2022 Community Stewardship Award - Recipients

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Sustaining the Islands – Community Stewardship Awards Program 
 
 
 
2022 Recipient Profile 
 
Ruth Waldick 
 Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area 
 
Category: Individual  
 
Project:  Building Lake Maxwell's Watershed Resiliency and Forest Fire Resistance 
 
Nominator(s):  Bryan Young, Chair, Transition Salt Spring  
 
Project Description: Dr. Ruth Waldick is a champion for and key organizer of a collaborative 
climate action project to build Lake Maxwell’s watershed’s resiliency and forest fire 
resistance by protecting forest health. Ruth has brought together diverse organizations to 
develop and initiate this flagship climate adaption project to protect and restore Coastal 
Douglas-fir ecosystems on Salt Spring. With her leadership, the joint project has attracted 
world-class researchers and scientists, many of whom are donating their time, and has 
received federal government funding, as well as a donation from a private donor.  
 
Guided by Dr. Waldick, project field work began in December 2021 with fieldwork teams 
developing techniques and templates that will be applied to other areas on Salt Spring 
Island in 2022-2023. Ruth has also developed a larger knowledge-transfer strategy that will 
share the results of the selected ecosystem interventions with target audiences that include 
professionals from conservation groups, local government, First Nations, and large private 
and public landowners/managers from across the region.  
 
This project supports implementation of the 2021 Transition Salt Spring Climate Action Plan 
2.0. Ruth was a key volunteer for the development of the Climate Action Plan 2.0, and also 
served as lead author of the plan’s forests chapter, which lays out a science-based action 
plan for building climate resilience in forest ecosystems. The project to build Lake Maxwell's 
watershed resiliency and forest fire resistance will provide a technical roadmap for island 
communities on how to effectively protect and restore forests across the Coastal Douglas-fir 
zone, and protect against the impacts of climate change.
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1
 Information based on nominee’s submission to 2022 Islands Trust Community Stewardship 
Award Program.  

Sustaining the Islands – Community Stewardship Awards Program 
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
1
 Information based on nominee’s submission to 2022 Islands Trust Community Stewardship Award 
Program.  
2022 Recipient Profile
Chris Straw
Gabriola Island Local Trust Area
Category: Other: Posthumous Award
Project: Advocacy Against Freighter Anchorages in the Salish Sea
Nominator(s): Debbie Cook
Project Description: Chris Straw is nominated posthumously for his impactful leadership in 
advocating against freighter anchorages in the Southern Gulf Islands.
From 2016, until his passing in 2021, Chris was passionate about helping community 
members advocate to resist the establis

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