^{Regional UN logo, designed by W̱SÁNEĆ/Coast Salish emerging artist Sarah Jim}

 

This year launches the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals. Only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity. The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

The University of Victoria’s’ Restoration of Natural System (RNS) Program is leading a collaborative effort in the capital region to mark the Decade. As a first step the program has commissioned the regional UN logo, designed by W̱SÁNEĆ/Coast Salish emerging artist Sarah Jim.

Our local region has a long history of restoration and stewardship, and we are using this opportunity to both celebrate our achievements and re-commit to helping heal the nature that surrounds us. To get involved, email UVic's Restoration of Natural Systems Program for more information.

About the logo from the artist, Sarah Jim:

"Salmon and cedar are significant contributors to the health and culture of Coastal BC. They are medicinal and sacred to many Indigenous nations here on the coast. They have shaped worldview, beliefs, and ideologies with their abundant and generous presence. Salmon are a keystone species for the ecosystem as they are a major resource in the food web. Cedar is strong and rot resistant making it utilitarian. The intention of representing these two entities together symbolizes the interconnected of all things; the land and sea, plants and animals, the natural world and the sacred."

• Posted February 23, 2021