All posts by Manda Aufochs Gillespie

Manda Aufochs Gillespie is a writer. She’s the author of the Green Mama series of books (https://thegreenmama.com/books/) and the publisher of the award-winning website thegreenmama.com. She is also a mother, neighbour, and founder of Folk University (folku.ca) on Cortes Island.
Environment

Nature Is Good For You

Feeling stressed, worried or just fed up with the gloomy news? It may feel intuitive, but being in nature is good for you. FOCI, Folk U, and CKTZ have joined forces to create our very own ‘Nature is Good for You’ series to inspire you to get out, connect with nature and refresh mind, body and soul! This series will air live on the Friday Folk U Talk Show from 1 to 3 p.m. at CKTZ 89.5 FM and cortesradio.ca in May and will also be available as podcasts at cortescurrents.ca and friendsofcortes.org.

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Animals

Mike Moore Talks About The Waters Around Cortes Island

Originally posted on Cortes Radio.ca

Mike Moore obviously has an intense passion for the ocean and for the waters around Cortes Island in particular. He has been working on the water or under it for more than 40 years, as a commercial halibut, crab and prawn fisherman, as a diver harvesting sea cucumbers, sea urchins, scallops and the giant pacific octopus, as a Navigation Officer with the Canadian Coast Guard for 11 years and finally, along with Samantha Statton, he was owner/ operator of Misty Isles Adventures, Cortes Island’s kayaking and passenger schooner tourism business, which was the vessel by which many tourists and locals got to appreciate Cortes as an island, seen from the water.

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Health

Advice From A Dutch Doctor

Dr. Erik Hockheimer was a general practitioner in the Netherlands before giving up his practice to work with Doctors Without Borders which he did in many countries throughout the world and continues to support an advisor. As a GP he was very involved in the HIV epidemic and that led him to co-author and edit a book on viruses called Virology, published in 1991. While with Doctors Without Borders he continued to work with tropical diseases, HIV, Hepatitis B, and Ebola. He’s retired now but still consults with a number of NGOs particularly around helping refugees. 

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Gardening

Building Soil Fertility

April 10th: Building soil fertility with local resources: Biochar, Compost, & More with permaculture enthusiast and owner of New Branch Permaculture: Whitney Vanderleest

Whitney is a permaculture enthusiast who has a passion for all things compost.  Her Business New Branch Permaculture focuses on building fertility with local resources through the production of Biochar & Vermi-compost.  Her goal is to help Cortes become a more sustainable community, by reducing waste, and growing food forests.

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