It’s quite possible that the Bruce Trail saved me. I grew up in north Burlington. Urban sprawl was everywhere. For me and my high school buds, the Bruce Trail offered the only real local access to natural forested areas. This kept us out of street fights, away from hard drugs and gave us purpose, meaning and perspective. As evidenced by our article in this issue on forest bathing, natural areas are lifesavers. I’ve never needed science to tell me that.
Funny that we need science to prove a correlation between human wellness and natural areas in order for the populace, and politicians, to start paying attention. Why wait for science or politicians? Perhaps the biggest, most important gift that you—whether you are a landowner on the Escarpment or someone who is in a financial position to donate—could give to the future of the planet is the preservation of more large-scale natural areas, and access to them for the general population. It’s real and it’s actually meaningful.
In some ways the environmental movement has been hijacked by a focus on climate change. Sure, it’s true that we need to curb our consumption of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, however, this attention is often used to justify more taxes, no real action and important natural areas being plowed over to make way for “green” energy—windmills or pumped storage. What we need are more real heroes to step up and donate land and money to conservation organizations. (Roger Klein points out a real real hero and some great organizations in his letter on this page.) Plus, the last time I checked, preserved forests actually fight climate change as well. Who knew?
Speaking of wellness, this issue launches the inaugural Southern Georgian Bay Sex Survey. A sex survey, really?
Our parent company, Zoomer Media Ltd, recently ran a sex survey in Zoomer magazine. It was hugely successful, and one of the reasons that Moses Znaimer, On The Bay’s Executive Producer and the CEO of Zoomer Media Ltd., suggested we do it here.
Is it risky? Risqué? Sure, but I prefer the word gutsy. A couple of other words come to mind: honesty and maturity. Those describe how our senior writer Jessica Wortsman gracefully navigates this subject. Sex is how we all got here. It’s one of nature’s most healthy and accessible natural drugs—the ticket to contentment and vitality. And to make a connection back to wellness, don’t you think humanity and the planet would benefit if we all were a little more content and healthy—perhaps less prone to greed, to start wars or pave more green space? Seems only natural.
My suggestion: open your mind and do the survey. Your answers will make the results better and smarter. You might just learn something about yourself, and the people around you. Enjoy this issue.
Cheers,
David Loopstra
Publisher,
On The Bay
I confess, I’m a sun worshiper. As soon as the morning sun flirts with the horizon, I’m awake. I step outside barely clothed and absorb the warmth of the day’s first rays. That small dose of solar energy stimulates a smile and I sigh, “Oh man, it just feels SO good.” Do you ever get that summertime feeling? I don’t want to miss a minute of it.
I have a long to-do list of outdoor activities planned this summer, and I hope you do too. We are fortunate: Southern Georgian Bay is surrounded by wild places where we can experience the magnificence and abundance of nature. The smells, the sounds, the lush green landscape all fuel the soul. But how long can it last? I fear a tragedy of the commons scenario now that the perpetual growth machine has arrived to develop every nook and cranny of the region.
The existing parks, conservation lands and pockets of wilderness that wrap their arms around the Bay are the legacies of the wise ones who came before us. The late Malcolm Kirk, for example, was a Second World War veteran who understood that the best way to protect land was through acquisition.
He worked through the local conservation authorities, The Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy to assemble the islands of green we enjoy today. To Kirk’s credit we now have places such as Skinners Bluff, Old Baldy, Inglis Falls, Eugenia Falls, Bognor Marsh and the Feversham Gorge. That work must continue, according to a new group called the Escarpment Corridor Alliance, or we risk killing the golden goose—the natural beauty that draws people and development to our region in the first place.
Today, we can still enjoy hiking, biking, birding and foraging for wild edibles on a summer morning. In this issue of On The Bay, track Anna Potvin and Anya Shor on a forest-to-table journey, as local chefs transform the forest’s flora and fungi into the culinary essence of the landscape.
Leah Sobon leads us to other discoveries with her investigation into shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of embracing all facets of the forest with a cheeky-yet-relaxing, mind-body meld with the wild.
The consummate athlete and author Molly Hurford takes the opposite approach. She pedals her way through the twists and turns of Zen and the art of maintaining the Three Stage mountain bike trails as wild escapes become increasingly popular.
All of these outdoor pursuits are good for your mind, body and soul. It turns out that sex is an important part of our happiness Venn diagram as well. Jessica Wortsman explores the connections between our mental health, personal growth and sexual evolution as we age. There is so much to learn about ourselves and the people around us. Can you be honest with yourself? Take a walk on wild side and participate in the first annual Southern Georgian Bay sex survey. Have you, in a canoe? Or even tried?
At the centre of everything is the Bay itself, with its beckoning waves and sparkling reflections. Carmen von Richthofen takes a dip into the inspiration and opportunities of wild swimming. Allowing the water to flow over you might wash your summer sweat and sins away.
So kick back, soak up that sunshine and enjoy the summer issue. And don’t forget to click through to baywatch.ca/survey and fill out our survey, just for fun.
Roger Klein
Chief of Content,
On The Bay
