We’re a few days from June 20, the summer solstice. We’ve had a remarkably benevolent spring, even considering ongoing drought conditions, the disappointing snowpack, warnings of higher-than-average temperatures ahead. Now there’s the dance we’ve been doing for some years: Can we make vacation plans? What’s happening on the wildfire map? Do we need a new evacuation plan? Did we actually make one last year, or the year before? It’s good the City/Province/Feds are doing X! Shouldn’t the City/Province/Feds be doing Y?
Not meaning to add to any “overwhelm” waiting to enter stage left. This is where we at Transition Kamloops point to our tagline: Sowing local resilience. Many folks feel not just the uncertainty that’s becoming part of summer, but also the lack of control that climate change brings. Nevertheless, there are actions you can take in our community to help you and others foster the toughness that underlies resilience. Support local farmers. If you don’t have the space or time to grow vegetables, buy from those who do. Your purchases strengthen our local supply and suppliers. The price of vegetables and fruit has been rising, sometimes astronomically, but Kamloops is blessed with organizations committed to food security for all. Two excellent ones to explore, including as a volunteer: Butler Urban Farm and the Mount Paul Community Food Centre.
Prep your Grab-and-Go Bags, but plan for that picnic too. The Transition Kamloops Core Group does a regular “health check” to review how we’re doing with our initiatives and reflect on what we could do differently or better. One of the questions is about celebration. Do we celebrate our strengths and successes? Are we social enough? We had to say we can improve. Celebration and socializing, within and among our varied communities, strengthen our connections, providing us with the support we need in difficult times, another hallmark of resilience. Celebration has also always been inseparable from summer, with its freedom from school, outdoor adventures, long days, and play on, in or near water in all its refreshing forms.
Wishing you many celebrations with family, friends and neighbours this summer. The Transition Kamloops team and newsletter will be back in September, rested up and more resilient than ever.