Submitted by Daryl Cowell, Chair, Sources of Knowledge
It has been two years and just over one month since our last SoK Forum – “Fathom Five National Marine Park: In Depth”. Our last SoK Talk, featuring Brad Inglis, our beloved “Lazy Theologian”, was held in the midst of a particularly nasty winter storm on February 27th, 2020. April 24, 2020 was set for an outstanding new Forum on Climate Change with a focus on youth. Between those latter two dates, the world shut down!
Like everyone else, the SoK Board has spent the last year+ trying to figure out how to move forward. Our 2020 Forum was tentatively planned to be our 2021 Forum. You know how that worked out! However, with the rapid pace of vaccinations and steep decline in recent infections and hospitalizations, we are excited and optimistic that 2022 will mark our long-awaited event. The date has not been formally set but it will be in late April/early May as usual and will still be on the Climate Change theme. If you had pre-paid for the 2020 Forum and elected to leave your payment with SoK, you will automatically be registered for the new Forum.
A lot has changed in the two years between Forums, but global actions (infrastructure, technical and political) have accelerated and now is actually a better time to delve into the Climate Change theme than 2020. Locally, the advent of a Municipal Climate Action Committee of NBP Council and recent funding awards to the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association to help develop a Community Climate Action Plan and advance the electrification of transportation on the peninsula has put this area in the forefront.
Completely Redesigned Website
During the recent hiatus forced by the pandemic, the SoK Board has used the time to catch up on some long overdue business. In particular, under the excellent leadership of Lindsey Griffith along with funding support from Parks Canada, we have completely redesigned our web site. The original site was over 15 years old, somewhat difficult to navigate and not complete. In addition to a whole new look and functionality, we have added details on previous SoK Talks and added a “Knowledge” Section focusing on technical topics relevant to the Saugeen Peninsula: Lake Dynamics; Climate Change; Geology; Species at Risk; and Parks and Protected Areas. Many of these topics have been researched by Board Members and we will commit to continue to update this page with information and trustworthy links.
I would point out that the “Donate” button is particularly functional. SoK receives base funding from Parks Canada, but most of our costs and expenses are paid out of the Forum fees. With the two-year hiatus, we would be most pleased if individuals could try out our Donate Link and, keep in mind, we are a registered charity. We would also appreciate sponsorships from commercial businesses which will be recognized on the web page and throughout the Forum.
Board of Directors Update
Speaking of our Board, we moved forward this Spring to fill a number of vacancies. As a result, the Board has been renewed and strengthened with four new appointees: Owen Glendon; Rob Klea; Ryan Matheson; and Lawrence Beagan. These new members offer a diversity of experiences and interests which, in combination with existing members, will serve the community well. Although not meeting again until the Fall, all members are working on their summer ‘homework’ to design new programs of interest to NBP and the Saugeen Peninsula. Please check out our web site to see the full list of board members along with short bios.
We thank the community for their on-going support and patience. See you soon!
sourcesofknowledge.ca
