Blue Heron Learning Society
Blue Heron Learning Society
Purpose:
- To advance education by conducting research into the impacts of climate change on local ecological and agricultural systems and disseminating the research findings to the public.
- To advance education by developing and delivering courses, workshops and seminars relating to climate change and to good practices in building climate resiliency and sustaining the environment.
About Us
Board members: Mary Wilson, Steven Earle, Fay Weller
Charitable Tax #: 739989473RR0001
Located: Gabriola Island, British Columbia
info@blueheronlearning.ca
Mary Wilson has a longstanding interest in learning and communication for social change. She has worked for two decades as a facilitator, instructor, researcher, and instructional designer, and holds a Ph.D. in education. As a student of Buddhism, Mary is fascinated by the Boddhisatvas – metaphorical enlightened beings who embody wisdom, compassion, and practice. She sees the combination of wisdom, compassion, and practice as central to learning, and central to our collective efforts to live in harmony on our finite planet. In 2018 she co-authored Changemakers: embracing hope, taking action and transforming the world. An active participant in her Gabriola Island, BC community, Mary lives with her partner and several critters. She and her partner are simultaneously restoring a ramshackle island home, developing a permaculture food forest, and building an engineless catamaran.
Steven Earle, PhD, has worked as a geologist and developed and taught university-level courses in earth sciences and climate change for over four decades. He is the author of the IPPY award-winning A Brief History of The Earth’s Climate and the widely used post-secondary textbook Physical Geology, now in its second edition, as well as the book Runaway Climate. A dedicated community activist, he spearheads local engagement with climate change solutions including low-carbon transportation initiatives, heating systems, and land stewardship. Steven and his family live in a nearly net-zero house on a small sustainable farm on Gabriola Island, BC.
Fay Weller is a community organizer, writer and researcher with a PhD focused on social transformation. Fay co-initiated Gabriola Island’s C2C Threads, turning textile waste into repurposed products. She co-created a community investment co-op, an energy co-op, a community bus system, and a used vegetable oil into fuel and soap initiative. She worked in the Green Economy Secretariat, Cabinet Policy, and Community Partnerships within the BC government prior to moving to Gabriola Island. In 2018 she released Changemakers: embracing hope, taking action and transforming the world. She and her partner Bob live on their Gabriola Island, BC farm, along with numerous chickens.