This episode tells the story of Ruth Waldick, the Lead Scientist of the Climate Adaptation Research Lab (CARL) with Transition Salt Spring, a not-for-profit organization based on Salt Spring Island that is dedicated to climate action across Salt Spring Island and the Southern Gulf Islands through diverse initiatives. Ruth shares her experience of the 2021 heat dome, and other extreme heat events, as an ecologist and resident of a rural island in the Capital Regional District (CRD). She shares insight into the existing systems, such as the Emergency Pod Program, that the community has created due to their rural nature, and a perspective as an ecologist of what the impact of extreme heat events are on the unique environment of Salt Spring Island.

Soundscape credits

Background music: Insirish by Kjartan Abel. Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library to find free music for your next project. This work is licensed under the following: CC BY-SA 4.0.

Introduction fire sound: Fire_Forest_Inferno.aif by Dynamicell -- https://freesound.org/s/17548/ -- License: Attribution 3.0

Bio

Dr. Ruth Waldick is the Lead Scientist, at the Climate Adaptation Research Lab (CARL) at Transition Salt Spring. Ruth is an ecologist with over 25 years of experience in climate change, ecosystem management, and sustainable land-use planning, working at the interface of science and community to support informed, resilient decision-making capabilities. Ruth regularly facilitates collaboration with regional partners to undertake and support applied research, hands-on workshops, and developing nature-based adaptation solutions tailored to the Southern Gulf Islands. When she’s not working, Ruth can be found kayaking through the Broken Islands, pickling seasonal foods, and attending her chickens.