Canadians just crowdfunded $3 million to buy pristine land and save it from development

Well done, Canadians.

BC Parks Foundation

Sometimes the monstrous machine of industry and corporate greed can feel like too much for us as individuals to battle. But a bunch of Canadian citizens has just shown what a committed band of individuals can do.

In the first crowdfunding effort of its kind, Canadians have raised $3 million to purchase a stretch of coastal wilderness in British Columbia to save it from development. The 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of pristine coastline in the Princess Louisa Inlet on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast are virtually untouched. The land includes a fjord, the top rim of which branches into high alpine snow pack forming multiple dramatic waterfalls that run down the rock.

Crowdfunding efforts were organized by B.C. Parks Foundation, a non-profit group whose mission is to protect natural landscapes in the province. The foundation's CEO Andrew Day told the CBC that the land, which is being sold by a private owner, had some interest from logging companies and developers. So people stepped up to stop that from happening.

Keep Reading Show less
environment conservation nature
popular

Firefighters grant dying forest ranger's final wish to visit the woods one last time

via Evergreen Hospice Volunteers / Facebook

Hospice nurses seem to come from the heavens. It's a job that requires a big heart, the strength to deal with death on a daily basis, and in-depth medical and nursing training.

Five years ago, Leigh Gardner performed a small miracle for a man that made one of his last days on Earth one of his best

Edward Reis, 62, was an ex-forest ranger with multiple sclerosis and had been in hospice care for years. His caregivers became a surrogate family for Reis who didn't have much family in the area.

Keep Reading Show less
hospice care firefighters nature washington
popular

New research shows that children who grow up near nature become happier adults

via Irudayam / Flickr

Being in nature is soothing to the soul. The air is cleaner. The night sky is darker so it's easier to sleep. And there's something calming about being in the natural harmony of the wilderness.

But, on the other hand, it's tough to find a place to get good sushi or an exciting night club.

This begs the age-old question: is it better to live in the city or the country? The answer has always been, "depends on who you ask," but a new study out of Denmark says that being near dense vegetation is clearly better for one's mental health.

A nationwide study of over 900,000 people published in PNAS showed that "children who grew up with the lowest levels of green space had up to 55% higher risk of developing a psychiatric disorder independent from effects of other known risk factors."

Keep Reading Show less
raising children kids families parenting nature
popular

Nature does wonders for your brain. Here's how to escape if you're stuck in a city.

When I sit on a pillow on my bedroom floor to meditate, the first thing I notice isn’t my breath, or a sense of peace, or my inner voice — it's the sound of cars zooming past my window.

Normally I can tune out the noises of the city. I have to. I live in the middle of an urban area, so at all moments of the day, I can close my eyes and listen to cars honking, brakes squealing, and airplanes flying overhead.

Keep Reading Show less
mental health nature brain spring brain health outdoors
Family