Michael Christie and the Forest
If you’ve read Michael Christie’s 2019 novel Greenwood, you’ll know that he’s thoughtfully considered a number of possible futures for Canada’s forests. Sadly, the one he describes in the book as surviving in 2038 is a small fragment of what we have on the B.C. coast today, and the tourists who have access to it are those who could afford the privilege. The story moves far beyond this initial scene, through both time and space, to focus on characters and events in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and even California. To organize the overall story, the various dates are recorded on a cross section of a mature tree (likely a Douglas fir).
Humanity’s efforts to head off such a future run the gamut from writing to representatives in Victoria and Ottawa, joining demonstrations, and funding protest campaigns against wholesale logging. We are also teaching our children and grandchildren about the importance of these richly diverse ecosystems, so they have a notion of their complexity and potential, and of how we can support our forests in the face of climate change, invasive species, and development.
On October 17th Michael Christie will be at the Ag. Hall to talk about our relationship with forests, and what he has learned about them through his research, writing and reflection. Please join us for a unique and timely presentation. The evening is also a fundraiser to support the Conservancy and the work we do to conserve and restore our forests.
More info and tickets here.
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