Redfish School of Change Blog

The Final Countdown

2011-05-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

We’re on the final stretch of our Redfish journey – the last week! This by default, also means the end of food planning. Our last session took place along the Fraser River at the lovely Iona Park. The session itself was relatively short as it turns out we Redfishies become incredibly efficient the fourth time around. The session involved the always intense game of cut throat Pictionary, where favourite meals throughout our journey were highlighted. Highlights included Addy’s Trinidad stew, stir fry, quinoa, egg salad sandwiches and birthday cake. The actual food purchase its self, took place at the “Save on Foods” in Kitsilano, quite the luxury after previous experiences at gas stations turned grocery stores, such as Mountain Berry Foods in New Denver.

These last two weeks of the program are all about transitions. We’ve gone from the natural to the industrial along the Fraser, to arrive in the urban of Vancouver. We traded thermarests for mattresses, canoes for translink, colemans for stocked kitchens, and sanitized-rubbing-around-dirt hands for showers and cleanliness.
Tomorrow we depart for Galiano Island, where we will be both car camping and back-packing – two more transitions. The hardest transition of all will most likely be the journey home. Our community has grown and flourished together and this has truly been an unforgettable experience for many.

“We’re paddling the Fraser
Till we reach Van
4 nights, 5 days
That’s our plan”

“We’ve got gorp, water
And hand sanny to boot
See us approach
And hear our salute”
- Day 1 Fraser River Trip

- Carley, Chris & Isabel

2011-05-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hello out there in the real world!

This blog entry will take you back a few weeks to our trip through the
Okanagan, where we met some rattlesnakes, farmers, and dangerous plants. And to cap it off, Julia, Kevin and Ella did a Food Planning Session for the Fraser River trip!

Being in wine country was a real treat. Unfortunately the Innkameep
Campsite was filled with poison ivy, but none of us touched it and we all
learned how to identify it quite quickly (for those that are interested,
leaves of three, shiny, bright green. Stay Away!)

We spent a morning at Covert Organic Farms with Gene Covert, an incredibly knowledgeable third generation farmer. While taking us on an intensive tour of his recently converted to organic farm, he answered quite a few Redfishie questions. We learned a lot, but most notable was that he would be out of business if he was still a conventional farmer, and he had been surprised by the productive capacity of his land under organic farming methods.

Later that day we paid an impromptu visit to a nearby feedlot, which was a pretty stark contrast. The cows were silent, but they were very curious about the 21 humans walking past their hot, dirty pens. It was an eye-opener to be sure, and our conversation with the owner put a human face on an issue that we had only read about so far.

After that busy morning, we had Food Planning Session #3! This took place on the beach, post-swim. While it would seem like a idyllic setting, the session was somewhat tainted by a strong wind that blew in some nasty allergens, but didn't quite get rid of the cloud of bugs hovering over our class. Needless to say, it was a quick session. We were a little nervous that we wouldn't have enough food for the river trip, especially since we were now providing for three hungry guides as well as the voracious Redfish appetites, but everyone was impressed by the quantity and quality of the meals on the Fraser. We also incorporated a new shopping approach that put more responsibility in the hands of each cooking group, and less stress onto the shoulders of our lovely instructors, who have been so patient with all our planning pitfalls.

Not to mention, we got a 20% discount at the Penticton Whole Foods. Take that, Mountainberry!

We're off!

2011-05-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

We are leaving the Little Slocan Lodge today... off onto our next bioregional adventure in the south Okanagan. We will be visiting the Nk'Mip Desert Centre, hiking within some of the last wild grasslands with the Nature Trust of BC, touring and working on Covert Organic Farms... amoung other adventures.

We might not get back online until after our river trip which follows our Okanagan journey, paddling three voyageur canoes from Harrison to Jericho Beach in Vancouver.

Take care and we will keep you posted when we can!

Adventures in Food Planning

2011-05-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

Having learned a lot from the first week of cooking for ourselves (all 21 of us), we entered into the second week with some wisdom in our pockets. We also got to see two sides of the food system during our day in New Denver - first transplanting onion sets at the lovely Lone Mule farm, then attempting a week's worth of shopping at Mountainberry Foods... the gas station grocery store. Thanks so much to Ryan, Nadine, Brenda, Victoria, Kate, and Isabel for embarking on that mission! The efforts were rewarded in the form of a cake and sorbet donation from the store owner, which went well with our campfire BBQ and nature readings.

Cooking group #2 also redeemed themselves from the pitfalls of breakfast quinoa with some home-made pizza to celebrate our last night at the Little Slocan Lodge. Tomorrow we'll be hitting the road, with our pantry packed up in rubbermaid containers. Goodbye Nalla's kitchen, hello Coleman stoves!

2011-05-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Since our Valhalla trip we have been continuing to explore our own leadership, communication and facilitation skills. We joined the Voices for Sustainability retreat for a samoan circle, we worked as a team to get over the "electric fence" and we participated in a "conversation cafe" about our approaches to being pioneers in this new wave of good environmental leadership.

Readings and Reflections in Valhalla

2011-05-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

While visiting one of the most amazing places in BC, we spent our time reading, writing and reflecting by the edge of Evans Creek in Valhalla Provincial Park. Monica Nissen from Wildsight led a session on Nature's Services where we explored the different ways that we need and relate with natural systems - from nutrient cycling to pollination, to spirituality and sustenance.

We also had some solo time where we took time to think about how nature guides us, and some of us began our Nature Writing - a creative piece about our relationships with nature. We read these by campfire on the shores of Slocan Lake. At Emerald Lake we had a student led session where we had an intense and insightful dialogue about food security in the Columbia Basin. So many tough questions about how we lead food security and sovereignty in our own regions. Craig Pettit of the Valhalla Wilderness Society told us his story of how the park was created and some of the challenges with protecting wild lands across the province.

It has been a full and wonderful week here in the West Kootenays. The Redfish journey continues...

Trip to Valhalla Provincial Park

2011-05-16T12:29:00.001-07:00

Here we are heading into Valhalla Provincial Park. We hiked into Evans Beach and camped there for three nights, with one day trip up the creek to Emerald Lake. We cleared the trail from Slocan to Evans and from Evans to Emerald with our hands, hearts and various saws!

2011-05-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Neslon, BC
This coffee shop was a nice place to reflect on the day.

Morning of May 7, 2011
It Takes all Kinds Workshop with Paula, David, Mike and Corky
We heard from four very prominent leaders in social and environmental change. Each of them spoke to us about How to Create Change. The main themes were that we cannot create change, only guide it and participate in it. We must form strong relationships with everyone and ensure that all voices are heard and considered to develop effective solutions in a community.

2011-05-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Rudy stop pretending you can harness the power of the sun through photosynthesis!

Saturday, May 7, 2011
(Day 5)

Visit to the Kootenay Country Store Co-operative, the largest independent Co-op in Canada!
This alternative grocery store is owned by the community and directly supports the farmers in the area by purchasing their produce in person. The deli is provided with food made by members of the community and many of their products are sold in bulk to reduce packaging. Grocery stores are a major medium for change in our industrial food system, and this place is definitely encouraging change!

2011-05-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 5, 2011 (Day 4)
Food and the Columbia Basin with Jon Steinman
Jon spoke to us about the major concerns with the industrial/global food system and what he has done about it. He gave an inspiring talk about re-introducing communities into their local food system by creating closer relationships between consumer and farmer. One of the ways he has tried to create this change is by forming the Kooteny Grain Community Shared Agriculture (CSA).

2011-05-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 (Day 2)
Nature's Wild Food and Medicines with Shanoon Bennett.
Shanoon took us on a natural history walk through the woods around the Lodge. We learned how to identify native plants in the area that act as natural adaptogens (plant products that increase the body's ability to cope with internal and external stress factors, and normalize the functions of the organism.

2011-05-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

First week of Redfish
Nalla and Ron have graciously allowed us to stay at their place, The Little Slocan Lodge.
Jemma and Nalla making us some delicious eats! Aren't we lucky.

2011-05-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 (Day 1)
"When we tug on any one part of the web of life, we get the whole web" (Wheatley, 2005), if ever so slightly. We spent the day developing relationships and connections with all of our fellow students, an integral part of forming a sustainable community.

Redfish 2011 Participants

2011-05-04T13:04:00.001-07:00

GROUP PHOTO:
Top row: Carley, Nadine (instructor), Ryan (instructor), Brenda (instructor), Susie, Chris, Adwitya, Julia Bennett, Kevin, Andrea, Caitlan, Ella.

Bottom row: Victoria, Katherine, Shannon, Kate, Vanessa, Isabel, Julia Berry, Nikki, Iggi.

The Learning Community Forms

2011-05-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

The Redfish community is forming. We did all kinds of introductions yesterday, including the unpacking of each of our bioregional backpacks. We each shared highlights from the places we live - such as where our food and water comes from, the native species of our region, what historical struggles have occurred, some of the key environmental and social challenges and what people are doing about them. We learned about students' ideas for their community action projects, and what gives us each personal ecological sustenance.

Today we are diving into this region. We are about to embark on a walk with a local plant expert to learn about the wild and medicinal plants of this region in the Kootenays. Tonight we will explore the issues within the Columbia Basin with a guest from the Columbia Basin Trust.

And, the course work begins. With an intro to our ES380 course we are thinking about the food we eat and coming up with critical questions about what messages the environmental movement sends regarding food systems and security.

The adventure begins and the journey unfolds!

Redfish 2011 begins...

2011-05-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

We are all gathering at the Little Slocan Lodge this evening... to begin the Redfish 2011 journey! Follow us here.

Sidney Island!

2010-06-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

We recently ended a four day camping trip on Sidney Island in the hot, blazing, glorious sunshine. Boating over on Friday we were able to explore our surroundings, set up our traveling home and discover the beautiful, white-sand beach where we would be spending the majority of our time.
On Saturday we were lucky enough to have Phil and Marilyn, two Victoria-based marine biologists help us conduct a beach seine. Everyone had a blast (especially Dane who was clearly in his element) and learned all kinds of funky facts on the creatures we would be swimming with that afternoon!
Sunday's highlight was an introduction to Adventure Therapy with Duncan and Dave from Power to Be in Victoria. All new to me! On Sunday evening all 16 of us looked to our internal compasses and spread out over the island for a 14 hour overnight solo. I know I don't only speak for myself when I say there is something very powerful about being by yourself, in the woods, with only a tarp and watching the hours pass by.
Only one week left now! Oh how time flies!

Transitions: Blog post from June 2nd to June 8th

2010-06-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

It seems as though the theme for the last week has been changing landscapes, both internal and external. Over the last week we have left the semi-wilderness environment of the upper Fraser River, and have made our way through the urban landscape of Vancouver to wind up at the University of Victoria. The shift we have experienced has been shaped by the change in our environments as well as the change in our group dynamic. Externally it is much noisier, busier, and in the city landscape many of us have found it harder to be calm and present. Also, for the first time our tightly knit group has been more independent as we work to finish off individual projects and sleep in private bedrooms.

Some of our recent highlights include arriving triumphantly at Jericho Beach, having successfully paddled from Hope to Vancouver in 6 days (some of it in torrential downpour)! Spirits were high as we all worked to drag our 36-foot Voyageur canoe from the water for the last time. Thanks to our fantastic guides, James and Dave, from Ridge Wilderness Adventures. Everyone took a much deserved shower, and looking sparkling clean, we enjoyed a celebratory dinner at the Jericho Hostel!

After enjoying our day off in Vancouver, we took the ferry to Victoria and settled into our new accommodations at UVic. In the course of a single morning we were able to meet and speak with two of the authors, Sally Miller and Nancy Turner, from our course Political Ecology of Food (ES 382). It was fantastic and allowed us to ask questions to the authors and truly engage with the material that we have been reading.

Overall, this past week has given us a chance to see how we change in the outdoors and has given us a thirst to learn even more outdoor skills. In addition, we were truly inspired by the passion that radiated from all our engaging guest speakers. As we come into our last week together, we are closer than ever as a group and we are starting to think about how to apply all that we have learned when we return to our own communities.

2010-06-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since leaving our home in Slocan and it's been interesting to lead a more nomadic lifestyle. The past two weeks we've spent time working on an organic farm, paddling down the Fraser river, and making our way across the Salish Sea to Vancouver Island.

Paddling the Fraser was definitely a highlight for me. I lived in relatively close proximity to the Fraser for five years and never really spent much time thinking about it. It was amazing to experience the change in landscape along the river as we slowly entered the city. It's easy to see it as a watershed devastated by development and industry when living in the city, it was nice to be reminded that it is still an amazing, functioning ecosystem. It was also satisfying to experience the huge cultural significance of the river to the people who depend on it.

Dane

Goodbye, Slocan Valley

2010-05-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

So it's day 14 of the program and finally time to say goodbye to Little Slocan Lodge, our home away from home.

What an incredible time we have had here! Being nestled between the mountains has been nothing if not an inspirational way to build our community and start our Redfish journey together.

Thankfully, we had full license to go out with a bang because it was Neelam's birthday yesterday! Of course, we had an epic kitchen dance party until the wee ours of the morning, with some intermittent howling at the moon. We also had a really wonderful metaphors in music jam session last night. It was amazing to compare this session with our last one almost two weeks ago. We were SO much smoother. It seems that our whole group is just on the same page, we each know where we fit in to make some beautiful music.

A highlight of the past few days was the BBQ at Nadine's house in New Denver. We all got to practice our mingling skills, as well as our local-organic burger-flipping skills. Thankfully, we were successful at both! It was wonderful to be able to network with so many of the active citizens in this area; their dedication to their actions was pretty incredible to see.

Well, its time to head out. (if I keep typing we might miss the only bus out of Castlegar, and I don't know how happy everyone would be with that...) Blog posts may be very limited for the next while, because we are going internet free to the farm and then on the canoe trip!

See you down the river!

We're Baaaaaaaack

2010-05-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, a bunch of smelly, satisfied Redfishers returned from a successful first camping trip. We spent three days hiking and learning in Valhalla Provincial Park. What an experience! We stayed at a site called Evan's Creek, which was actually a RAGING WATERFALL! The power of the falls will 'stick with' a lot of us, as will the cold fresh water which is pure enough to drink straight from the source. What an incredible connection with nature. Another thing many of us will remember is the campfire chat on personal ecology we had on our first night. We have officially compiled a list of reminders to email to ourselves regularly so we don't forget our own ecologies and how to maintain them in the midst of all the 'paction' we will be doing.
Other highlights included our first solo time, in which we were able to contemplate our connection with nature. Even a hale shower didn't dampen our spirits! We also 'got our grade six on' and played a game with Monica about ecosystem services. Some very creative presentations later emerged as to how services such as food production, genetic diversity, and water are necessary. Let's just say we have many a budding actor/rap star among us.
We were also able to chat with Craig from the Valhalla Wilderness Society. It was really inspiring for many of us to hear from someone who had put so much into preserving an ecosystem in the area he had helped protect. What an amazing success story.
And of course, finishing a long hike back to meet up with Brenda, Dane, and delicious treats is never a bad thing!

week One in the Sun

2010-05-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Redfish Comrades!
We're finishing up week one here with Redfish and the time is flying by! All three classes are in full swing and we are loving every second. There is something so satisfying about lying on your belly, giggling in the sunshine while supposedly taking your 'ecology' class.
Today us students started cooking our own meals and t'was delectable (however Alan is greatly missed).
We also tried our hand at Zumba... I'll let you be the judge of our success by these photos!

To Nelson We Will Go!

2010-05-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

It has been such a whirlwind week here at Little Slocan Lodge! Between unpacking our bio-regional backpacks, starting all of our classes, having a really cool jam session with Jeremy, and eating Alan and Ricardo's AMAZING food we have had our hands pretty full.

We also got to try our hand at consensus decision making with the help of our lovely facilitator, Ruth. After only two days and four hours, we have come up with the fundamental values of Redfish School 2010! They are (drumroll please): community, passionate action (otherwise called 'paction'), creativity, learning, respect, and kincentricity (a lovely concept describing the connection between all organisms and our need to live in mutually flourishing relationships). TA DAAA.

We will now try to live these values for the next 6 weeks, starting today with our first field trip! We are headed to Nelson where we will do our first big grocery shop. Hopefully we pull it off, Ricardo and Alan have left us a lot to live up to...

We have arrived!

2010-05-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

It has only been a few days since we began the program but already there seems to be a sense of comfort and familiarity developing within the group. The location is simply amazing and the Little Slocan Lodge has provided us with a wonderful home base from which to explore the area. Today we spent the afternoon learning about wild edible and medicinal plants with Shanoon, who's knowledge on the subject seemed to be almost limitless. We were also treated to a special dish for dinner...delicious nettles and coconut curry courtesy of Ricardo. This photo was taken at the very beginning of the program and I think it will be very interesting to compare it with a group shot near the end. Until then I can't wait for our next set of adventures!

Dane

Return of the Redfish

2010-05-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

The second semester of the Redfish School of Change begins May 12th. Instructors met in preparation for the arrival of 16 students from across Canada. Building on the success of the first field school, and incorporating feedback from alumni, participants, instructors and guests along the way can be exciting for the adventure ahead.

Here's our schedule. Follow us as we head into the field for the future!

May 11: Arrival at Little Slocan Lodge in West Kootenays
May 12– 25: Activities, workshops, field trips and wilderness adventure throughout the West Kootenays, based from the Little Slocan Lodge
May 25–28: Ecological restoration and service learning on organic farm in southern Okanagan
May 29–June 4: Voyageur canoe trip down Fraser River from Harrison to Vancouver with various stops and guests along the way
June 5–10: Activities, workshops and field trips based from University of Victoria
June 11–14: Marine trip to Gulf Islands National Park
June 15–19: Activities, workshops and field trips based from Pearson College
June 19: Program ends in Victoria, BC
After June 20: Students implement their action projects with follow-up support and mentorship

Toronto Community Action Project success!

2010-04-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Learn more about Elaine's action project as she recently delivered the Youth Engagement Program in Toronto.

See http://www.greenlearning.ca/node/361

The Imprint, the student newspaper of the University of Waterloo, featured a story about Redfish alumnus Elaine Ho and her experience with Redfish School of Change.

Check it out at http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/2009/oct/23/features/ho-seeks-justice-wild/

What is the Redfish School of Change?

2009-07-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

This video was created by Ryan, the Redfish School of Change Teaching Assistant

Talent Show Videos!

2009-07-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I posted them all on my blog but here is the link
http://salimahsummer09.blogspot.com/2009/06/talent-show-videos.html

And here is the link to the Sally Sahore Redfish Love Song + Lyrics
http://salimahsummer09.blogspot.com/2009/06/sally-sahore-redfish-love-song.html

Still feeling that Redfish withdrawal...

Love,
Silly-mah

Singing to the Bunnies at the University of Victoria

2009-06-15T21:38:00.001-07:00

Pictures and Videos

2009-06-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to some pictures I've taken so far.
Sorry for all the scenery pictures!
http://cmd.shutterfly.com/commands/pictures/slideshow?site=salimah&page=salimah&album=151

Here are links to some of the music videos we made as well
Bearspray http://salimah.shutterfly.com/825
Stream Song http://salimah.shutterfly.com/826
Gratitude and Joy Got Me a Watch http://salimah.shutterfly.com/827
Water Privitization http://salimah.shutterfly.com/828

As you can see, I've been having a ton of fun!

-Salimah "Silly-mah"

Last Night at the Little Slocan Lodge

2009-06-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's our last night at the Lodge. This place has provided us with so much and as exciting as it is to be heading to the river to start our paddle it is hard to leave.

The morning light on the front porch with a cup of coffee and the Colombian ground squirrels. The "classroom" which was also the living room and the dining room and the music/dance room and the yoga room and..........The kitchen always pumping out good food. The river that provided us with clean fresh water and an abundance of power (micro Hydro damn). The surrounding forest full of new friends and wild edibles. Bunk beds, guitars, swallows, and a burgeoning sense of belonging here.

The Learning has been one part the classroom book type and many parts this magical place, and the amazing people that live and love and work and play here.

I am full of gratitude for the opportunity to stay here for long enough to make friends with the place and I am truly looking forward to coming back here.

~Trina

Camping Trip!

2009-06-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Wild Foods Dinner

2009-06-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

On our first full day off (Sunday, May 24), inspired by all of our newly-acquired ethno-botany knowledge, Trina, Sam, Lara and Alla decided to cook up a wildfoods/ locally-based dinner. In the morning, our guest Mike Keefer, an ethnobotanist, took us for a guided walk around Little Slocan Lodge, and we started gathering our foods. We found violets, fireweed tips and dandelion leaves for our salad, a few little morrels to fry up - and a giant patch of stinging nettle to steam for dinner. In addition, we roasted up a bunch of parsnips (from the local organic farm we visited earlier in the week) with carrots and potatoes, and fried up some local organic sausages.

(Alla, Lara and Trina serve up the wildfoods dinner)

End of Week 2

2009-06-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's the end of Week 2 of the Redfish School of Change, and the last day of our stay at the beautiful Little Slocan Lodge.

The past week has been full of excitement, hard work, and new experiences. We started off the week with a workshop called "The Practice of Leading Change" with George Meier, a leadership coach in New Denver. Part of our course work includes developing a community action project, and George's workshop helped us gain some focus and do some planning for the future.

The next day, we headed down to the trailhead in Slocan City for the 8 km hike that launched our 3 day backpacking trip into Valhalla Provincial Park. On the hike, we had a chance to marvel at the incredibly diverse Interior Hemlock Forest, passing over several rockfalls, traversing beautiful sub-alpine meadows lush with spring wildflowers, and over gurgling mountain streams.
Camping at Evans Beach, we had the unique priviledge of being able to drink from an untainted stream and relax on the shore of Slocan Lake.

On Wednesday, we worked on a bioregional lab in the midst of the forest, learning how to work a compass and other field equipment. In the evening, special guests from Wildsight and The Land Conservancy gave us an insider's look at successful environmental initiatives in the West Kootenays, including designating the "Valhalla Mile" as a protected area.

Thursday was a long day of hiking back to the trailhead, and Friday and Saturday were focused on lectures and coursework. On Saturday afternoon, our group headed into Nelson for a guest panel of local community activists and change makers. The session, called "It Takes All Kinds" gave us a sense of the different kinds of approaches exist in trying to initiate positive environmental and social change.

~ Alla

Where are we going?

2009-05-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

(Originally posted on www.schoolofchange.ca)

The Redfish School of Change runs May 18–June 26, 2009. The program begins in the Slocan Valley of British Columbia and ends in Victoria. Click here for a map of the region.

Follow us on our adventures:

May 17: Arrival at Little Slocan Lodge in West Kootenays
May 18: Program begins in the Slocan Valley
May 18– June 1: Activities, workshops, field trips and wilderness adventures throughout the West Kootenays, based from the Little Slocan Lodge
June 2: Group travel by bus to Hope
June 3–8: Voyageur canoe trip down Fraser River from Hope to Vancouver with various stops and guests along the way
June 9: Group travel to Victoria
June 10–15: Activities, workshops and field trips based at the University of Victoria
June 16–18: Wilderness marine trip
June 19– 26: Activities, workshops and field trips based at Pearson College
June 26: Program ends in Victoria

Why call it the Redfish School of Change?

2009-05-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

(Originally posted on the www.SchoolofChange.ca website)

The Chinese see the redfish as a sign of good fortune and prosperity. Poems of Celtic origin depict the redfish as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. Of course, Dr. Seuss knew a redfish, and indeed it is a common term for many fish: the deep-sea Sebastes, the reef-dwelling snappers, the slimeheads or roughies, and the alfonsinos.

Redfish comes from the native word Kokanee, which is a landlocked cousin of the sockeye salmon found in the interior of British Columbia — where this field school begins its journey, in the Slocan Valley. Sockeye salmon are an icon in British Columbia, and those that spawn in the Fraser River are endangered. As the program makes its run down the Fraser River from Hope to Vancouver, we explore the past, present and future of this watershed.

As a school of change, we are a community seeking to learn from the ways of nature and patterns of history, and to live the possibilities of a better future. Creating change is a journey much like swimming upstream: it involves leaping up waterfalls, navigating past nets, and stopping to rest for awhile in an eddy. Creating change takes many strategies and some creative thinking. It means working alone and within the larger group that is walking the same path. It also means journeying back home to initiate new ideas, challenges and solutions.

Redfish Name Results Revealed

2009-05-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

The venerable Redfish School of Change mascot has been named. Based on a democratic selection process, his official name is now Rudy Redfish, Rudy for short.

Today, Rudy participated in an afternoon long outdoor lab with the Slocan River Streamkeepers, helping to sample dissolved oxygen, stream flow velocity, and the benthic insects in the stream as indicators of stream health.

What not to do when you see a bear

2009-05-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today, a few of us decided to go look for some bears! There is a large clearing by the nearby river where you can go watch them from a safe distance. However, being the inquisitive University folks we are we decided to walk up the logging road to see if we could get a better look! There were four of us in the group, the adventurous Joy and Marten decided to walk down a steep hill from the road to go get a look at one of the bears in the meadow, while the sandal clad Rachel and height fearing Salimah decided to stay on the road. While Joy and Marten were observing the field bear, Rachel and Salimah started singing camp songs! Whilst they were singing "The Bumblebee Song," a look of fear fell upon Rachel's face. Salimah turned to look in Rachel's direction to face a big black bear 30 feet away! The details of the next part are fuzzy, but Rachel (or Salimah) dove into the woods down the hill towards Joy and Marten (who had the bear spray). Salimah yelling "Bear! Bear spray!" the whole way down. The other bear in the meadow turned to look at Joy and Marten, but luckily it did not really care. Once Salimah and Rachel got to the meadow the group was in an interesting predicament, with one bear in the meadow staring at us, and another on the road out of sight. We were literally trapped. Well not really...

Joy took up the CHALLENGE and walked up the hill first (bear spray in hand). Luckily the bear had left when we got to the top.

When we got back to the lodge and recounted the story, our instructors did not find our tale so amusing. Evidently when you encounter a bear the last thing you should do is run. You are actually supposed to make yourself as tall as possible and let the bear know you are there! This was actually explained to us that morning, however, our flight instinct overcame us.

Well, the experience for us was very valuable, not only did we have a close encounter, and the adrenaline was great, but we also learned what not to do next time we go on a bear search!

All joking aside, this is one of the great things about learning in an outdoor environment. As a group we've had 5 encounters with bears on this trip, something that would never occur in any other learning environment. As Enviromental Studies students, its very special to have these encounters with such magnificent and beautiful animals which are very much threatened by encroaching development.

Week One

2009-05-21T16:31:00.001-07:00

A Few Photos from the Redfish Program's first week
1. Alan gives the group a tour of the amazing Little Slocan Lodge
2. The group listens intently
3. A gigantic beaver lodge of the Little Slocan Lodge property

The Incredible Adventures of Redfish

2009-05-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

On Day 1 of the program, in addition to meeting each other, we also became acquainted with our little Redfish mascot. Focusing on making on decisions in community, we decided on a d0t-mocracy system to determine his new name.

We decided to develop a "show name" - the formal, official title for our venerable fishy friend. The "barn name" is our commonly used familiar name for our dear mascot.

Here are the options! Stay tuned for updates on the group's final decision.

Show names:

Mr. Fishy
MC - Squish
Reginald Redfish
Lord Thaddeus
Ichthy Rojo
Pesky
Redfish
Sir Toppenhat
Larry the Cable Fish
Reddfish

Barn names:
Rudy
Archie
Bob
Luna (famous orca)
Rouge
Row(e) Jo(e)
Rolo
Makuru
Red
Reddie
Redd (salmon egg sac)

Welcome to the Redfish School of Change Blog!

2009-05-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Redfish School of Change is a non-profit program designed for people who want to lead the way in creating ecological sustainability and social equity in their communities.

The inaugural year of the Redfish School of Change started on May 17 at Little Slocan Lodge in the West Kootenays. While participating in this intensive six-week field school, our group of 16 students, 3 intrepid instructors and special guests along the way will travel from the mountains of the Slocan Valley to the marine coast of southern Vancouver Island. We will visit innovative sites and engage with experts in the field of environmental and social justice. We will explore the wilderness of Valhalla Provincial Park, and witness the changing nature of the Fraser River as we paddle from Hope to Vancouver. We will learn critical skills for creating positive change, putting them into practice during and after this unique program.

Living and learning with 15 other participants, each of the students will endeavour to develop the capacity and confidence to be agents of change in our community on the issues that matter most.

Follow our blog for updates and photos from program participants, instructors and special guests as we continue on our journey.