Name: Emmanuel Oluebube Emmanuel

Student: T00681580

Title: Local Environmental History

The city of Vancouver, British Columbia, offers a rich environmental history shaped by its coastal geography and diverse ecosystems. Before European settlement, the land was inhabited by the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, who sustainably managed the region’s resources through fishing, hunting, and foraging. Their traditional ecological knowledge allowed for practices like clam gardening and selective harvesting, which maintained ecological balance (Turner, 2005).

European settlers arrived in the 19th century, leading to rapid urban development and resource extraction. Logging was the primary industry, drastically altering the dense coastal rainforests (Steinberg, 2018). The construction of railways and ports facilitated economic growth but also introduced invasive species like English ivy and Himalayan blackberry, which disrupted native ecosystems (Crosby, 1988).

In recent decades, Vancouver has prioritized environmental stewardship. The development of green spaces such as Stanley Park and initiatives like the Greenest City Action Plan aim to reduce carbon emissions and restore habitats (City of Vancouver, 2024). Community gardens, urban forestry programs, and stormwater management systems demonstrate ongoing efforts to balance urban development with environmental sustainability.

City of Vancouver. (2024). Greenest City Action Plan. Retrieved from https://vancouver.ca

Crosby, A. W. (1988). Ecological Imperialism: The Overseas Migration of Western Europeans as a Biological Phenomenon. In D. Worster (Ed.), The Ends of the Earth: Perspectives on Modern Environmental History (pp. 103–117). Cambridge University Press.