Forest defenders across BC on the line and in court
– lawyer, Ben Isitt
Local art on community response to wildfire emergency
– New Denver artist Petra Hekkanberg
Earth Day coming up in Nelson with many activities
– local activist Judith Fearing
LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD THE FEBRUARY 17 ECOCENTRIC HERE
Eight of the forest defenders who were arrested in 2022 protecting the slope south of Argenta will get their day in court. They are suing the RCMP for wrongful dismissal. Lawyer Ben Isitt gives us a bit of history of the decades-long movement to protect forests and tells us about that case and others he has worked on with forest protectors.
Forest defender Jennifer Houghton explains the New Forest Act proposal to reform how we can have living forests.
New Denver artist Petra Petra Hekkenberg was evacuated because of the threat of the disastrous Slocan Lake wildfires of 2024. The experience of having to leave and being in a community that acted together to support each other was important to to her. She has documented some of the experience in an art exhibit, The Art of Safekeeping, that is getting lots of attention these days.
Celebrating Earth Day, and our relationship with our natural world, has become a long-standing tradition in the Kootenays. Local events in Nelson have expanded over more than one week. Local activist Judith Fearing tells us a bit about the many events in ‘Earth Month’ and the April 19 parade and celebration.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
Ada’itsx/Fairy Creek Blockade on Facebook.
BC Forestry Reform on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1019165341760551
The New Forest Act Proposal on https://boundaryforest.org/the-new-forest-act-campaign/
Video about the New Forest Act https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lummcIgVOEc&t=26s\
Petra Hekkenberg’s art project: TheArtofSafeKeeping.ca
Earth Days in Nelson in April: https://www.earthdaysnelson.ca/
COMING EVENTS
Friday, February 20 2026 6 pm
Film: Trouble in the HeadWaters
In Rossland at the Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre
Doctors and Nurses for Planetary Health Kootenay Boundary
Join the Doctors & Nurses for Planetary Health (DNPH) for a special Speaker Series presentation of Trouble in the Headwaters, made by filmmaker Daniel J. Pierce. The film is a powerful 25-minute documentary that explores the causes behind the devastating floods that displaced 100 Grand Forks families in 2018.
Free event, accepting donations.
Sunday, Feb 22, 2026, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Nelson United Church, 602 Silica St,
Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FoKLSS) and Kootenay Native Plant (KNPS) Society
Four films exploring wetland ecology, restoration, and stewardship. — Touring through Kootenay and coastal BC ecosystems, powerful visuals and storytelling invite audiences to deepen their appreciation of wetlands.
Followed by a Monarch Way Station (MWS) project recap by the Kootenay Native Plant Society (KNPS). 5 years of creating safe havens here in the Kootenays.
Tickets: $15.
Friday, February 20 2026 6 pm
Film: Trouble in the HeadWaters
In Rossland at the Rossland Museum and Discovery Centre
Doctors and Nurses for Planetary Health Kootenay Boundary
Join the Doctors & Nurses for Planetary Health (DNPH) for a special Speaker Series presentation of Trouble in the Headwaters, made by filmmaker Daniel J. Pierce. The film is a powerful 25-minute documentary that explores the causes behind the devastating floods that displaced 100 Grand Forks families in 2018.
IT’s free event, they are accepting donations.
Sunday, Feb 22, 2026, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Nelson United Church, 602 Silica St,
Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society (FoKLSS) and Kootenay Native Plant (KNPS) Society
Four films exploring wetland ecology, restoration, and stewardship. — Touring through Kootenay and coastal BC ecosystems, powerful visuals and storytelling invite audiences to deepen their appreciation of wetlands.
Followed by a Monarch Way Station (MWS) project recap by the Kootenay Native Plant Society (KNPS). 5 years of creating safe havens here in the Kootenays.
Tickets: $15.
Also on Sunday Feb 22, 2026, 11-4 pm
Nelson Repair Cafe
Nelson District Rod & Gun Club, 801 Railway St
We are a volunteer-driven initiative in Nelson, BC, focused on reducing waste, sharing knowledge, and fostering a sense of community through the power of repair. Bring your household object you’d like to save and give a new life down to see if it can be easily put back into service.
https://repaircafenelson.ca/
March 22 World Water Day
West Kootenay Watershed Collaborative has already flagged the date for Making Waves, A World Water Day Symposium to take place in Nelson. You can put it in your calendar now: Sunday March 22, starting at noon.
Longest running Enviro News show on the Radio! 