Island Insider

Canada's National Observer is a proud participant of the Local Journalism Initiative, which supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.

Rochelle Baker will be covering Quadra and Cortes Islands in British Columbia.

556 Articles

The key to fighting future pandemics? Old-growth forests, says mushroom guru Paul Stamets

“I think that British Columbia could go down in medical history as being a reservoir for having fungi in the old-growth forests that could prevent pandemics — now and in the future,” says mycologist Paul Stamets.

Rochelle Baker

November 25th 2020

Marmots make a comeback

Vancouver Island marmots may just be the antidote required for the dystopian times we are living in.

State Of The Animal

Rochelle Baker

November 23rd 2020

What you should know about microplastics in shellfish

When it comes to shellfish, concerns around the consumption of microplastics are a good news, bad news story.

Rochelle Baker

November 19th 2020

Thundersnow and windstorm hit West Coast

Damaging winds toppled power lines and trees, leaving thousands of residents in B.C. in the dark after an intense fall storm tracked through Tuesday.

Rochelle Baker

November 17th 2020

Indigenous archeologist unearthing her ancestors' legacy on the land

Archeologist Christine Roberts, a member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation on Vancouver Island, says her work gives her a profound sense of belonging and a tie to the land she works on.

Rochelle Baker

November 13th 2020

Seniors' advocates want national standards for care as COVID-19 surges

As COVID-19's death toll mounts again, seniors' advocates want national standards for long-term care homes and funding tied to meeting new benchmarks.

Rochelle Baker

November 10th 2020

Relatives and advocates worry COVID-19 second wave will shut the door on visits

The guidelines for long-term care facilities vary from province to province, said Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of national seniors' advocacy group CanAge, but the anguish families and residents are experiencing due to visitor restrictions is nationwide.

Rochelle Baker

November 9th 2020

Digging into the ancient clam gardens that fed coastal First Nations for millennia

First Nations cultivated clam gardens for millennia along the Pacific coast, modifying coastal beaches to create optimal habitat for the mollusks, boost production and feed their people, according to researchers.

Rochelle Baker

November 5th 2020

Island community plans to buy, preserve forest for local children

Katie Wheeler, 17, is a youth mentor for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society, a charity formed in the hopes of buying 640 acres of forest from timber companies for future generations.

Rochelle Baker

November 4th 2020

Streamkeepers use motion-sensor camera to capture conservation data

Volunteer streamkeepers on B.C.'s Quadra Island can monitor returning salmon from the comfort of their kitchen table with the help of a high-tech surveillance system.

Rochelle Baker

November 2nd 2020

Meet the streamkeepers protecting Canada's wild salmon

B.C.'s Quadra Island Salmon Enhancement Society runs a salmon eco-centre, monitors fish populations and conducts watershed enhancement activities on five of Quadra’s most productive spawning streams.

Rochelle Baker

October 30th 2020

Oyster farmers getting battered by COVID-19

The situation for shellfish growers isn’t likely to get better before it gets worse, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shutter restaurants, closing off a key market.

Rochelle Baker

October 28th 2020

Community forest dividends go beyond logging profits

Community forests are a means to keep benefits and decisions around local resources in local hands, said Susan Mulkey, communication manager for the British Columbia Community Forest Association (BCCFA).

Rochelle Baker

October 26th 2020

Newt X-ing ahead

The people behind the Newt X-ing Action Project make it their mission to remind motorists and cyclists to look out for critters on the roads during newt crossing season on B.C.'s Cortes Island.

Rochelle Baker

October 23rd 2020

Vancouver Island pink salmon a bright spot in B.C. conservation efforts

Despite a generally good outlook for pink salmon along east Vancouver Island, runs along the Quinsam River can be wildly inconsistent, according to Ed Walls, watershed enhancement manager at Quinsam River Hatchery.

Rochelle Baker

October 22nd 2020