Dear WTA Community, As I write this note from my office in the unceded territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, BC is grappling with unprecedented drought. Waters are warming, rivers are drying up, salmon are stuggling, new wildfires are igniting, cedar trees are browning, and my neighbourdhood (like many others) is seeing incredibly high bear activity (I’m always on the side of the bears BTW). How did we find ourselves here? I mean, c’mon—we are begging for rain in late October in many parts of BC. It’s crazy! So now that I’ve dished out the doom and gloom, I thought I’d inject a little optimism; there are a lot of good people in this world doing their part to battle the climate crisis. In this newsletter we talk about what makes our members unique. We are moving beyond sustainable travel and more into the realm of restorative and regenerative travel. Our members are dedicated to this; we are a ‘force for good’ and we see ourselves as stewards of the lands and seas upon which we operate. This concept of ‘regenerative’ travel is popping up more and more on an international level too—this is good news for Mother Earth! It has also been refreshing to see folks like Yvon Chouinard and Chip Wilson bolster conservation and climate action initiatives with generous donations. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see more of this in the future? I am optimistic that this will happen. Please read on to learn more about the aforementioned, see useful Reconciliation resources, and also be a voice in creating the BC Marine Protected Areas Network spanning from Vancouver Island to Alaska. Sending this with a glimmer of hope, Jeneen Sutherland
Executive Director, Wilderness Tourism Association of BC
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