a comb jelly mesmerises me with rainbow bands of bioluminescence.
Winter can feel endless sometimes, even if temperatures are mild and there is barely any snow to shovel. Daylight hours are shorter, the weather is often less pleasant and we generally spend more time indoors and being less active. For many people seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a very real issue during the cold months and if you’ve ever felt the pains associated with it, you’re certainly not alone.
As told by Julia Barnes, a documentary filmmaker, volunteer with Water Docs, and friend of the late Rob Stewart. This speech was given as part of our Water Warrior Award presentation at our 11th annual Water Docs Film Festival in Toronto on Nov. 17, 2023. Rob’s parents, Brian and Sandy Stewart, accepted the award on Rob’s behalf.
Here is a breakdown of the 2023 Water Docs Film Festival in-person screening blocks that can help you decide which programs you absolutely “must-see”… and they’re all FREE! See you at the movies…
Across the country, wetlands are being destroyed by industry and agriculture. They are drained and filled so people can construct buildings, farm the land, or install infrastructure. Wetlands also face threats from pollution and climate change. As droughts intensify, wetlands can dry up.
Worldwide, 60% of wetlands have been lost. Wetlands are disappearing faster than any other natural community.
I still recall the eye-opening I experienced the first time I heard Alanna Mitchell give a presentation based on her groundbreaking book, Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis (Emblem, 2010) As someone who grew up beside the Atlantic ocean, the granddaughter of Newfoundland fishing folk, I was somewhat aware of the serious issues faced by both humans and other species whose lives depended on the ocean . . .
How vividly I still recall the mnemonic "HOMES" we used in grade school geography class as a way of remembering the names of Canada's Great Lakes! And how much more profound this seems now, as we realize that indeed, they are, for many of us, our HOMES! I invite you to bring that understanding to your reading of this article from the Toronto Star. . . .
