Good News from the Biosphere - Summer 2026

Written By Ruth Simons

We are pleased to share good news stories from our partners and collaborators in our region. Here are some of the many news headlines since the Spring.

The collective efforts of individuals and organizations of all sizes always make a difference.

  • It’s summer! Young people are heading to camps across our biosphere region to enjoy clean water, fresh air, good friends, and fun — priceless assets worth protecting by keeping our biosphere healthy.

    The Islands Trust works to preserve and protect over 450 islands in the Salish Sea. Thank you for recognizing these Howe Sound stewards - Dan Roger, Keats Island, for ongoing community leadership in the Keats Island and Howe Sound region - Douglas Leatherdale, Keats Island, for his enduring achievement of island-wide clean-up initiatives on Keats Island - Dr. Wendy Palen and Dr. Tom Sisk, Bowen Island, for their leadership in biodiversity protection in the development of the Nex̱wlélex̱wm/Bowen Island Biodiversity Plan Organizational Recipients - Bowen Island Conservancy, Bowen Island, for its work to protect the Cape Roger Curtis area.

    We are excited, along with West Van District Mayor and Council, to share that we are working together to help determine future programming and use of the former Boathouse building on the Horseshoe Bay waterfront. Learn more: https://westvancouver.ca/.../mayor-council-announce-new...

  • Good News for the marine environment was shared at this month’s Ocean Watch Action Committee meeting. Maximilian with the Ocean Wise Kelp Lab reported encouraging results just off the shores of Furry Creek. They grew the kelp in their lab in West Vancouver and transplanted it in December. It is exciting to hear that the growth is taking hold. Learn more and see the video here.

    We also heard from April Hoewling on the successful placement of an underwater hydrophone near Sunset Beach in Howe Sound. Through Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound Revival, the organization begun by April and her partner, they raised funds and installed a hydrophone by Sunset Beach. Soon we will be listening to whales in Howe Sound thanks to their partnership with BCWhales. Follow these organizations in their progress.

  • Good news for fish in the Gibsons area. Restoration projects may take years of planning, funding and partnerships, but are worth the wait to do them well. We can celebrate two such local projects in Gibsons—the Charman Creek project led by the Town of Gibsons and the Ch’ḵw’elhp-Gibson Creek Restoration project led by the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association

    But it's two-for-one. Not only do fish benefit here, but so too does the Gibsons stormwater drainage system. Read about these projects underway within the biosphere region as they also help implement climate mitigation.

    The next good news announcement, however, is tinged with bad news. Once again, Ocean Legacy Foundation was at work over three days in August removing marine debris and styrofoam—thank you, Ocean Legacy team, for the dedication and hard work. But the bad news—that there is more to do. We look forward to the day when such cleanups are a thing of the past. In the meantime, your donations to The Ocean Legacy Foundation and/or the Howe Sound Marine Debris Fund help keep our beaches clean. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/134741?qrcode=1


Ruth Simons
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Good News from the Biosphere - Spring 2026