Toronto to Manitoulin: The Path to Planting

Forests Ontario's Green Leaders Susan Snelling (left) and Barb Erskine (right) on their property on Manitoulin Island. (CNW Group/Forests Ontario)

In 2003, Susan Snelling and Barb Erskine packed their belongings and left fast-paced Toronto for the idyllic serenity of Manitoulin Island. The move north was prompted by an employment offer that Barb, a psychologist, received from a First Nations health centre; Susan, her partner, a researcher in the public health field, followed suit. The pair purchased 100 acres of land, comprised of untended fields, forest, and wetland.

"We always intended for the property to have a purpose," explained Barb. "In the past, it had been used to grow hay and produce lumber for furniture production. The land had potential, and it certainly seemed like a waste to leave it all unused."

The couple wished to utilize the acreage for environmental benefit; however, the path to accomplishing their dream wasn't immediately clear. The answer arrived in 2015, when Susan and Barb attended the Manitoulin Trade Fair. There they met Laing Bennett and Lesley Phillips, foresters with Algoma-Manitoulin Forestry Services, a Forests Ontario planting partner. Laing championed the benefits of tree planting, and suggested they apply for funding support and technical assistance through the 50 Million Tree Program.

The 50 Million Tree Program is a partnership between Forests Ontario and the Government of Ontariothat will see 50 million trees planted throughout the province by 2025. Barb and Susan were eligible, as they had significantly more than 2.5 acres of open land required to apply, and were soon approved. The pair were surprised and encouraged by how easy Forests Ontario and their planting partners made the process for them.

"It was a learning opportunity for us, to learn about the property we have. It was very easy from our point of view because Laing was able to arrange to have people come out and plant," says Susan.

In 2016, Laing and his crew began hand-planting the trees. There was immediate interest from friends and neighbours, so much so that it interfered with planting at times.

 "People were stopping by on the side of the road to see what was going on," Susan recalled. "They would ask the planting crew questions. It was a conversation starter; there was definitely a lot of curiosity!"

The end-result was just under 5,000 trees covering the six acres of property deemed best-suited to support growing trees. After the planting partners conducted a soil test they determined that Red Pine and Norway Spruce would be suitable based on the soil conditions. 

"Barb and Susan were excellent landowners to work with on the planting project. We enjoyed their interest and enthusiasm for the Forests Ontario 50 Million Tree Program. They are strong supporters of environmental improvement and we applaud their efforts," says Laing.

The terrain plays host to a rich array of wildlife including deer, turtles, Canada geese, cranes, great horned owls, foxes, wolves, snakes, leopard frogs and tree frogs. Barb and Susan are proud that their property supports this wealth of wildlife by providing diverse habitats.

"The trees planted by Barb and Susan will create a new forest, providing multiple values and adding to the overall forest cover in the region," said Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario. "Healthy, diverse and contiguous forests are essential to mitigate and adapt as we continue to see the effects of climate change."

"Barb and Susan should be commended for their tremendous contribution to the environment," said Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. "Stewardship is a crucial component of keeping our communities healthy."

Planting trees through the 50 Million Tree program will help to sequester carbon, enhance and diversify Ontario's landscape, increase the capacity to withstand climate change, and contribute to wildlife habitat. 

About 50 Million Tree Program 
Forests Ontario administers the government of Ontario's 50 Million Tree Program, part of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign. The United Nations' goal is to plant one billion trees worldwide each year. Ontario is committed to planting 50 million trees by 2025.

The 50 Million Tree Program is designed to signi­ficantly reduce the costs to landowners of large-scale tree planting and thereby increase the number of trees planted across the province.

About Forests Ontario 
Working to promote a future of healthy forests sustaining healthy people, Forests Ontario is committed to the re-greening of Ontario through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas, as well as the renewal and stewardship of Ontario's forests through restoration, education and awareness. 

SOURCE: Forests Ontario

New Daedalus Issue, "Civil Wars & Global Disorder: Threats & Opportunities", Released And Available Online

“Civil Wars & Global Disorder: Threats and Opportunities,” the Fall 2017 issue of Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, explores the causative factors and influences of contemporary civil wars, as well as the international community’s regime for responding to them. Guest edited by Karl W. Eikenberry and Stephen D. Krasner.

Civil wars continue to be a frequent and debilitating phenomenon in international politics. Of the approximately 200 countries in the world, there are currently 30 civil wars underway, including several in which the U.S. military is directly and deeply enmeshed.

Many of these wars are unfolding in states with limited capacities to respond to and mitigate the security consequences that emanate from internal violence and state disorder. Almost all of these consequences, in one form or another, are the sources of immense human suffering and regional instability. And when combined with other global threats, such as pandemics and transnational terrorism, civil wars might ultimately claim a staggering number of lives.

Responding to these circumstances, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences launched an 18-month project on Civil Wars, Violence, and International Responses. The initiative brings together experts across disciplines and around the world to examine why states break down, what the impact of state disorder and failure is within and beyond national borders, whether there are universal qualities or regional characteristics of violent conflicts, and how and when external actors can effectively intervene in civil wars.

The Fall 2017 issue of Dædalus, "Civil Wars & Global Disorder: Threats & Opportunities," is the first publication of the American Academy project. The second volume, "Ending Civil Wars: Constraints & Possibilities," will be published in January 2018. The project will host a series of discussions in the United States and around the world, including in places directly impacted by civil war, with government leaders, heads of nongovernmental organizations, practitioners, academics, and journalists, among others, that will inform a subsequent publication incorporating policy recommendations for national and international engagement.

In their introduction to this issue, guest editors Karl W. Eikenberry (Stanford University; Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, retired; former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan; Member of the American Academy) and Stephen D. Krasner (Stanford University; Member of the American Academy) draw on their personal experiences in government and military service, which were deeply influenced by Al Qaeda's attack on the United States, to recognize the profound difficulties of effectively "treating" civil wars as a third party. Yet as they state, "the complexity of the problem, however, should not lead policy-makers to ignore and dismiss the potential threats." Instead, they propose that we grapple with the scope and impact of intrastate warfare, factor in the effects of globalization and the current shifting of global power, recognize the roles of national elites, and recalibrate goals for stability and security.

In the twelve essays in this issue, the authors explore causative factors of civil war, the connection of intrastate strife and transnational terrorism, the limited successes and failed ambitions of intervening powers in the recent past, and the many direct and indirect consequences associated with weak states and civil wars, including the dangers posed by pandemics, mass migrations of people, and great-power proxy warfare. The volume offers specific examples from Central Asia, the Middle East, South America, and sub-Saharan Africa.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences (PRNewsFoto/American Academy of Arts & Sciences)

The Fall 2017 issue of Dædalus on "Civil Wars & Global Disorder: Threats & Opportunities" features the following essays, all of which are available online at amacad.org/daedalus:

Introduction
Karl Eikenberry (Stanford University) and Stephen D. Krasner (Stanford University)

Civil War & the Current International System 
James D. Fearon (Stanford University)

Civil Wars & the Post–Cold War International Order
Bruce D. Jones (The Brookings Institution) and Stephen John Stedman (Stanford University)

Civil Wars & Transnational Threats: Mapping the Terrain, Assessing the Links
Stewart Patrick (Council on Foreign Relations)

Transnational Jihadism & Civil Wars 
Martha Crenshaw (Stanford University)

Civil War & the Global Threat of Pandemics
Paul H. Wise (Stanford University) and Michele Barry (Stanford University)

The Global Refugee Crisis: Regional Destabilization & Humanitarian Protection 
Sarah Kenyon Lischer (Wake Forest University)

Organized Crime, Illicit Economies, Civil Violence & International Order: More Complex Than You Think
Vanda Felbab-Brown (The Brookings Institution)

Civil Wars as Challenges to the Modern International System 
Hendrik Spruyt (Northwestern University)

Building Security Forces & Stabilizing Nations: The Problem of Agency 
Stephen Biddle (George Washington University)

Fictional States & Atomized Public Spheres: A Non-Western Approach to Fragility 
William Reno (Northwestern University)

The Colombian Paradox: Peace Processes, Elite Divisions & Popular Plebiscites 
Aila M. Matanock (University of California, Berkeley) and Miguel García-Sánchez (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia)

Civil Wars & the Structure of World Power 
Barry R. Posen (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

SOURCE: American Academy of Arts & Sciences

"Double, Double Toil and Trouble": A Ghoulish Evening with Harry Hamlin & Claudia Christian

The Cursed Castle of Macbeth Tour (image via shakespearecenter.org)

The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) presents Double, Double Toil and Trouble, a one-night-only experience with Harry Hamlin and Claudia Christian resurrecting Shakespeare's Macbeth on Sunday, October 29. 

The ghoulish evening features The Cursed Castle of Macbeth tour, a Halloween Benefit Reading of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and a post-show Wine and Pumpkin Pie reception at The Shakespeare Studio, 1238 W 1st Street, Los Angeles, 90026. 

Double, Double Toil and Trouble is part of SCLA's 2017 Year of Macbeth.

Image via shakespearecenter.org

In The Cursed Castle of Macbeth haunted maze, designed by former Disney Imagineer Chris Runco, guests will fall victim to Shakespeare's most dramatic supernatural moments in Macbeth. The maze features soothsaying witches, murderous tapestries, a blood bathroom, floating daggers, stalking ghosts, and chilling sound effects.

The Halloween Benefit Reading of Shakespeare's Macbeth is directed by Louis Fantasia, starring Harry Hamlin (Macbeth) and Claudia Christian (Lady Macbeth). Additional cast members include Christopher Anderson, Ashley Bell, Sheldon Donenberg, Travis Goodman, Michele Greene, Audrey Hamilton, Lexie Helgerson, Clayton B. Hodges, Isabella Hoffman, Jamison Jones, Don Paul, Alex Rotaru, and Michael Zelniker.

The post-show Wine and Pumpkin Pie reception is kindly provided by the Gallo Family of Wines and offers audience members an opportunity to meet the ghoulish cast.

Tickets priced from $35 - $75 at shakespearecenter.org.

All proceeds from the event support SCLA and its arts-based employment programs for chronically unemployed veterans, urban youth living at the poverty threshold, and award-winning professional theatrical productions supported by a veteran workforce.

Since 1985, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles has been a vibrant hub of unique programs, performances and events designed to make Shakespeare accessible for all.  

• SCLA's Veterans in Art enrolls chronically unemployed vets in technical theater courses at East LA College and Santa Monica College and provides veterans wage-paying on-the-job backstage internships. 
• Will Power to Youth is a White House awarded youth employment program that immerses urban youth in artistic experiences that include wage-paying summer jobs and theater training.  
• The program is nationally recognized for its effectiveness in enhancing the likelihood of high school graduation and instilling lifelong appreciation for Shakespeare and live theater. .

SOURCE: The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles

Sting: Live At The Olympia Paris Live DVD, Blu-Ray And Digital Concert Film To Be Released November 10

(PRNewsfoto/Eagle Rock Entertainment)

Eagle Vision and Cherrytree Management today announced the release of Sting: Live At The Olympia Paris on November 10 on DVD, blu-ray and digital download. 

Sting: Live At The Olympia Paris captures the musician's critically-acclaimed guitar-driven rock tour as it hit the French capital for a very special performance at the iconic venue in April, 2017. Hailed "the show of a lifetime" (The Vancouver Globe & Mail), Live At The Olympia Paris celebrates highlights from across the 16-time Grammy Award winner's illustrious career, with blistering performances of new songs from his latest album 57th & 9th including the infectious first single,"I Can't Stop Thinking About You", and the anthemic "50,000", alongside classic hits from The Police as well as Sting's solo career. 

Sting: Live At The Olympia Paris showcases the wide range of his eclectic style and songwriting influences in one momentous live show.

Sting is joined onstage by a 4-piece band including his longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller, Josh Freese(drums), Rufus Miller (guitar) and Percy Cardona (accordion), with backing vocals from Joe Sumnerplus Diego Navaira & Jerry Fuentes of Warner Music Nashville recording artists, The Last Bandoleros.  Bonus content features 9 performances from Sting and special guests.

Praise for the 57th & 9th World Tour includes: 

• "This one was a treat for the fans" (Vancouver Sun);
• "Nothing short of brilliant" (Mass Live) 
• "Sting's current incarnation finds him at his best" (The Daily Gazette, Saratoga) 
• "It may look effortless – but being this good for this long takes something very special" (The Independent)

The sold out 57th & 9th World Tour was presented by Live Nation and began on February 1 in Vancouver, Canada. After a total of 115 concerts throughout North America, Asia, Latin America & Europe, the tour will conclude on October 17 in Romania. 

Sting's latest album, 57th & 9th was released in November 2016 by A&M/Interscope Records, and was a Top 10 album in multiple countries around the globe.

About Sting
Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and activist Sting has received 16 Grammy awards as a solo artist and with The Police. He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame in 2002, and into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (with The Police) in 2003.  Sting has sold over 100M albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist. 

He is 2017's recipient of the Polar Music Prize. Sting's support for human rights organizations such as Rainforest Fund, Amnesty International & Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach.

SOURCE: Eagle Rock Entertainment

Bonus Video:

Iconic Wild Animals In Amazon Suffering For Selfies

Local sloths are taken from the wild and used for harmful selfies with tourists, in Manaus, Brazil. (C) World Animal Protection / Nando Machado

Demand for selfies has changed the lives of wild animals forever: the explosive trend on social media is driving the suffering and exploitation of some of the world's most iconic animals in the Amazon, says international charity World Animal Protection.

Focusing on two gateway cities of the Amazon – Manaus, Brazil and Puerto Alegria, Peru – World Animal Protection's investigators reveal in a new report that animals are snatched from the wild, often illegally, and used by irresponsible tour operators who cruelly exploit and injure wildlife to entertain and provide harmful photo opportunities for tourists.

In public view and behind the scenes, investigators uncovered evidence of cruelty being inflicted on wild animals, including:

• Sloths captured from the wild, tied to trees with rope, not surviving longer than six months
• Birds such as toucans with severe abscesses on their feet
• Green anacondas wounded and dehydrated
• Caiman crocodiles restrained with rubber bands around their jaws
• An ocelot (a type of wild cat) kept in a small barren cage
• A manatee held in a tiny tank in the forecourt of a local hotel
• A giant anteater, manhandled and beaten by its owner

Steve McIvor, CEO at World Animal Protection, says: 

"The wildlife selfie craze is a worldwide phenomenon fueled by tourists, many of whom are unaware of the abhorrent conditions and terrible treatment wild animals may endure to provide that special souvenir photo.

Behind the scenes, wild animals are being taken from their mothers as babies and secretly kept in filthy, cramped conditions or repeatedly baited with food, causing severe psychological trauma."

Cutting-edge research commissioned by World Animal Protection for insights into the worldwide trend on social media of wildlife selfies shows:

• The number of wildlife selfies posted on Instagram has increased 292% between 2014 to present
• 27% of wildlife selfies were posted within the U.S. or by U.S. users. 
• Over 40% of wildlife selfies show 'bad' or harmful wildlife selfies – i.e. someone hugging, holding or inappropriately interacting with a wild animal
• People will most likely upload a 'good' or humane wildlife selfie when they have been educated or exposed to the cruelty behind the scenes.

Dr. Neil D'Cruze, Global Wildlife Advisor at World Animal Protection, says:

"It's extremely distressing to see animals being stolen from the wild and used as photo props for posting on social media. The reality is these unfortunate animals are suffering terribly, both in front of and behind the camera.

The growing demand for harmful wildlife selfies is not only a serious animal welfare concern but also a conservation concern. Our online review of this kind of practice in Latin America found that over 20% of the species involved are threatened by extinction and over 60% are protected by international law."

To tackle the issue, World Animal Protection is calling on relevant governments to enforce laws protecting wild animals, and ensure that travel companies and individuals who are exploiting wild animals for tourism in the Amazon abide by the existing laws.

The organization is also launching a Wildlife Selfie Code for tourists to learn how to take a photo with wild animals without fueling the cruel wildlife entertainment industry.

Tourists can join the movement to end this cruel industry by signing World Animal Protection's Wildlife Selfie Code and commit to keeping wild animals in the wild, where they belong.

World Animal Protection (PRNewsFoto/World Animal Protection)

Case study info:

Manaus, Brazil:

• Manaus is the capital of the Amazonas state, the largest state in Brazil, with a land mass of 1.6 million square kilometers. 77% of the state's rain forest remains intact.
• 10% of the planet's biodiversity can be found in the Amazon region. It is home to over 18,000 species of plants, more than 400 species of mammals and over 200 species of reptiles, many of which are only found here.
• Tourism accounts for around 1% of the GDP of the Brazilian Amazon region
• Direct contact with wild animals for photo opportunities was offered on 94% of excursions offered by tour companies in Manaus, at six different locations.  Official tour guides actively encouraged this type of activity during 77% of excursions.

Puerto Alegria, Peru:

• A total of at least 40 individual animals, representing 24 different species (7 birds, 12 mammals, 5 reptiles) were identified being used in wildlife excursions for selfies.
• Five of these species are considered to have "threatened" status according to the IUCN, and 75% are listed by CITES.

 

The Wildlife Selfie Code

SOURCE: World Animal Protection