The landscape I write about is the Shuswap-Thompson in the southern interior of British Columbia. It's the landscape of The Cure for Death by Lightning, A Recipe for Bees and Turtle Valley. It is, as a friend from Toronto called it, "Paradise."

But that paradise is under threat, and is quickly disappearing. The area has undergone huge development in the last five years, and we are facing the kind of urban sprawl that ate the lower mainland in BC.

Many residents are fighting back, however, working together to get our leaders to stop, to think, and to give our residents the right to decide what kind of community, what kind of environment we want our children and grandchildren to live in. There are many small and not so small battles in this war. Outraged citizens stopped one development at the mouth of the world famous Adam's River, one that threatened the incredible Sockeye run. Now, it appears, that land may be turned into parkland. How'd they do it? They sent letters and emails to mayor and council and to the regional district. They contacted the media. They went to the rallies. Many went so far as to post signs at the end of their driveways. However they chose to do it, they let their voice be heard. Speaking out works.

Another big development near Salmon Arm is threatening not only the downtown core, but the lake's flood plain and the Salmon River and all the work the community has done to bring salmon back to this river in a project that is held up nationally as a rare success story. Second reading on that proposed development application is coming up this summer. I've added my voice to all those opposed to this development. Please add yours. Go to http://www.casssa.ca/ and send off the letter to council. To find out more about these issues, go to: http://www.seas.ca/ . To join the discussion on this issue, go to: chapters.indigo.ca

If you're not a resident of the Shuswap, please add your voice anyway. Among everything else it has to offer, the Shuswap is salmon country, where salmon come to spawn. Salmon born here make their way back to the Pacific Ocean to help sustain an ecosystem and us as well. So this region doesn't just belong to those who live here, but to the whole province and to the world. Our local leaders need to know that they are being watched by the whole country and indeed the world.

For images of this region, go to http://www.mitchkrupp.com/.