Protecting the Future
Land Trust committed to the long-term protection of natural heritage in the Comox Valley…
“It made sense. At the time we were looking around the table and seeing see a lot of grey hairs. Who will carry the torch as we age? And really, it’s the young people who have the most vested interest in the future.”
CVLT decided to create an award called Celebrate The Lorax –Caring for the Trees Award to honor youth environmentalists. The Lorax is a classic Seussian story of a creature who speaks up to prevent a forest being destroyed for a development.
Organizers added another youth element, as well as a multi-cultural emphasis, by inviting the Kumugwe Dancers, a youth troupe from the Comox Band, to come on board as performers. Scouts Canada also joined in to take part in an innovative fundraising activity described as an “interactive pledge tree building,” in which, over a the period of just a few minutes, the Scouts ran around getting people to sign pledge forms which they used to decorate a big tree.
“It ended up as this incredible collaborate fundraiser,” says Minard. “Sailors brought spinnakers to hang as decoration, we had trees from River Meadow Farms and Streamside Native Plants; we transformed the hall. The I-HOS gallery was open next door. The Kumugwe Dancers did a traditional welcome and led us into the big house. It was magical.”
The event included a silent auction, a speech by Iona Campanola, and the presentation of the award to 18-year-old Emily Sunter, a very active member of the Interact Club, a student environmental group at Highland High School.
So far $8000 has been raised, and they are still waiting to complete the raffle of a donated Brian Scott painting. Some of the funds were used to buy a new bear mask for the dancers, some donated to the Scouts, and the rest will help keep CVLT going for the next year.
As well, important partnerships were developed, people had fun, and young environmentalists gained encouragement.
CVLT has more plans for fundraising that include a sense of fun and community building. This July 17, at the Downtown Courtenay Market Day, CVLT will be hosting a Toonie Walk. This is a resurrection of an event held back in 1956, when a woman’s group held a penny walk to raise funds. However, back then there were no toonies.
“Each person was invited to lay down a penny along 5th Street. They made a line from Cliffe to Fitzgerald,” says Minard. “Of course, we need to correct inflationary cycles so we’re doing it with toonies. It’s going to be a fun part of the whole great atmosphere of Market Day. And you can fit a lot of toonies on that stretch of road. We can make thousands of dollars.”
Whether thinking up fun ways to raise funds, walking through City Hall with a bag of fish, talking to the media, or strategizing at a board meeting, Minard stays motivated by his deep conviction that environmental engagement can (and has been) effective.
A long-term activist—he spent 18 years involved with the influential group SPEC (Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) and currently is Executive Director for the Tsolum River Restoration Society as well as working for CVLT—Minard has never become jaded, and has no plans to.
“I sometimes see around me a kind of cynicism that has resolved itself, become hard to shake. That’s the biggest enemy to democracy,” he says.
Getting involved—with a group, or on your own—always pays off, he says.
“There has been a gradual greening going on. People have been pounding away, saying we have to do things differently. It’s been slow, slow, slow, but change is happening. The littlest change can make a big difference.”
Not wanting to miss a chance for a direct appeal, he points out that CVLT is always looking for volunteers, members, and donors.
“I would suggest that CVLT is one of the best regional, broadly-based conservation-centred groups to join,” he says.
For more information on the Comox Valley Land Trust or to volunteer or join, visit cvlandtrust.org.