Community Leaders & Books: September 2026

We profile local community leaders and post book reviews on a weekly basis on social media, along with excerpts from Nature Companion, our nature app/website. Once a month we repost these items on our website for those of you who may not be active on social media.

Community Leaders

Manitoba: CPAWS Manitoba celebrated its 35th anniversary on September 23. Since 1991, CPAWS Manitoba has been instrumental in establishing 23 new parks and protected areas. [3Common]

British Columbia: The Starfish Canada is offering 2-hour drone-based workshops to help grades 6-12 South Vancouver Island students better understand how cities are designed for sustainability and what innovations might be possible to create a more climate-resilient community. [The Starfish]

Saskatchewan: Ryan Fisher, curator at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, held an “ask me anything” conversation about birds, birdwatching, and tales from the field from 6-7:30 pm, September 28, at Rebellion Brewing, Regina. [Royal Saskatchewan Museum]

Alberta: Jasper Dark Sky Festival, held October 16-25, involves 2 weeks of science, music, art, storytelling, adventure, and unforgettable moments under one of the world’s most remarkable night skies. [Jasper Canada]

Books

The Rover Boys, Paul Gilbert: In 1957, two young Canadians went around the world by road. One was an aspiring artist, the other a wildlife biologist. Along the way they forged a friendship that would continue for more than 60 years while both of them went on to make their mark on the world. The young artist, Robert Bateman, is a world-renowned wildlife artist. The young biologist, Bristol Foster, has spent much of his life trying to protect the temperate rainforest along BC’s coast, overseeing the establishment of over 100 ecological reserves.

Mushroom Day: A Story of 24 Hours and 24 Fungal Lives, written by Alison Pouliot & illustrated by Stuart Patience: “We begin at midnight with the midnight disco, which is not a late-night dance club but a rare fungus. In the wee hours, the curious Australian ghost fungus lights our path with its eerie green glow. At dawn, we awaken to find a fairy ring of mushrooms that has sprung up on the lawn overnight … At the end of the day, we’ll have glimpsed the diversity of the kingdom Fungi, discovered some of its members’ quirks and traits, and realized that we can’t exist without them. I hope this global foray piques your interest in the mycological miracles that surround us all day, every day.”

The Forest Fights Back: A Global Movement for the Rights of Nature, Jessica den Outer: “This book is a journey through the stories behind the Rights of Nature movement. Each chapter dives into a specific place and time where people have stood up – sometimes successfully, often against the odds – to defend the rights of ecosystems. These are not abstract legal texts. They are living stories of rivers, mountains, wetlands, and forests that have become central characters in legal and cultural battles for protection. Using examples from around the world, I try to paint a realistic picture of the opportunities, as well as the challenges, facing this movement.”

Society of Crows: Adventures and Discoveries from a Lifetime of Crow Watching, Robert W. Butler: As a 15-year-old, Robert W. Butler rescued a juvenile crow. His curiosity about the species was further cemented by an opportunity as a graduate student to spend a summer studying crows on a remote island off the coast of Vancouver Island – “Neither a pariah nor hero, the crow is simply doing what its genes have selected it to do. There is no further assessment required here; just admiration that we share a world with an infinitely charming, aggravating, amusing, and sagacious a creature as the crow.”

Nature Companion

Red Bats often hunt for food around lights and particularly enjoy moths and beetles. They hibernate in hollow trees or under leaf litter, using their thickly-furred tail as a blanket to keep them warm. (Nature Companion is a free app/website introducing many of the plants and animals found in Canada’s four western provinces.)

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/23140345702

EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.