Urbanization             For urbanization, I looked at the article Limiting urban sprawl requires establishing clear targets and limits to expansion, new Concordia study proposes.  The article argues that greenbelts alone are not enough and that cities also need clear growth limits and policies.  That really connected with my own experience living in the Greater Toronto Area, where I watched massive farms turn into housing developments in less than a year.  It also aligns with what we learned about urban environmental history: urban growth is not just a housing issue, but a process that changes land, ecosystems, and the relationships between…

The following two brief posts connect contemporary media stories to Unit 3 themes-conservation, parks, and urbanization-showing how early twentieth‑century debates over resource use and preservation continue to shape present conflicts and policy choices. Media Item #1: Surrey students collaborate with First Nation in garden project A recent local story shows how Indigenous knowledge is being woven into contemporary conservation practice in Surrey Schools. A Peace Arch News report describes Surrey students partnering with the Katzie First Nation to establish a school garden that plants Indigenous species and integrates traditional teachings, creating a hands‑on place‑based lesson in stewardship for young people….

Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present Dr. Norman Fennema HIST 3991: Environmental History Kaia Golab Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026 Media Item #1 Urbanization and Land-use conflict Pitt Meadows is facing modern urban pressure in a way that feels like a direct continuation of historical patterns: settler expansion, infrastructure growth, and decisions about which lands are “available” for housing. In 2025, the Province set a housing target for Pitt Meadows, which the City has discussed as a major planning issue.¹ This connects to Unit 3 themes about urbanization. Because growth in areas like Pitt Meadows demonstrates that urban expansion is influenced…

Post 1 — Conservation Media item: Parks Canada will share stewardship with Indigenous nations — National Observer (Aug 2025) Link: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/08/12/news/parks-canada-indigenous-partnership This article connects directly to Unit 3’s conservation debates, especially the difference between “conservation for use” versus deeper ethical and political questions about who controls land. Earlier conservation thinking often focused on scientific management and continued resource use, while more recent approaches recognize Indigenous stewardship and shared governance as central to protecting ecosystems. The piece also challenges the old idea that conservation is “neutral,” showing that conservation decisions are always tied to power, history, and reconciliation. What I took from Unit 3 is that…

Dr. Norman Fennema HIST 3991: Environmental History Clay Roper-Daniels Feb. 22, 2026   Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present https://www.radionl.com/2025/12/16/massive-conservation-deal-secures-45000-hectares-of-forest-in-b-c-interior/ This article caught my attention because of the sheer size of conservation effort that has been made. It explains that 45,000 hectares of forests in southeastern British Columbia has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada alongside other partners. This connects to the conservation movement of Unit 3 because of the growing concern of resource depletion by industrial forestry. Previous conservationists like Gifford Pinchot had a philosophy that forests should scientifically managed for human benefit, rather than being fully…