Many of you know that I have a passion for the natural world. I began my professional life as a biologist. I have worked as a naturalist in parks, in a botanical garden, and as an ecotour guide from the coast of British Columbia to the Amazon forest.

It is impossible to love nature and to paint nature, without feeling anxiety about the state of the natural world. Like many of you, I often ask myself what can one person do?

That is why I am creating a fundraiser here for Ecojustice. In their own words: Ecojustice is Canada’s largest environmental law charity.

Mission Statement:

Our mission is using the law to defend nature, combat the climate crisis, and fight for a healthy environment for all. To achieve this, Ecojustice does three things:

We go to court. Our lawyers represent citizens, environmental organizations, First Nations, sustainable businesses, labour organizations, and any other groups that share our mission.

We push for better laws. Our experts testify in front of committees and make recommendations to strengthen environmental legislation.

We engage the public. Our work highlights environmental issues and changes the conversation, forcing our leaders to sit up and listen.

In my own province, Ecojustice has worked to protect species at risk from proposed marine oil shipping routes, fought to safeguard Killer Whale habitat, campaigned for an end to the export of thermal coal, and called for a dedicated law to prevent at-risk species and habitat protection from falling into the hands of unregulated development.