Terra Observer Magazine

16/06/2020

Wrapping up our summer issue with a poetic testament to the unique eco zone that is the Carolinian Forest.

Carolinian forests grow smaller each year As farmland and cities draw continually near. But the earth will survive, of that have no fear If the upright creatures learn to hold nature dear.

16/06/2020

Have you tried paddleboarding? What about stand up paddleboarding? Get a taste of SUP with our contributor Laurel Bury.

To date, I've searched, googled and watched about three and a half hours of SUP'ing footage. At this point, I'm a self-proclaimed YouTube expert on paddleboarding. I'm here to share all the details with you, my fellow novices.

16/06/2020

Discover our photography collection—images from Ontario's verdant provincial parks, whimsical hidden trails, aquatic lakescapes and other natural eye candy. The pictures below form a selection of work shot and edited by our talented team of photography contributors📸

Discover our photography collection—images from Ontario's verdant provincial parks, whimsical hidden trails, aquatic lakescapes and other natural eye candy. The pictures below form a selection of work shot and edited by our talented team of photography contributors.

15/06/2020

Nothing screams sustainability like giving second-hand, gently-used clothing a new home. Check out this graphic guide on navigating Toronto's Queen Street West to source your next haul of thrifty threads, brought to you by Sophie Stekel and Keena Alwahaidi.

Nothing screams sustainability like giving second-hand, gently-used clothing a new home. Check out this graphic guide on navigating Toronto's Queen Street West to source your next haul of thrifty threads.

15/06/2020

While public transit becomes questionable in the eyes of public health, bike culture may take over, says contributor Alison Ross.

So if public transit is unsafe during a pandemic and we want to avoid relying on vehicles to get us around, what’s the alternative? The answer is a zero-emission, healthy and socially-distant means of transportation: cycling.

15/06/2020

Investing is a tough landscape for young Canadians to navigate. But with impact investing, they don't need to choose between high financial returns and social responsibility, says Co-Editor-In-Chief Vicky Qiao.

For a long time, Ashley Wong felt like she had to choose between two career paths—becoming a cut-throat businesswoman or supporting communities through non-profit organizations. Then, she found a compromise: social enterprise and impact investing.

14/06/2020

Parties are great, but they can also create a lot of waste. Ditch the single-use balloons, food waste, plastic cutlery and red solo cups—editor Vicky Qiao offers tips on how to host your next zero-waste party once lockdown lifts.

Parties are great, but they can also create a lot of waste. Ditch the single-use balloons, food waste, plastic cutlery and red solo cups—editor Vicky offers tips on how to host your next zero-waste party once lockdown lifts.

14/06/2020

Organic, sustainable and eco-friendly seem like interchangeable labels on the leggings, juices, vegetables and toothbrushes marketed to Canadians everyday. Contributor Maria Puscas argues that consumers need to be wary of the product labels that intentionally deceive well-intentioned people.

We can combat greenwashing by being wary of eco-friendly labels. We can reduce our ecological footprint by investing in locally grown food as much as possible, shopping less or second-hand, trying to limit emissions and demanding change from powerful institutions.

14/06/2020

When it comes to the challenges facing Ontario’s tree planting initiatives this year, volunteer power takes the front seat. COVID-19 regulations make the teamwork required to plant trees tricky, Co-Editor-In-Chief Jade Prévost-Manuel reports.

Ontario’s tree planting season is off to a rocky start this year, with private forestry companies and conservation authorities taking precautions to keep out COVID-19 while still trying to reach their planting goals.

13/06/2020

As Ontarians, can you say with confidence that you know where your vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, milk and bread come from? For many, the answer is no. Contributors Caylin Sun and Kayls Amaladas share how growing produce has changed their relationships with food.

Many Canadians don’t get a clear picture of this cycle. In today’s world, most people are disconnected to their food—while some may be lucky enough to have their food grown right beside their homes, or grow their own food, the grocery store is the major calorie bank for most.

13/06/2020

Contributor Sari Ohsada thinkpiece on what psychology can teach us about becoming better climate communicators, overcoming collective differences and finding common ground.

What psychology can teach us about becoming better climate communicators, overcoming collective differences and finding common ground.

13/06/2020

Despite its ominous name, Devil’s Punchbowl is one of the Niagara Escarpment’s most intriguing wonders, carved by huge melt-water rivers that flooded over the Stoney Creek Escarpment at the end of the last ice age.

LINK
https://www.terraobservermagazine.com/post/waterfall-guide-to-ontario

Whether you have a passion for hiking or waterfalls, Hamilton is the perfect city to start your exploration. With more than 100 waterfalls in the region, it's been nicknamed the City of Waterfalls.

12/06/2020

Starting your own backyard compost may seem like a daunting task for beginners, but it doesn’t have to be. Contributor Catherine Morrison breaks down the process with this handy guide on repurposing your kitchen scraps to reduce landfill waste.

Composting helps repurpose food waste by turning scraps into fertilizer that can be used to grow more food. Starting your own backyard compost may seem like a daunting task for beginners, but it doesn’t have to be.

12/06/2020

In a world where the climate crisis can seem overwhelming and unconquerable, literature provides an answer where the science cannot says contributor Ronny Litvack-Katzman.

Ecopoetry is a subgenre of poetry that places a strong emphasis on nature. Though it is a relatively new field of poetics, its traditions date back to the nineteenth century.

12/06/2020

Blazing meteor showers, scintillating planets and a celestial meeting of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are a few of the space sights Ontarians can look forward to this summer.

Here’s our guide on the best summer astronomical happenings of 2020, coming to skies near you.

11/06/2020

A poetic ode to Prince Edward County’s welcoming landscape.

I was a kid and the wheat was so high. There I ran and climbed and swam in grasses that waved like white flags in the wind.

11/06/2020

What is the circular economy, you ask? Reusing, remanufacturing and sharing—Impact Zero founder Erin Andrews gives the argument for why businesses, not just people, need to change.

The circular economy requires a total system overhaul. It’s where infrastructure and businesses allow us to share, repair, reuse, remanufacture, redesign and generally extend the life cycle of the products we put so much effort into making.

11/06/2020

These entrepreneurs aren't just creating women-friendly products, they're creating employment opportunities to close the cannabis industry's gender gap. Sidhu reports.

Melinda Rombouts knows what it feels like to be overlooked in the agricultural cannabis industry. Despite the increased demand for the substance and the increased employment opportunities that followed Canada's 2018 legalization of ma*****na, Rombouts says there is still a lot of room in the industr...

10/06/2020

Contributor Sarah Sequeira delivers this issue’s young activist spotlight. From helping build bee🐝 cities to fighting for university divestment, Aidan Brushett wants to build a more eco-friendly Ontario.

One of the ways Brushett’s council did this was by partnering with Bee City Canada. At age 16, Brushett worked alongside Bee City Canada and Ontario Nature to certify his hometown of Whitby as a “Bee City”.

10/06/2020

Poetic musings from Calla Elia who uses her own experiences with natural spaces to create.

Come buy my kisses between the soft treble of the rain. Mud from the riverbank—cling to my galoshes weep with the Cottonwoods trees...

10/06/2020

From bats weighing as little as a loonie to mint-scented birch trees, Ontario has its fair share of endangered species that depend on science and conservation for their survival. Story by Amelia Eqbal​.

Here in Ontario, the Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) is a microbat that roosts in trees and buildings across southern Ontario. They can be found as far north as Moose Factory and Favourable Lake.

09/06/2020

“After months of saving up, we left home on July 1, 2017 in a dodge caravan to embark on a journey that would change my life forever.” William Berdusco wrote about his journey from Northern Ontario to the Prairie skies.

It all started with a trip I took as a young adult to Killarney Provincial Park with a group of friends. Killarney has long been treasured by backpackers, portagers and artists for its pristine Northern Ontario wilderness.

09/06/2020

Clean air, visible skylines and the return of wildlife. These are isolated blips, says contributor Jade Siewnarine, that won’t last unless Canada sees change at the level of policy.

Researchers say a rebound in emissions is likely and that the clear skies and wildlife victories may be temporary. That’s because global GHG emissions would need to decline by nearly 8 per cent annually for the next 10 years in order to reduce rising global temperatures.

09/06/2020

What does art have to do with the environment? Everything, according to three Ontario artists whose nature-inspired artworks are making waves. Olivia Mossuto wrote about their work and stories.

Art, as a discipline, does not seem like the most capable or apparent choice when it comes to problematizing environmental degradation or facilitating engagement with the environment. At the same time, it is all too obvious that art should not be reduced to mere aestheticism—it can be more than an...

08/06/2020

So what is the new reality for camping, hiking and tourism in Ontario? Will we be able to swim at public beaches? Camp with friends over the long weekend? Hike on a trail or simply hug some trees? It’s complicated, but there are some glimmers of hope. Make the most of your summer with Elisabeth Edwards' tentative 2020 guide to Ontario’s Parks and Rec.

Parks Canada recently announced it will gradually resume some of the operations at 29 of Canada’s 48 national parks (which include National Historic Sites and National Marine Conservation Areas) starting June 1, 2020.

08/06/2020

A multilingual poetic exploration of the the author Anaa Gulzar's day.

The day starts ahead of us. It ends and we retire to start before and end after. There is a system of us and then the system of nature. Night owls and early morning birds.

08/06/2020

The recent downfall of the oil industry has stirred doubt and provoked the public to rethink investing in fossil fuels—something the divestment movement has been advocating for a long time. Co-Editor-In-Chief Vicky Qiao has more.

The recent downfall of the oil industry has stirred doubt and provoked the public to rethink investing in fossil fuels—something the divestment movement has been advocating for a long time.

07/06/2020

Join Editors Vicky Qiao and Jade Prévost-Manuel in their discussion about Ontario's Dark Sky Preserves, the cost of light pollution and this summer's astronomical happenings✨
https://www.terraobservermagazine.com/podcast

07/06/2020

With neither ice nor cold water standing in their way, Ontario’s ice divers are the rockstars of the Canadian diving scene. Co-Editor-In-Chief Jade Prévost-Manuel takes readers on a journey to Tobermory’s icy depths—more than 50 feet below.

For Ontario’s ice divers—aquatic adrenaline-junkies and rockstars of the Canadian diving scene—four months away from the water is unbearable. The cold isn’t.

06/06/2020

06/06/2020

It's finally here! We're happy to announce that our summer issue is now live (and a few hours early). Happy summer everyone—let's do our best to make it a great one spent outdoors!

https://www.terraobservermagazine.com/

Terra Observer Magazine is the passion project of two soon-to-be journalism grads who care deeply about Ontario's natural spaces and advocate for their preservation for future generations.

05/06/2020

Just one day away from launch! We'll be posting the link to our summer issue tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST, and we can't wait to share it with you.

Terra Observer Magazine is the passion project of two young journalists who have mobilized a collective of writers who care about Ontario's natural environment and want to celebrate the province's biodiversity. Whether you're a climate activist, a nature lover, a sustainable business or someone who feels an intrinsic connection to nature, we've got content for you.

04/06/2020

Editor Vicky Qiao talks about her Torrance Barrens experience in the pilot episode of Terra Observer's podcast, The 51st Parallel! 🎧 Coming to speakers near you June 6, 2020.

03/06/2020

🔍 Meet our team 🔍

Vicky Qiao is a freelance journalist based in Toronto, Ont. Born and raised in Beijing, Vicky has a keen interest in culture reporting and believes that storytelling can transcend boundaries. She is passionate about climate justice and connecting with nature. Her most memorable editorial experience was being the World section editor of OpenWide Zine, where she worked with an amazing team of student writers and editors to produce original content on diverse topics. She is also an avid traveller, an amateur singer, a daydreamer and a dessert connoisseur.

Jade Prévost-Manuel is a freelance journalist with Caribbean roots based in London, Ont. She's been telling stories for as long as she can remember, but got her start in journalism as the Science and Technology Editor at The McGill Tribune. Since then, she's worked as a medical copy editor, an environmental communications assistant and a travel copy writer. An anthropologist at heart, Jade is happiest when she's learning about other cultures and exploring new places. When she isn't telling stories on land, you can find her exploring life 80 feet below the ocean's surface.

Three days away from launch! Can't wait to share our hard work with you all.

02/06/2020

Since mid-March, air pollution has dropped by 30 to 40 per cent in cities across Canada. Experts say that cleaner air, even just for a few weeks, can reduce illnesses like asthma attacks and heart attacks, which typically spike when air pollution is at its worst.

01/06/2020

Canada's rate of forest loss is about 0.01 per cent year. Over 70 per cent of Canada's annual deforestation is caused by the mining, oil and gas industry and the agriculture industry. 🌳

31/05/2020

They also make for fantastic diving—stay tuned for our feature story on Ontario's scuba divers and free divers!

30/05/2020

The countdown is on! ⏳ We're only seven days away from launching our website. Look out for our daily Ontario trivia facts, which we'll be posting until June 6, 2020.

29/05/2020