As part of World Water Day, the organizers of the Meadowlark Festival have announced that international water advocate Maude Barlow will be the keynote speaker for the 2011 Meadowlark Festival, to be held May 19-23. Water, its conservation and sustainable use, will be the theme of this year’s Festival.
Maude Barlow, who has served as Senior Advisor on Water to the United Nations General Assembly, will be launching the Meadowlark Festival with a special presentation entitled ‘The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water’ on Thursday evening, May 19.
“The world is running out of available freshwater as demand outstrips supply, threatening billions of humans and other species. Further, our collective pollution, abuse and displacement of water is a major factor in climate change.” states Ms. Barlow.
During her presentation Maude Barlow will share the scope and causes of the crisis, and pose a three part solution toward a water secure world. She and a panel of local experts will be available to answer any questions following the talk and meet and greet participants.
“Water is such a critical issue in the Okanagan Similkameen. We are really thrilled to have such an expert on both Canadian and international water resources kick off the festival” said Sally Kilburg, Chair of the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance, organizers of the Meadowlark Festival. “She promises to spark some real discussion about how we manage our water resources in the Okanagan, and energize efforts to keep our freshwaters for generations to come.”
Ms. Barlow, a Canadian living in Ottawa, has worked extensively in the international arena on issues of water conservation and use. She currently chairs the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch, is also an executive member of the San Francisco based International Forum on Globalization and a Councillor with the Hamburg-based World Future Council. She is the recipient of ten honorary doctorates as well as many awards, including the 2005 Right Livelihood Award (known as the “Alternative Nobel”), the Citation of Lifetime Achievement at the 2008 Canadian Environment Award, and the 2009 Earth Day Canada Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award. She is also the author or co-author of 16 books, including the international best seller Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and The Coming Battle for the Right to Water.
The theme for the 2011 Meadowlark Festival is ‘Water’, and this timely and vital topic will be highlighted throughout the tours and events. Each year the festival presents over 80 nature events and hands-on presentations, which include: guided walks and hikes; cycling tours and horseback riding; bird watching field trips; geology and history tours; indigenous cultural tours; many kids events; canoe trips; art exhibits and classes; night sky tours and astronomy talks; nature photography; green-building tours and much more!
In 2010, the Meadowlark Festival was once again voted the “Best Annual Community Event in the South Okanagan” by readers of Okanagan Life Magazine. Over the last 14 years it has evolved into one of Canada’s premier outdoor nature celebrations offering environmental tours and events held under the open sky, which take people from Canada’s unique desert to the alpine meadows high above Okanagan Lake. People from across North America and even Europe now come to enjoy the activities led by prominent naturalists, educators, artists, experienced guides and scientists.
Tickets for the 2011 Meadowlark Festival events, including the Maude Barlow presentation, go on sale on Saturday, April 9. Limited tickets for Maude Barlow’s presentation are only $10, with all proceeds going to the Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Alliance (OSCA). For further details and ticket information visit www.meadowlarkfestival.bc.ca
- Meadowlark Festival Press release