Local Seniors for Climate chapter to host art show
By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
The Robson Valley chapter of Seniors for Climate, a nationwide advocacy body for seniors concerned about climate change, is gearing up for Earth Week with a host of activities – including an art show at the Valley Museum and Archives, followed by a showing at the Valemount Library. The group is inviting locals of all ages to submit art in any medium related to climate change, endangered species, or nature.
The chapter has been gathering on roughly a monthly basis since last fall, and has enjoyed the participation of a dedicated, diverse group of residents, Seniors for Climate organizer Nancy Taylor told The Goat.
With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, the group thought it would be a good opportunity to educate locals about climate change and the environment, Taylor said. They settled on a week-long art show in McBride and Valemount as a way to include people of all ages in the activity, and because it’s a positive way to get involved in climate change advocacy, she said.
“People can submit whatever they like: a forest, or an animal. It doesn’t have to be a forest fire or flood like mine was going to be,” Taylor laughed. “And we’re encouraging people to include a short statement on what they’ve chosen to submit.”
Members of the group have circulated the callout for art to local schools, and school principals have been enthusiastic about the project, according to Taylor. Those interested can drop off their submissions at the Valley Museum and Archives in McBride, or at Infinity in Valemount, by April 11th.
The art show will open at the Valley Museum and Archives in McBride on April 22nd and then at the Valemount Museum on April 29th, though the group has not yet set an exact time for these openings. The openings will take place alongside a screening of “Later is Too Late,” a documentary about Seniors for Climate chapters across the country which features interviews from two members of the Robson Valley chapter, according to Taylor.
Aside from the art show, Taylor also looks forward to an “Elder/Youngster Nature Walk,” to be held at the Dunster Schoolhouse on Saturday, April 26th. Led by Laurel Berg-Khoo – who recently received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from UNBC – the guided walk will show participants how to recognize the effects of climate change on the plants and ecosystem around them.
This emphasis on intergenerational communication is at the heart of many Seniors for Climate initiatives, Taylor said.
“Our big priorities in this [are] two things: starting and having conversations about climate change, and number two is building community, getting together,” Taylor said. She added that communicating with younger people is especially important since seniors have witnessed firsthand the way climate change has affected the Robson Valley.
The extensive lineup of Earth Week activities is ambitious, Taylor said, but she’s optimistic that they will have a good reception. In any case, she says the Seniors for Climate group will continue meeting year-round and organizing similar events.
“I’ve been really inspired by the fact that each person has a skill or a strength,” Taylor added. We’ve lived big lives – when you’re in your 70s or 80s, you’ve done so much and have a lot to contribute.”
