The Sandpiper - Spring 2012 by Sierra Club Canada Atlantic Chapter

In this issue... 2 Sierra Successes 4 Defining Radical From “Environmental 5 Subversive” to “radical”,

“enemy” and “against Canada”

The Much Maligned Radical

Environmental/Nature Camp: Opportunites for Youth

8 9

Living Building Challenge Fun with Food in Fredericton

“Truth” 10 When is not Fact 11 A “Radical” Perspective

Radical Families: Make your own Baby Food

14 Creature

Feature

Letter from the Ed Full disclosure: I don’t think I’m very radical (except maybe a little bit, in the surfer-slang sense of the word). Despite this, the theme of the Spring 2012 issue of the Sandpiper is ‘radicals’, in the interest of taking ownership of the term and demonstrating that challenging the status quo is often something to be extremely proud of. Radical thoughts and actions take many forms, and radical people are all around us. A woman I know recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister expressing her displeasure with the 2012 Federal budget. It took her no more than an hour to write, but it was thoughtful and poignant. This act should not have surprised me, because this woman frequently writes to her councilperson, MLA, and various newspapers and publications to express her opinion on issues of the environment and the arts. She simply wants to make the world a better, more equitable place, and she uses her gift as a writer to achieve this. When I asked her why she decided to write this letter, she said, “If I don’t do anything about it, I can’t very well complain about it!” If everyone realized their personal potential to make a difference, with whatever abilities they possess, the world would be a better place. It could be as simple as opting for a restaurant that sources its food locally, or as grand a gesture as standing up, literally, to the Environment Minister at a major international conference. We can all stop taking the road less radical, and there is no “right” way to do it. My sincere hope is that this issue of the Sandpiper compels you make a change, however small, that will better the lives of the people in your community and our planet overall. Even a donation to the Sierra Club Atlantic Canada Chapter would do so much to continue the great work they do. Many thanks to the Sandpiper team and all the supporters of the Sierra Club Atlantic Canada Chapter, and I wish all the readers a very radical Spring! Madison Van West Editor-in-Chief

Let’s Celebrate...

SIERRA SUCCESSES

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Sierra Club worked with the Newfoundland and Labrador Food Security Network (FSN) to establish a fisheries committee within the network. We also conducted a teleconference with FSN members on Marine Protected Areas. Furthering our work in this area, we made a presentation on the international history of Marine Protected Areas to graduate students in the biology department at Memorial University. We made a presentation to the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Utilities Board regarding the Muskrat Falls development and the accompanying loss of natural habitat of the Lower Churchill River, as well as a presentation on closing the oil-fired Holyrood generating station to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy-efficiency smart grids and renewable energy were promoted as positive options. Through work with the Sandy Pond Alliance, efforts continue to prevent pristine lakes from being turned into to poisonous mine and smelter tailings ponds (Note: we are still fighting in Federal Court). The Sierra Club participated in the City of St. John’s municipal plan review. Major issues identified include: city walkability, affordable housing, and public transit. Efforts to expand public transit in northeast Avalon were continued by working with the Regional Public Transit Coalition.

Prince Edward Island

In February, Sierra Buddies was presented very successfully to three enthusiastic classes at West Kent Elementary in Charlottetown. The ten member team from Charlottetown Rural High School got great reviews from the teachers for engaging the students in their activities, which included the ‘bag of impacts’, the ‘map of origins’, skits on sustainable living and the ecological footprint of ‘someone else’s shoes’. Tony Reddin presented submissions to the PEI Minister of Energy and the PEI Energy Commission on making conservation, efficiency and renewables, as well as government leadership, the priorities for PEI’s energy policy. They held a very successful Earth Day Event in Charlottetown with proceeds going to Sierra Club. We’d like to thank our generous supporters: Metro Credit Union (Gold Sponsor), Tink ‘n Ginger Salon Boutique (Bronze Sponsor) and Go to Green. Along with our lively volunteer committee, we’d also like to thank co-organizers City of Charlottetown Sustainability Program, Confederation Centre Art Education, Katimivik, ECO Change Co-op, and Murphy’s Community Centre Youth Programs. We were also very happy that Megan Burnside, who volunteered at last year’s annual gathering, has tapped into urban farming in Charlottetown– literally. Having tapped three trees she proudly holds her first jar of maple syrup!

New Brunswick

Hazel Richardson, Executive Committee member and gardener extraordinaire, has worked with officials in the City of Fredericton to draft a bylaw for urban chickens – a real victory for local food! Hazel is offering gardening services to benefit Sierra Club Atlantic this spring, so if you want to help both your earth and our Earth, please get in touch and we’ll see if Hazel can help get your garden ship shape: email atlanticcanadachapter@sierraclub.ca.

S E T O N E K U

Nova Scotia

We have reached over 1600 children this year with our nature immersion Wild Child program, and that number continues to grow. Volunteer Emily Dodge is getting kids outside to experience the nature that “comes up between the cracks” around them.

Working with the Save Our Seas and Shores Coalition, we have delayed drilling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for at least two years, to the point that the oil company wanting to drill, Corridor, asked for a regulatory “time-out” – which would have meant that they would be granted an extension on their lease to start drilling. Luckily, the CanadaNewfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) denied their request. We now have some breathing room to get more active on protecting our Gulf for good! We continued our outreach and education campaign on fracking by offering a film screening in Wolfville, after presenting on the issue to students from Acadia’s Environmental Studies class. Our petition to ban fracking (with almost 2500 “hard copy” signatures) was placed in the hands of MLA Gary Burrill who officially presented the petition - and added his own signature! - in the NS Legislature on April 5th. On April 16th the province extended its review of fracking by two years - and promise that no approvals for fracking would happen until 2014! Thanks to Chris Dufour and students at Cole Harbour High who gathered so many signatures and helped make this change happen! Our intrepid Dalhousie Co-op student, Jessica Miller, working with Dalhousie professor Susan Gass and Diversity of Life instructor Lara Gibson, is helping us develop protocols and identify sampling sites for monitoring biodiversity in Halifax Regional Municipality. If you want to volunteer to help us start monitoring, please contact Gretchen at gretchenf@ sierraclub.ca.

Sierra Atlantic’s nuclear watch team, Lee Ann Ward and Larry Lack of St. Andrews, NB, are following NB Power’s efforts to restart Atlantic Canada’s only nuclear power plant, located at Pt. Lepreau on the Bay of Fundy near Saint John. Sierra Atlantic is part of an informal alliance of environmental and community groups called the Lepreau Decommissioning Coalition that is working to publicize a host of safety and related problems at Pt. Lepreau that pose serious risks to the future of our region. The Pt. Lepreau reactor has been offline for four years now, for a “refurbishment” that was supposed to take just 18 months. The absence of Lepreau power from the grid has not caused any power shortages or blackouts, and it’s evident that power from Lepreau is not needed in Atlantic Canada. NB Power wants to produce power at Lepreau for export to New England, but the northeastern U.S. now has a surplus of electricity, so there is no real need for the power that Lepreau may produce in the future. Lee Ann and Larry represented Sierra Club Atlantic as intervenors at hearings conducted last fall by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). In February, the CNSC gave NB Power the go-ahead to refuel and restart the Lepreau reactor, as well as extend its operations through June 2017. In doing so, the CNSC predictably dismissed or ignored the many concerns about the reactor’s safety (and about the questionable neutrality of the CNSC itself), the very concerns that were raised by Sierra Club Atlantic and other groups during the Lepreau hearings. Sierra members and others are encouraged to contact their members of Parliament, the media and the CNSC in Ottawa to demand that an Environmental Assessment under the rules of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act be conducted before the Pt. Lepreau reactor is allowed to restart.

This issue of The Sandpiper was created by Communications Committee - Newsletter Subcommittee Gretchen Fitzgerald, Madison Van West, Tristan Sbrizzi, Brynn Horley Contributors Gretchen Fitzgerald, Fred Winsor, Elizabeth May, Tristan Sbrizzi, Rebecca McQuaid, Tristan Sbrizzi, Brynn Horley, Najat Abdou-McFarland, Robert Christian, Margaret Hoett, James Hutt, Heidi Verheul

If you would like to contribute to our next issue, or have any comments or responses to content in this newsletter, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at:

www.sierraclub.ca/atlantic (902) 444-3113

AtlanticCanadaChapter@sierraclub.ca

“If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

The Oxford English Dictionary has four definitions for radical as a noun, and four more when used as an adjective. These do not include the verb to radicalize, or the noun radical sign, which is used in mathematics. However, the word radical, whether it is used as a noun, verb, or adjective, is generally associated with fundamental change and those advocating for it. Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), by their very reason for being, act to protect and restore the planet’s natural habitats so that future generations can live on this planet. Those associated with ENGOs, like the Sierra Club, often find commonality with radical change and agents of radical change. This perspective can be lost on large businesses and governments who, driven by short-term objectives, greed and personal gain, adopt practices which degrade natural environments. In situations where ENGOs challenge these examples of short-term thinking, those in positions of power and authority may employ the term radical in a derogatory context (e.g. “a bunch of radicals,” or prior to 1989 during the Cold War, “a bunch of commie radicals”). Such name-calling is generally an indication by one party that they are not prepared to discuss the actual points of disagreement. So who are radicals anyway? What makes people become radical in their thinking and in their actions? Life experiences can have a profound impact on the radicalization of individuals. It can occur when individuals are confronted with a reality that conflicts or challenges what they previously thought or believed. This juxtaposition of contrasting views can drive a person to seek out the sources and facts of a situation, and this results a fundamental change in how they see the world. Radicals refuse to accept things at face value, which leads to the development of critical thinking skills that become the norm for these individuals. Knowledge is one thing, but having the courage to act upon it is something else. Action requires an awareness of the person you are as an individual within society. That many radicals advocate for civil society and view themselves as citizen advocates should not come as any surprise. However, those embarking on this course are often stepping away from the norm and must assume a leadership role. This is often a positive and constructive form of social deviance, one that assists in the evolution of our society – yet those engaged in it often receive little encouragement or support.

So what are the benefits? Why do people become - as in the case of Sierra Club - environmental activists? What is their motivation? The many responses include: doing the right thing, hope for a better world, being part of something larger. Making a difference. Taking part in activities from which they get true satisfaction. Pursuing something in life that they feel passionate about. It is difficult to measure in terms of material wealth – yet the satisfaction runs deep.

Four Decades of Activism

by Elizabeth May MP, Leader of the Green Party of Canada

When a group of residents from Cape Breton and eastern Nova Scotia went to court in 1982 to stop the spraying of Agent Orange, the late George Henley, a member of the Buchanan Cabinet, called us “environmental subversives.” He alleged that we were receiving funds from “as far away as Russia and Nepal.” It was pretty bizarre. When asked by reporters if this was true, I told them our biggest challenge was getting good exchange rates for roubles. Reporters laughed. Our David and Goliath struggle was well known. We were holding quilt raffles and bake sales in a fight to prevent Stora from spraying Agent Orange. June Callwood quipped, “It is a David and Goliath struggle, except that Goliath has the slingshot.” We produced “I am an environmental subversive” buttons and sold them to add to our kitty. h the D Here we are in 2012, and the federal Minister of Natural May wit Resources has been handed a script from the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO) fear factory calling environmentalists “foreign funded radicals.” An Access to Information request revealed that environmental groups are being described by the PMO as “enemies.” The Prime Minister has committed to his new best friend, the government in Beijing, that nothing will stop the building of the Great Pipeline of China to transport bitumen crude on supertankers, risking the most dangerous waters on earth. Enemies beware: Prime Minister Harper has spoken.

How did I know that protecting human health from pesticides would matter; that foreign corporations should not have more sway over our governments than citizens? I don’t know how I knew, but I have always known. While the odds against us have increased as our governments have caved to corporate rule, the truth is that we have more power than the corporations. We just have to believe it, seize our power and use it.

Farley Mo wat

by Fred Winsor

May with

Defining Radical

From “Environmental Subversive” to “Radical,” “Enemy” and “Against Canada”

alai Lam

Environmental/Nature Camp

h t u o Y r o f s e i t i n Opportu

The Much Maligned Radical

by Rebecca McQuaid

by Tristan Sbrizzi

Since this past January, when Joe Oliver first deemed opponents to Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline ‘radicals’, a great deal of attention has been paid the meaning of Mr. Oliver’s words. Radicals are an easy target for criticism because of their ability to affect fundamental changes to the status quo. Radicals play an important part in a functioning system, be it societal or organic. In chemistry, ‘free radicals’ are atoms with an odd number of electrons that cause the molecule to become highly reactive. These reactive atoms seeks to stabilize themselves by taking an electron from a neighbouring molecule, which in turn becomes a free radical. The association between high levels of free radicals and cancers, heart disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and even the aging process means that these little atoms have been widely vilified. However, at lower levels, radicals play important roles in the proper function of the human body and cannot be considered entirely malicious. Free radicals are naturally produced in the body through normal enzymatic processes and as by-products of cellular metabolism, which help to defend the immune system and act as cellular messengers. In the immune system, radicals act as a weapon against invasive bacteria and viruses. Certain white blood cells will engulf a foreign bacteria or virus to produce an ‘oxidative burst’ of free radicals that destroy the invading cell. As messengers, free radicals

Org: Halifax Regional Municipality’s Adventure may serve as intermediaries that help to communicate hormonal signals to locations within the cell. Studies suggest that radicals may also play roles in the production of red blood cells, the maintenance of blood vessels and, ironically, the protection of cells against free radical damage. Although the negative effects of excess free radical have already been established, the beneficial effects are only recently coming to light. One fact remains clear: whether free radicals are revealed to be a predominantly positive or negative force within the body, radicals play an integral and necessary role within a healthy system.

Earth Centre

NS: From Halifax Regional Municipality to Hants County

About: Summer adventure camps and leadership training - ages 7-12 - http://earthed.ns.ca/daycamps/ Contact: aec@earthed.ns.ca (902) 490-6666

Org: Explorer NS: Hants County (July 21 and 29)

About: Week-long overnight camp - ages 11-13 Contact: http://earthed.ns.ca/explorer

Org: Environmental Day Camps NS: Halifax Org: Macphail Woods Ecological

Forestry Project PEI: Orwell (Vernon Bridge) About: Week-long nature education programs - http://www.macphailwoods.org/ calendar Contact: macphailwoods@gmail.com (902) 651-2575

Org: Nature New Brunswick NB: St. Andrews (Huntsman Marine

(Run from July 3th to August 20th) About: Half Day Discovery Camps and Full Day Adventure Camps - ages 7 to 12 Contact: http://www.earthed.ns.ca/ daycamps/

Org: Kids@MUN Enviro Kids program NL: Memorial University, St. John’s

About: Half to full-day theme camps (June 25- Aug.24) -ages 5 to 12 http://www.mun.ca/lifelonglearning/programs/youth_programs/summer_camps/

Science Centre), Fredericton (Killarney Lake Rotary Lodge), and Moncton (Irishtown Org: Cape Jourimain Nature Park) Centre Summer Camps About: Week-long day and overnight summer youth nature camps NB: Bayfield - ages 9 to 14 About: Full-day educational nature conservation games and http://naturenb.ca/summeryouthnature- activities camps.html http://ecoed.capejourimain.ca/atthe-centre/camps-events/ Contact: Roland Chiasson roland.chiasson@capejourimain.org (506)-538-2220 or 1-866-538-2220

Org: Memorial University Newfoundland Botanical Garden NL: Pippy Park, St. John's

About: Week-long Junior Naturalist Camp programs - grades 1 to 5 – http://www.mun.ca/botgarden/ group_prog/JNC/

Living Building Challenge by Brynn Horley

I'm excited to be introducing the Living Building Challenge (LBC) throughout the Maritimes. The LBC is a new set of standards for all levels of development and construction, with goals that are truly inspired in the area of sustainability. It challenges us to create the beautiful, symbiotic, place-based relationship which exists in the model of a growing flower. The LBC aims higher than our current or perceived abilities in terms of water and energy conservation, and places focus on health, beauty and equity. This standard aspires to create truly regenerative buildings, which contribute to our human experience and give back to our natural surroundings. Manufacturers are encouraged to be open with the materials they are using, to avoid harmful chemicals or products, as well as to encourage healthy industry in proximity to developed regions. The LBC includes ‘beauty’ as a measure of sustainability. You may be thinking, “there is no way to measure something as subjective as beauty.” However, by starting out with an intention and then surveying building occupants, developers and designers can enhance their skills of 'place making.’ Designing with beauty in mind helps us recognize that it does not matter how efficient a building is if it is not also loved by the community. This standard is already being incorporated in building projects in the maritimes. The Dorje Denma Ling Shambhala Centre in Tatamagouche is working with architects and sustainability professionals as well as their community members, finding that the goals of the LBC align with their goals for a spiritual place.

The LBC is the type of forward-thinking standard that is needed to address the challenges of our expanding built environment. I’ve met with architects, designers, potential clients, community groups and government departments to introduce the principles of LBC, and I look forward to one day being a part of a team designing and building a LBC project in the Maritimes.

Fun with Food in Fredericton

by Najat Abdou-McFarland

The spring roll is the mo st popular hors d’oeuvre served by Betty Lee of Be Lee’s Food Service Ltd. tty Despite being an Asian cre ation, Betty Lee’s vegetar ian, chicken and beef sp ring rolls all contain loc al ingredients (either partl entirely, depending on the y or time of year). Betty Lee sources local cabbage fro June until December, an m late d uses local carrots, turnip chicken and beef also co and onion when available. me from farms in the are The a. These spring rolls have be en famous since 1978, wh en Betty Lee first opened Farmer ’s Market. Her po her stall at the Fredericto pularity might be in part n du e to her mandarin sauce, wh specifics are a trade secre ich uses local fruits (thou t!). If you’ve ever had the gh the pleasure of trying these they are one of a kind. delights, there is no deny ing tha t (506)-453-0698 http://ww w.shopinfredericton.com /Betty-Lee-s-Food-Service -Ltd/11416088.htm

The Blue Door is a sophisticated restaurant and bar located in downtown Fredericton. In the summer, 100% of their vegetables are locally sourced, and a partnership has been made with a local organic farmer to be the exclusive supplier of this produce. Fiddleheads and mushrooms come from the area, and the beef is 100% organic and local. The seafood offerings are 70% local, but due to the lack of availability of sustainably-caught wild Atlantic salmon, they look to the West Coast for the most environmentally-friendly option. A local coffee roaster in Hampton supplies a caffeinated brew, and the alcoholic alternative is Moosehead. In the future for this home-grown eatery is potentially sourcing their wine selection from Richibucto, New Brunswick. (506)-455-blue(2583) http://www.thebluedoor.ca/

selecn. The menu has a wide cto eri ed Fr n tow wn do in located sical Cedar Tree Café is also r Tree Café is a hub for mu da Ce . od fo se ne ba Le on ing. s ce to do some salsa danc tion of dishes, but focuse pla a d an s rie nta me cu of food do rville performances, screenings from local farmers, Spea les tab ge ve s ce ur so ee Tr dar from KuinIn the summer and fall, Ce and sausages all originate en ick ch b, lam the d an y, NB. s, butcher shop in Rothesa Mill supplies their grain all sm is ich wh d., Lt t ea s-ho-ver) M perative. Goat shoeve (pronounced Koon w Brunswick dairy co-o Ne a , iry da nd rla be um from North asted in Moncton Cheese, milk and dairy are Market. The coffee is ro ’s er rm Fa n cto eri nse to ed Fr ced from the local Sandpiper team). In respo the of e rit ou fav a d cheese and yogurt is sour (an rewery , Cedar Tree’s s, a Fredericton micro-b the Keystone XL pipeline se po op t tha s and the beer is Picaroon on ati niz ga onomy of en to environmental or jobs and supports the ec s ate cre it as l, ica rad the label of “radical” giv t nse, no ying local is common se urant.com/ David Wells says that bu w.cedartreelebaneseresta ww :// tp ht 5 40 -2 72 )-4 (705 the area.

When “Truth” is not Fact by Robert Christian

Farhad Manjoo has a question. “How,” he asks, “can so many people who live in the same place see the world so differently?” True Enough – Learning to Live in a Post Fact Society (2008, John Wiley and Sons, 250 pages) is his illuminating and unsettling answer. Giving the nod to comedian Stephen Colbert’s concept of “truthiness” – the idea that something can feel true without any basis that it is true – the author illustrates the dismissal of opposing viewpoints despite, and sometimes because of, their accuracy. “Truthiness” allows us to ease our own discomfort about the complex world around us and simultaneously reinforce our own beliefs. But, at what price? He shows that popular media’s biasing portrayal of ideas and events, regardless of the validity of those ideas, has become a driving cultural force. The Second Gulf War, which was predicated on weapons that did not actually exist, is highlighted as an example of this, as is the determined, sad work of Phillip Jayhan, who is convinced that the September 11th attacks are part of a wider government conspiracy. Propaganda is nothing new, but Manjoo deftly describes how technology has accelerated these biases. The digital age has seen the onset of self-segregation, which is the reality that the internet, television and radio all allow us to identify to varying degrees with like-minded people over distance. The issue arises when we unquestioningly return to the same sources to formulate opinions. In the 21st century; even though information is available like never before, “…paradoxically, it facilitates a closeted view of the world, keeping us coiled tightly with those who share our ideas.” Manjoo foresees a polarized population insulated “in a world built of our own facts.” True Enough begins as a testament to how we have narrowed our views, but becomes in the end a call to bravely broaden them.

A “Radical” Perspective by James Hutt

Last December, I joined the Canadian Youth Delegation at the UN Climate Negotiations. We went to represent the voices of young Canadians, which meant pressuring our leaders to adopt targets that will actually protect our future.

Through our actions, we were able to take back the story and shed light on how our government was negotiating on behalf of polluters rather than the Canadian people. Halfway through the second week, our Environment Minister, Peter Kent, was speaking. We had tried writing letters and talking to our politicians, but they refused to meet with us. So when Kent addressed the plenary, 6 of us stood up and revealed t-shirts that read “People Before Profits” and “Turn your back on Canada.” We turned our backs on the Environment Minister and stood in silence. Then the applause that started behind us rippled through the rows of delegates and became a standing ovation. At the moment, all the nervousness and worry I felt disappeared; I felt powerful. That wave of support was empowering and when it happened I knew that we had taken power away from Kent and our government. Shortly after, security guards escorted us out of the building and stripped us of our accreditation. It was not only worth it, but necessary. We had shown the world that our leaders do not represent our interests and that Canadians want real action on climate change.

Since then, I’ve been working in Halifax and I continue organizing. In late February, I organized Tactics and Strategy for Grassroots Mobilization - a camp to train people in anti-oppression and non-violent direct action. It was a giant success; we brought in trainers and over 50 people attended – with more on the waiting list. That speaks to the need in our community and our country for tools that we can use to hold our government accountable and force them to put the interests of people before polluters.

ES:

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STOCK UP The most efficient way to make baby food is to make it in big batches - enough for a week or a month - and freeze it. The tried-and-true method for freezing portions is in an ice cube tray. Each cube is approximately 1oz. Simply fill the tray, cover and freeze. Once frozen, you can pop out the cubes and store them in freezer bags. Be sure to label the bags with the date and contents and use frozen foods within 1 month for optimum food safety. When you’re ready to use, simply thaw and reheat. Never reheat food more than once.

by Margaret Hoegg

As jars of even the highest quality organic baby food are being recalled from store shelves, followed by nightmarish headlines reporting arsenic and other poisons lurking beneath pureed pears and carrots, parents are looking for new ways to feed their children safely. Making baby food for your child is incredibly easy and rewarding, not to mention economical and healthy. The ingredients are simple and the tools are probably already waiting in your kitchen. You control the source of the ingredients, how the food is prepared, processed, and stored, and this ensures the highest measures of safety and nutrition. SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS The ingredients in baby food are straightforward. Sourcing your own ingredients allows you choose a wide variety of the freshest local ingredients available. Growing your own vegetables is by far the healthiest and most frugal way to feed your family, but local unsprayed and organic fruit and vegetables and hormone and antibiotic-free meat are readily available at farmer’s markets and grocery stores.

SIMPLE PREPARATION To make a batch of baby food, simply peel the fruit and vegetables, steam, bake, or boil them, let them cool and puree in batches. It’s simple to make separate batches of single ingredients - like sweet potato, apple or carrot - and then mix and match to make a variety of flavour combinations. To puree, use some of the cooking water, broth, breast milk, formula or plain water. Try combining flavours like peas and mint, apple and carrot or cinnamon apple - if your baby rejects a particular flavour at first, try again in a few days or weeks. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician about allergies, nutrition and nitrate levels of some foods before getting started, just to be safe. (continued on the next page...)

Making and growing your own food supports the buy-local, grow-your-own and DIY movements, and cuts down waste in many forms. This makes it an inherently political act. Imagine, something our grandmothers took for granted becoming now a radical action? Radical families, get out your blenders!

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Margaret Hoegg is a writer and editor living in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, where it is a pleasure to be a locovore! You can follow her on Twitter @the_moggest.

 We’re looking for an Office Manager To find out how to help, please contact us at We are looking for an engaging and (902) 444-3113 organized individual(s) to assist in or by email gretchenf@sierraclub.ca managing our Halifax office.  Activity: answering phones, coordinating volunteers, and assisting our Director with office administration tasks (filing, managing mail, responding to basic requests for information). The time commitment for this role is approximately 4 or more hours per week.

VOLUNTEER

OPPORTUNITIES: ISSUES WE NEED YOUR

 Help us to Continue Publishing the quarterly Sandpiper Magazine. We need a passionate volunteer to join the newsletter committee.  Activity: meeting with volunteers and staff to identify themes, soliciting submissions from authors and artists, graphic design of the electronic newsletter, and editing of final submissions, 4 times/year.  Skills required: Passion (Familiarity with graphic design software, communication and outreach skills are an asset.)

My sex is determined by temperature. I don’t have teeth, but I do have a hard beak. I can sometimes be found sunbathing on rocks or logs near water.

When fully grown, I eat water plants, insects, and small animals. I am named for my red and yellow markings found on my top shell or carapace.

Thanks to all our “’radical” donors and members for helping us get two thirds of the way to our fundraising goal. The letters, phone calls, and emails (not to mention generous cheques!) flowing into the office make us certain we have support from Atlantic Canadians to continue our important work - which gets more critical with every day! We need more help from you so we can continue to be a Voice for the Earth! Please donate so we hit (or exceed) or target of $40,000. With gratitude, Gretchen Fitzgerald, Director