Did someone say contest?
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 06 August 2020 15:02
- Written by editor
Before we dive into a tale of an unsung carbon hero, we have a very special announcement.Introducing: The Narwhal’s narwhal art contest!
Every few months, without fail, a Narwhal reader sends in a drawing their kid made of the famed unicorn of the sea. And so, at a time when many camps are closed and families are spending more time than ever together, we figured: why not come up with a fun activity for the dog days of summer?
Here’s the deal: we want to see your kid’s narwhal artwork, no matter the skill level, whether they’re four or 14. Once they sketch their creation, snap a picture and send it our way by Aug. 23 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with the subject line: Narwhal art contest. Make sure to include your child’s name, hometown and, if there’s a tale, the inspiration behind the art (Does their narwhal have a name? What makes narwhals special?).
We’ll review all the submissions, and pick three winners who will receive a sweet prize pack of Narwhal swag.
We’ll also be sure to share many of the wonderful works right here in this newsletter, on our website and social media. Looking for inspiration? Check out the piece above by Ocea, the daughter of Narwhal editor Raina Delisle.
Break out those crayons or paintbrushes and get started!
Over in the prairies, there are no narwhals. But there are more than 137,000 square kilometres of native grasslands, and they help sequester millions of tonnes of carbon. There’s just one little problem: only one per cent of those grasslands are protected.What’s more, we’ve already lost between 75 to 90 per cent of the grasslands due to agriculture and other development.
“One inch of topsoil takes about 500 to 1,000 years of building. That same one inch can be lost in a generation of mismanagement,” says Mickenzie Plemel-Stronks, cattle industry liaison for Ducks Unlimited Canada.
And so, after 150 years of grasslands destruction, folks like Plemel-Stronks are doing their part to save them.
Reporter Stephanie Wood and photographer Amber Bracken got to know the folks fighting to save Canada’s grasslands, including people like Api’soomaahka, or William Singer.
With the help of Blood Tribe Land Management, Singer is working to convert cultivated land in southern Alberta back to native grasslands. “I’m not here to make money off the land,” he says. “I’m here to heal it.”
Grazing animals are an integral part of healthy grasslands, making ranchers a key part of the solution. The Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association is working with about 50 land owners on a four-year pilot program looking at how ranchers can earn cash through carbon credits for keeping grasslands intact. Will that be enough to encourage protection over development? The jury is still out.
Kimberly Cornish, executive director of the Food Water Wellness Foundation, says a key component of success is figuring out exactly how much carbon lies beneath the surface of every farmer’s property. So Cornish’s organization is setting out to do just that.
“Because it hasn’t been assigned a true value, that’s why it’s not being protected.”
Take care and don’t damage the grass,
Arik Ligeti
Audience Engagement Editor
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Note from a Narwhal
Remember last week when we told you about Kelsi Littler, the recent Selkirk College graduate who raised more than $1,000 for The Narwhal?Well Leeza sure did. After reading about Kelsi’s efforts, Leeza was so overcome with emotion (her words!) that she decided to become a monthly member of The Narwhal.
“I am grateful for the standard of journalism, reporting, and story-sharing that The Narwhal is setting for Canadian and international media.” Leeza says that thanks to our reporting, she’s “been able to inform and educate others, and open a respectful dialogue about the importance of the natural environment!”
Here here, Leeza! Thank you so much for joining us and working to spread the word about the critical issues facing our natural world.
PAOV, can you help us tell even more stories to a wider audience? Join Leeza and more than 1,500 others by becoming a monthly member of The Narwhal for any amount you can afford. BECOME A NARWHAL This week in The Narwhal
Meet the people saving Canada’s native grasslands
By Stephanie WoodGrasslands sequester billions of tonnes of carbon and support hundreds of plant species and over 60 species at risk. They are also one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. Read more.
New global standards for mine waste won’t prevent dam failures, critics say
By Judith LavoieThe international standards, which come in response to tailings disasters like Mount Polley, are facing criticism for failing to include enforcement mechanisms or penalties for companies that fall short of requirements. Read more.
Don’t blame COVID-19 for new Site C dam cost overruns and delays, energy experts say
By Sarah CoxBC Hydro has classified the health of the most expensive public project in B.C. history as ‘red,’ blaming the pandemic for Site C’s deepening woes, but significant problems had emerged well before the virus. Read more.
Alberta’s Vista coal mine expansion will now face a federal review. Here’s why Ottawa reversed course
By Arik LigetiEnvironmental groups hail Jonathan Wilkinson’s decision, which comes after mounting pressure from Indigenous peoples and the wider public, as a sign of federal follow-through on climate commitments. Read more.
Terrace Community Forest gets grant to turn logging waste into wood pellets
By Matt SimmonsCritics warn bioenergy isn’t a simple solution to the practice of burning wood waste. Read more.
What we’re reading
When you’re respecting the carbon-sequestering powers of grasslands. Before you graze, tell your farm friends to r33Copyright © 2020 The Narwhal, All rights reserved.
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