The Garden City Conservation Society has a new president — Sharon MacGougan. That may make it easier for the City of Richmond to join with the community in conserving the Garden City, the ecosystem of Richmond.
I’ve come to appreciate Sharon as a colleague, especially in her role as vice president for the past two years, so let me introduce you.
A lifelong Richmond resident, Sharon takes special interest in trees and their various benefits. For instance, their branches are home to songbirds, and their root systems are typically teaming with life. Sharon is always sharing insights on topics like that on Facebook.
Thanks to trees, Richmond’s neighbourhoods have been vibrant natural networks, but moonscaping by developers keeps wiping them out. The city has an impressive ecological network management strategy. The issue is turning that strategy into a reality. I have no doubt Sharon will work with city staff and citizens to make that happen.
In other words, Sharon bucks the trend in order to help the Garden City ecosystem to survive and thrive — to help restore the natural value that’s being wasted. That’s what I’ve seen in action.
Unlike the previous president, me, Sharon is petite and soft-spoken. At the same time, she is an expert in White Crane Kung Fu, which she has taught for many years.
Of course, conservationists value diversity, and Sharon embodies diversity. For instance, she’s a retired band teacher who wrote manuals for music teachers, and her fiction writing includes a novel, The Mayan Mysteries.
That title and Sharon’s attire in the photo hint at her immersion in Mexico, where she has visited many Mayan sacred sites, become an Aztec dancer, and grown in her lifelong gratitude for the natural world.
Sharon has ongoing involvement with Amnesty International, with a focus on indigenous issues. She is a former chair of Amnesty International Canada. And she has remained a habitually happy person.
As the new Garden City Conservation president, Sharon leads a close-knit group of capable directors. Along with thousands of supporters gained throughout the past nine years, we happily give our best efforts to the Garden City community.
Often, the community puts the city in a position to succeed, as with the Garden City Lands. These days, a great need is to succeed together in turning the tide for the Garden City ecosystem, along with respect for the legacy name “Garden City.”
Sharon MacGougan will lead well, and together we will succeed.
Until the annual general meeting last Thursday, Jim Wright was president of the Garden City Conservation Society. He is still a director.
