Chemainus, a little town on Vancouver Island, is my home. The fresh water collects in the high hills and runs down through the forests to our Salish Sea. Spending time at the beach front where the Kinsmen have created a beautiful playground is a popular pastime for local families.

One day I took my grandson to the Cowichan Bay Maritime Center where he built a little boat out of scrap wood. Rather than using the playground, he went straight to the water, and with a long string, towed his tiny craft up and down the edge of the boat launch. The otters popped up, curious to see what he was doing.

As the sun set behind him, I felt a deep connection with the ocean and all of the Earth, and knew that I had to protect it for him, my grandson, and all the children who will ever be born. It is a fragile place, and needs our protection, as stewards of the Earth.