Ecopaparazzi

Look Out! We take action and pictures to heal the Earth.

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand
  • Female
  • Grenoble
  • France
Share 

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand's Friends

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand's Groups

Pinch Pennies Save Planet

Loading feed

 

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand's Page

Latest Activity

Profile Information

What do you love most about Ma Earth?
I have to pick one thing? I can't. So much is amazing.
What environmental issue concerns you most?
Increasing the awareness and action of anyone and everyone.
Who is your Eco Hero/Heroine?
Anyone who wakes up and tries to live more sustainably, everyone who tries to help others to do this, too.
What actions are you taking to help heal the Earth?
I witness, I connect, I learn, I try, I communicate, I witness, I connect . . .

I garden organically, I live mostly locally, I dream, I read, I observe, I write and produce images and publish these when and where I can that will have a positive effect.
What's the best eco quote you've ever heard?
Reality wins.
What is your favorite green website?
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
What gives you the greatest hope for the future of the planet?
More and more every-day "normal" people, all over the planet, are becoming involved in the environmental movement.
What else would you like to tell us about yourself?
I am almost always super busy. I am a parent, a freelance writer, blogger, photographer, artist and dreamer. A Canadian currently living in France, I enjoy traveling, meeting interesting people, exchanging ideas, exploring different cultures . . .

Starting to upload the last few years to flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shastan/
What is your funniest eco moment?
Was also my most terrifying: I went to a "meet your Totem Animal" workshop, and met Carrot.
What is your blog address?
http://pinchpenniessaveplanet.org/
Green Fingers
spoken
Nymphs
Eyes of Nature
Layers of Meaning II
Wabi-sabi
NM7Z8811
Aurora borealis 3

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand's Blog

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand

Pinch Pennies, Save Planet: Fruit Tree Fun

Want your kid to eat more fruit? Want your kids a little more environmentally aware?

Make it more fun: Draw a tree on a piece of paper. Tack this up on a wall or door as a poster. Every time your kid eats a tree fruit with a sticker, have the kid put the sticker on the tree poster. Talk with your child about how we need more trees (they are the lungs of our world, and ensure that the temperature is right for us and that the air is breathable. Too many have been chopped down withou… Continue

Posted on January 22, 2009 at 4:52am —

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand

Pinch Pennies, Save Planet: New Blog

It is a New Year, a time many people make resolutions and try to keep them. I’m joining in: I’m starting this blog. It is a work in progress right now, and will smooth out and grow as I scale the learning cliff of blogging.

The global financial crises is forcing a lot of dramatic changes on many of us. I for one need to go back to a more frugal way of thinking and living. Yet I do not want to sacrifice my and my family’s future well-being for my short-term comfort.

I felt very torn aContinue

Posted on January 22, 2009 at 4:39am —

NaTasha Shastan Bertrand's Photos

Loading…

Comment Wall (10 comments)

You need to be a member of Ecopaparazzi to add comments!

Join this Ning Network

At 6:06pm on April 21, 2009, Jeanette McDermott said…
Hi NaTasha -
How can so much time have passed without me writing on your wall? It's been ages since I've chatted with you over here! My goodness, I've gotten so absorbed in Ursa Freedom Project and saving moon bears from wretched crush cages that I sometimes feel like I'm neglecting members over here at ecopaparazzi. But I wanted to drop in and say hi and Happy Earth Day and Arbor Day! Gonna plant a tree anywhere? Let me know if you blog about doing an Earth Day or Arbor Day activity with your daughter.
At 4:23pm on January 22, 2009, BethBot said…
Hello! Thanks for reading the blog and good luck getting yours up and running....I'd be happy to exchange links!
At 4:03pm on December 30, 2008, Jeanette McDermott said…
HAPPY NEW YEAR, NaTasha -- from the Costa Rican rainforest!

At 10:30pm on November 26, 2008, Ilyes said…
Bonjour,

Merci pour ton commentaire sur ma page Ecopaparazzi. Comme vous êtes probablement francophone, je préfère vous écrire en français.

Il me fait plaisir de faire la connaissance de gens engagés dans leurs communautés et préoccupés par les questions environnementales entre autres. Comme vous avez participé à un événement artistique mené par des jeunes à Ottawa, je suppose que vous supportez des initiatives favorisant l'épanouissement des jeunes. Je vous propose donc de vous inscrire sur TakingITGlobal.org qui est justement destiné aux jeunes et à ceux qui les supportent.

Voici mon profil sur TIG http://profiles.takingitglobal.org/committedman

Bonne continuation,
At 12:57pm on November 26, 2008, Ashley Zarbatany said…
Hey! No worries about the wait, I haven't been on here myself. I'm pretty busy with schoolwork and everything. This time of year always gets a bit busier than I wish it would be. Some people get stressed out about buying presents, but I don't like buying new stuff, so I stress over making presents, baking, etc. Plus, I might become my little brothers caregiver in the next couple months and have to move so I am not looking forward to packing, cleaning, moving, etc.
Well, it sounds like you have had a pretty busy month. Did you enjoy your trip back here? I guess there must be snow back east, so I can understand why you would not enjoy it. It is very pretty when you are hibernating like a bear with hot cocoa and a fireplace, but not when you are walking in it. Unless your boarding it... You need mountains for that though. lol
That is why I like it here in Van so much, we don't get snow except for a week at christmas, and it comes big and fluffy and looks pretty. Then it goes away. Temperatures are cold but never below 0, and if we want to go boarding, it's an hour drive to the mountains.
But sometimes I get nostalgic for eastern/northern weather- a real winter. I am just weird... Or perhaps I am unenlightened and have not trained myself how to be content with wherever I am at the moment I am there. It is a constant case of earning and the Dalia Lama would call me sick.
...
I get it from my mom, lol. She taught me about moving every couple years, back and forth, across the country... But it has made me a federalist so it's not all that bad.

Now I must admit, I know exactly what your talking about when it comes to the blame game that French people play. I know it well because my father is French. lol. I never really put a finger on the behavior until you pointed it out, but it is definitely there. Very real indeed. lol.

Now I am really curious. Is there a Quebec word that is misinterpreted in France by the butcher that made him blush, or was it something else. It reminds me of a video I saw the other day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zBPnIYavI&NR=1
It is so frigin funny. It explains a bit about what is happening here in Canada with the current government. Our country has never experienced the likes of a people standing up for itself, like the French did in their revolution. Unfortunately, Mr. Harper has no worries of Madam Guillotine as this country is full of passive people who are more afraid of the government than the other way around. They are subdued by the likes of Canwest... I have no doubts Harper is crossing that line that Sarzoky can't, but finding out what it is he is doing is very difficult and takes a lot of research since a lot of it is sheltered by the media from people.
It is interesting to hear about how the French are behaving under Sarkozy, especially in terms of today's situation. The country has done well to prepare itself for the recession. I am amazed that they have more population and more social programs than Canada, and yet have managed to not have a deficit. It is truly amazing. I would love to learn their lessons and apply it here.
As for Canadian languages, Mandarin and Cantonese are very well known in urban areas. I spent most of my life in rural Canada so when I came to the lower mainland I was really surprised by all the Chinese here. Even in Langley where I live, which is a strange little suburb city that has retained its rural atmosphere, despite all of the building, and has been an attraction for "white" people all over the lower mainland, there are still places here that have signs on certain stores printed in Asian languages that are obviously trying to attract an exclusive demographic of people. This despite Langley being the "whitest" place in the lower mainland. It is also a very conservative riding, and you don't want to go driving on our many roads (we are a car based city with big box stores everywhere) on a Friday night, lest you meet some of the young men who drive around in trucks with monster wheels and stickers of naked cowgirls on their bumpers, while they holler you down and throw bottles of whiskey at your car, lest you look at them the wrong way (or if you look different). Not all of Langley is like this, but I can swear to God that I have had this happen to my fiance and myself here.
I think it's all really dumb. From my experiences (which are not that many cause I am still young and dumb) I see a lot of segregation taking place everywhere. Up north it was like "cowboys and Indian" movies (politically incorrect I know). The cowboys would stick to their cliques and so would the natives. In fact, if you messed with one person, you usually had either a big family come after you "What did you call my cousin?", or a big rowdy of group of white people "What did you say to my friend?". They never really messed with eachother (so I guess it wasn't like the movies), but they did mess with those of us mutts who just didn't fit into either group. lol.
Then down here, it's basically the same thing except the groups are Indian, Chinese, Korean, white, etc. Everyone claims we are multicultural
but then everybody hates each other. There are of course many enlightened folks who get over these pitiful perspectives, but I haven't met enough of them and I hope to meet more in my lifetime. But yes, I should probably try to learn some Mandarin since I live in BC. lol. That might be a big step in overcoming this separateness that exists. (But I still want to learn French more than anything else... nostalgia for Montreal kicking in again).
Well, kudos to the French for saying no to GMO's. I hate eating corn now because I am pretty sure that it is almost impossible to get corn in Canada that is not GMO... Canola too.. and I don't use Soy anymore anyways because it destroys the rainforest's. I wish I could afford organic food, but I am a student (and student living is another story).
It is very smart of them to become food independent. Very very smart. I like that idea a lot.
As for the coffee. I went to Italy a few years ago, and when I got back I could not stand NA coffee either. Although the addiction overcame me eventually, unfortunately. I still prefer good Espresso though. I went to this Italian Gelato place the other day on 4th Ave in Vancouver, and it was amazing. The coffee was just like what I had at the convent I stayed in in Rome. Absolutely amazing. Nuns make good coffee, lol. Italian nuns that is.
I think that is really neat that you had a hobby farm before. I would love to do that but right now it looks like my path is directing me deeper and deeper into the city... If I could do it though, I would have a homestead/ hobby farm up on the sunshine coast. That would be living a dream
The way things are going right now economically, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people resorted to "victory" type gardens and living off the land a lot more. There is always an upside to "disasters".

Peace!
At 6:57am on October 26, 2008, Lucy Greer Burton said…
I love carrots too.
At 6:57am on October 26, 2008, Lucy Greer Burton said…
Lovers of Carrot are for sure people I want to meet.
At 5:35pm on October 23, 2008, Ashley Zarbatany said…
Wow! It sounds absolutely gorgeous there! A few years ago I went traveling by train through Switzerland to go from Germany to Italy and it was so beautiful! I love mountains. I suppose that is why I love BC too. Although I do like Ottawa a lot as well. I went there a couple years ago for a day trip from Montreal when I was visiting my aunt there and I really loved it. Parliament was so inspiring and lovely. The snow was something that called me as it is a relic of my childhood in northern Ont, BC, and Alt, so I loved being there in it. I also love how everyone seems to be bilingual there. I wish BC could be more inclined to learn our other language. As it stands, I am the only person from my fathers family who does not parle francais. Although I would like to change this at some point I think I would need to do what you are doing in order to learn it, which is immerse myself into it. (Hard to do in my province lol).
I am envious of your position there in France. It sounds so lovely.
That is so amazing that they are trying so hard, as a community, to live a more sustainable lifestyle there. That is wonderful. I wish that Canada would adopt local living lifestyles and better transit use. Especially where I am- it is way too car based here and all of our agriculture is depleting fast.
I am glad for them that they are making these needed changes and for you to be able to experience it.
It sounds too like a lot of fun to be in such a historical area! That is so cool that the people there have such strength and courage. Very inspirational. It really sounds like an enlightened community.
So what is it that Sarkozy is doing? I don't know much about the guy except that he has been trying to make a new trade deal (NAFTA supersized) with Canada and I am worried about what this might mean because it is all being done very secretly. Actually it is quite infuriating because during our election our media was so biased against Dion that they never asked Harper any real questions, including what this new trade deal entails. In fact they let him get away with saying that, due to the election campaign he was going to withhold information about what the deal entails. Like that makes any sense eh? Because we were undergoing a democratic election process, our PM wants to make sure the people don't know what he is proposing to do with our country with what may be the biggest trade deal of our history! Censorship anybody? lol, wow eh?
So that is all I know about Sarkozy, but I would love to learn more about what he is doing in France, especially if the people are upset.

So you are hopping back across the pond? How long have you been enjoying France?

oh yeah. I can totally relate to driving across country as a kid! I zigzagged back and forth from Ontario to BC as a kid so much. At the time I hated driving through the prairies and I loved the mountains and the forests of Ontario, but then I lived in Alberta for a few months and so I love the prairies too. I have never driven past Geraldton, Ontario but I have been up to the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec. I would love to go east and see the Maritimes someday. Otherwise, I can honestly say that I love all of the Canadian landscape that I have ever seen and I attribute my love for our landscape to these childhood road trips.
Well I better get going.
Take care!
At 11:28pm on October 22, 2008, Ashley Zarbatany said…
Hi Natasha,
I was looking over your profile and I thought that you sounded really interesting. What is it like to live in France? Where in Canada are you from?

Peace!
At 7:17am on October 21, 2008, Jeanette McDermott said…
Hi NaTasha and welcome to ecopaparazzi. I absolutely enjoyed reading your profile and think you have come to a new neighborhood that suits you well. I busted up about the funny eco moment. And your opening salvo, not being able to pick just one. I wish I had thought of that for my own personal page. It's so true. Earth is rich with such splendor how can we pick just one element? Keep us all posted when you get your website up. Make sure you update your page once you've got the URL. I, for one, will want to read what you have to say there. I'm so glad you are here and I welcome you heartily!
 
 

Eco photos show the beauty and destruction of Mother Earth. Pictures sound the alarm; wake us up; and motivate us toward activism.

Members

  • Rick
  • Lady Anna MacMillan
  • Tangkor Dong
  • Diana Oleskevich
  • maria teresa de carolis
  • Samantha Shaw
  • Madeleine Truax
  • abel saenz
  • Jinxie
  • jhudiel
  • Publio F De La Rosa
  • Jeanette Fourie
  • Octávio Lima
  • Angela Leary
  • Cal Desmond-Pearson

ECO KUDOS

The Indianapolis Prize is the largest individual monetary award for animal species conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree by the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation.

The award is not designed to be a quiet, academic, scientist-focused event, but instead an energetic and spectacular celebration of conservation victories. The goal is to inspire the general public to start caring about conservation, and to place heroes, who live in tents in danger of both wild beasts and poachers, on the pedestal that we usually reserve for sports and entertainment stars.

The recent East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress held in Manila, Philippines, concluded with the signing of the Agreement Recognizing the Legal Personality of Partnerships in the Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. This Agreement creates a fully-fledged international body to work for sustainable development of the region’s coastal and marine areas.

With both acknowledged and possible calamities as compelling and urgent
catalysts, Raincoast Conservation is advocating for British Columbia's first fully protected salmon runs. The move is an effort to save the grizzly bear species.

This bold and ambitious proposal runs contrary to the historical underpinnings of salmon management, as fisheries managers have always assumed that salmon exist exclusively for human consumption.

According to Raincoast, it is a matter of competition, and the odds are stacked against carnivores in these coastal salmon forests.

TAKE ACTION!

Become part of the Backyard Revolution and landscape for wildlife.

Replace your lawn with native shrubs, flowers and trees. Plant a butterfly garden, and put in a pond. You'll benefit from the beauty and tranquility of your yard, and wildlife will benefit from the food and water sources that you provide.

Need some guidance? Read the book Bringing Nature Home.

Half of all animal species will be extinct in our lifetime, unless emissions peak by 2020. Cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing your energy consumption, learning more about climate change and getting active in community efforts to heal the Earth. Become part of the solution.

Feed the hungry.
Save indigenous people.
Stand up for workers' rights.

Be kind to animals.
Stop factory farms.
Save 100 animals every year.

End deforestation for grazing.
Save an acre of trees.
End grazing on public lands.

Tell USDA 'Wildlife Services'
to stop killing wildlife for
corporate ranchers' profits.

Stop wars for resources.
Help end corporate rule.
Live your conscience.

Save our oceans.
Stop the #1 polluter of water.
Support a sustainable planet.

Think outside yourself.
Live compassionately.
Stop the violence.

Notes

Follow Us

Created by Jeanette McDermott Aug 23, 2009 at 12:25pm. Last updated by Jeanette McDermott Aug 23.

UFP Newsletter

Learn about the Ursa Freedom Project campaign to free 9,000 bears from bile farms.


Created by Jeanette McDermott Apr 20, 2009 at 1:17pm. Last updated by Jeanette McDermott Jun 15.

LEARN!

Within these eco portals are key people and organizations that are working to heal Mother Earth.

Organic Consumers Association

Smithsonian Zoogoer archives

Download the Educator's Guide to Biodiversity and engage in dialogue about teaching youth about our wondrous Mother Earth.

The IUCN Red List is a key conservation tool. Download the pdf to learn more.

"The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to prevent future extinctions," says Dr Jane Smart, Head of IUCN's Species Programme. "We now know what species are threatened, what the threats are and where we have no more excuses to watch from the sidelines." Learn more about bears on the IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species.

Click here to read informative articles each month.

Latest Activity

Siew Te Wong added a video
This is a very rare footage of a radio-collared sun bear building a tree nest in the wild. This is the first time this behavior was video in the wild. Some sun bears made tree nests like the orangutan. This interesting nest building behavior remains…
yesterday
yesterday
cesur added a video
on Tuesday
Sherry Robinson updated their profile
on Sunday
Dan Valdes added a discussion
There is no good that will come out of attacking the COP-15, the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, . The people behind this Conference will not hear your plea`s to save the Planet . Believe me i tryed for many years they will not change as…
on Sunday
on Saturday
sushil yadav added a discussion
The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues. The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds can…
December 4
This is loaded with great stuff! Thanks for tucking it into this nook.
December 4
December 4
Hey Hi Sherry! Thanks for sharing this. I remember running across this site months ago and never returned to it. It's a great resource and I"m so glad you forwarded it on to me. And thanks for putting the ecopaparazzi widget on your facebook site.
December 4
sushil yadav, Chris Genovali and denise wheeler joined Ecopaparazzi
December 4
Sherry Robinson added a discussion to the group Social Media
I found a super fantastic up to date social media resource : http://mashable.com/category/how-to-web/
December 4
Hi Jeanette, Did you stay in Canada after all? I hope you are keeping well! Here is the belated URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Midway-Journey/117981432917?ref=search&sid=677248627.1369319246..1 Today I found out how to add your Ecopaparazzi wi…
December 4
Sherry Robinson I have added the Ecopaparazzi widget to my Facebook profile!
December 4
December 4
This is a great model for all eco actions. One voice becomes two and then two become twenty and it keeps growing exponentially until millions of voices are heard. And it's that strength in numbers that makes the difference. But it all starts with on…
December 3
Rick was featured
December 3
December 3
Jeanette McDermott I'm promoting organizations that work to save the world's bears.
December 3
December 3
 

© 2009   Created by Jeanette McDermott on Ning.   Create a Ning Network!

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy  |  Terms of Service