Family Environmental History
December 14, 2025 By: Chelsea Brown
For Exercise #2: Family Environmental History
This essay examines my family’s environmental history through the experiences of my Nana, my grandfather, my mother, and myself. It explores how land, resources, labour, and values have shaped our relationship with the environment over time. My family’s story reflects changing environmental conditions, increasing regulations, and evolving ideas about land use and sustainability across generations.
My Nana’s family history begins in Europe. Her father was Scottish, and her mother was English; both immigrated to Canada at a young age. They moved to Chilliwack, where they lived on a small farm. From a young age, my Nana grew up close to the land and animals because her parents raised chickens and sold eggs. They relied on small farms for food and money. At that time, during the 1930s-40s, the community and families depended on natural resources for daily needs. From a young age, Nana learned that survival, work, and the environment were connected.
After my Nana met my grandfather at a friend’s barbecue, Nana married and moved to a farm in Surrey, B.C. My mother was born in Mission, B.C., but grew up on a farm in Surrey until she was ten years old. The family owned 2.5 acres of land with a barn, horses, cows, chickens, dogs, and cats. Like Nana, my mother was raised in an environment where daily life revolved around the land. However, environmental conditions during my grandparents’ time were often unsafe and poorly regulated. My grandfather operated a business in Surrey that applied insecticides, including DDT, to leather jackets to control insects, and he was also exposed to chemicals through lawn-spraying. At the time, the dangers of these substances were not fully understood, and government regulations were limited. Although DDT was eventually banned due to its harmful effects on human health and ecosystems, the damage had already been done. My grandfather passed away at the age of 64, highlighting how earlier systems often prioritized economic progress over environmental and human safety.
When my mother was ten, her parents sold the farm and moved near Kawkawa Lake, just outside Hope, B.C. Kawkawa Lake is a freshwater lake with an Indigenous name, reflecting that Indigenous peoples had lived in relationship with this land long before European settlers arrived. Although settlers significantly altered the landscape, life in this area remained closely tied to nature through farming, gardening, and fishing. My Nana maintained a large flower and vegetable garden that looked like something out of a magazine. She also raised pigs and chickens and sold eggs from her hens. Her lifestyle demonstrated a balanced approach, consistent with her upbringing.
As my mother grew older, she moved to Vancouver to experience urban life and earn enough money to purchase her first home. Despite living in an urban environment, land remained important to her. Through hard work, she bought her first property in Hope at age 25, and today she owns three properties. She instilled in me environmental values from a young age by teaching everyday practices such as recycling, composting, thrift shopping, and buying second-hand items. I can remember the hours my siblings and I spent hanging out at the garasales my mother hosted every other weekend at her friend’s large yard. Like her, I also resell items, but I use a different platform, Facebook Marketplace. She also planted many trees and plants in our backyard when I was growing up, continuing a tradition from her own mother.
My generation’s connection to the environment looks different from that of my grandparents and parents, who endured hardships I cannot fully understand, including reliance on livestock and home-grown vegetables for survival. Historically, land ownership was more accessible; today, heightened environmental awareness and fewer opportunities to acquire large properties have reduced access to land ownership. Although I love the idea of having a small farm, I have adapted to the notion that “less is more.” I do not need a large house or acreage to feel connected to the land. I moved from the small town of Chilliwack to Vancouver, where I now live in an apartment near the water and mountains. Even in the city, I maintain a strong connection to nature through biking, hiking, overnight trips, and caring for my houseplants, including a small porch garden where I grow flowers and herbs.
Overall, my family’s environmental story reflects a shift from direct reliance on the land to a greater emphasis on sustainability. Each generation has affected the environment in different ways, but values such as respect for the land, resilience, and care for nature remain constant. These lessons will help me relate to the environment in the future with thoughtfulness, responsibility, and gratitude for both nature and those who came before me.