Voices for the Islands

Voices of Conservation chronicles the history and evolution of the conservation movement across eighteen islands in the Salish Sea. Narratively linked by author Sheila Harrington’s two-year sailing journey to the islands to gather over fifty interviews with veteran conservationists, the book provides an in-depth view of conservation land trusts, from their emergence forty years ago through multiple legal battles, organizational challenges, hard lessons, case studies, and human-interest stories.Beginning in the 1980s, when logging and development threatened the fragile ecosystems and natural spaces of this region, and culminating in the creation of the Gulf Island National Park Reserve, this book will inspire readers to turn apathy to action and support the cause of conservation in an era of species extinction and climate change. Full of colour photos, maps, and fascinating first-hand stories by conservationists—many of whom are now elders—it reveals how grassroots movements have the power to transform the future of a natural environment.