Editor:
I am writing in support of Robert O’Neill’s April 16 letter to the editor titled “Stand up for our forests” and Ross Muirhead’s April 23 letter titled “Logging others’ backyards.” As the COVID pandemic rages on, I am so grateful for what little remains of our natural forests on the Sunshine Coast, and am advocating to keep what little we have left intact. Not only does a walk in the woods, through the last stands along our shorelines and on the surrounding slopes of Mount Elphinstone, infuse a much needed tonic into my mental well-being, but intact natural forests, which are home to so much biodiversity, are part of the climate crisis solution to save humanity.
Jay Ritchlin, a Sunshine Coast resident and David Suzuki Foundation director general for the Western Canada region, said in a recent email: “The Canadian landscape … is part of our identity. And it’s in jeopardy. We need to sustain ecosystems both ‘out there’ in the wilds and ‘right here’ in our own backyards. Nature is everywhere, and we’re all part of it. When it flourishes, we thrive. Let’s respect, protect and restore nature so it can sustain all life.” He added: “A mass species extinction and biodiversity loss crisis is upon us, but so are solutions. Speak up for nature – it can’t speak for itself.”
It may feel that the actions of one don’t amount to much, however whatever action you take to advocate for our natural forests and nature, no matter how small, makes a difference, especially when supporting the many organizations on the Coast working tirelessly to hold those who have promised to protect our natural forests, and don’t, to account.
Sarah Lowis, Living Forest Institute
