What we’ve read, listened to, and watched this year that has inspired us in our care for creation.

By A Rocha Manitoba Staff

Nov 2, 2022

Invasives: Unknitting Despair in a Tangled Landscape by Catherine Bush

“I’ve been enjoying some articles from Emergence Magazine this year. In particular the article called “Invasives: Unknitting Despair in a Tangled Landscape” by Catherine Bush. It brings into attention the fact that conservation is not solving a problem and being done, but it’s an ongoing process. The work continues over time in relationship with the land. This article also introduces the idea that we as humans might be like invasive plants with our capacity to eliminate other species and create monocultures, and there’s a need to come to terms with that. This was brought up in a way that wasn’t discouraging, but purposeful. I like Emergence Magazine generally because it’s very accessible. They have ways to listen, to watch, and to read, so it works for whatever learning style you have.”
– Graham Peters, Manitoba Conservation Science Coordinator

“Care isn’t just sentiment; the labor of embodied actions becomes a way to unknit despair.” -Catherine Bush

Urban Swales by Verge Permaculture

“I’ve watched a lot of Verge Permaculture videos this year as we’ve converted our front yard to permaculture. I’ve enjoyed the most working with my wife, Jana, on this. It’s been a fun collaborative project. Learning to conserve and use the energy on the land, like water and sun, in the best way has been interesting. And making the space beautiful! The other thing that’s both exciting and nerve wracking is planting all these baby plants that you hope will grow into something in 3 to 5 years. Our lawn is basically now like a forest floor through sheet mulching. I’m already thinking about next year and what we might plant and change. There’s going to be lots of weeding in the future, but right now, it looks great!”
– Scott Gerbrandt, Manitoba Director

How to Save a Planet Podcast

“The podcast “How to Save a Planet” has made me into a climate optimist! I love the fascinating stories in each episode and that each one ends with a direct and concrete call to action. The world is full of climate solutions! And there are things we can do about all of them.”
– Marnie Klassen, Manitoba Communications Assistant

A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough

“David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet is a really excellent look at biodiversity loss in the big picture. The book serves as a sort of last will and testament for Attenborough. He urges his readers to pay attention to what’s happening around them, and urges leaders to band together to turn the ship around. Very engaging, especially as the audiobook is read by Attenborough himself!”
-Marnie Klassen, Manitoba Communications Assistant

“We have come as far as we have because we are the cleverest creatures to have ever lived on Earth. But if we are to continue to exist, we will require more than intelligence. We will require wisdom.” – David Attenborough

Towards a Prairie Atonement by Trevor Herriot

“This is a beautiful and important book that seeks to propose a different way of relating to land based on Métis land tenure principles. Herriot ties together the destruction of the native prairie, with the Métis dispossession of their traditional lands, and suggests what is needed is an atonement, or at-one-ment. A coming together. Atonement “begins with the act of recognizing and honouring what was and is native but has been evicted from the land–native plants and animals but the original peoples, cultures, and languages too.” Herriot hopes that our shared love for the land will bring us together and be a framework for reconciliation.”
– Zoe Matties, Manitoba Program Manager

“A lark sparrow lands on a headstone, opens its mouth, and fills the air with its jumble of clear, high notes and a glissando of buzzy trills on a lower register. It is the song of one who has travelled from the grasslands of central Mexico to look for a savannah just like this, with sandy soil and sparse grass next to trees. It sings to claim a place on the prairie, but its title, and that of many other grassland creatures, has been placed at risk by the same failure to reconcile and bring justice to the land” – Trevor Herriot

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

“At day camp this year we read the children’s book The Curious Garden. It is a story about a little boy who lives in a colourless concrete city. He discovers an abandoned railway that is full of struggling plants. He decides to start taking care of it and soon the plants are flourishing and spreading all over the city, transforming it into a lush, green world. I like this book because it is a wonderful tale of the possibilities of ecological renewal for our cities. The artwork is also very beautiful!”
– Zoe Matties, Manitoba Program Manager

Featured photo: Nick Morrison on Unsplash