Rochelle Baker
Journalist | Quadra Island |
English
About Rochelle Baker
Rochelle Baker is the Quadra and Cortes Islands reporter for Canada's National Observer, thanks to a grant from the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada. Rochelle has worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer in BC's Lower Mainland for over 10 years.
Protecting B.C.'s at-risk species
Long-standing legal gaps at the federal and provincial level are aggravating threats of extinction in B.C., a report commissioned by conservation groups suggests.
Are at-risk fin whales in hot water from LNG and climate change?
Researchers are alarmed fin whales’ threatened status may be downgraded at the same time increased dangers from LNG shipping are on the horizon.
A deeper dive into the marine protected network plan on Canada’s West Coast
The lack of detailed protection measures for a network of marine protected areas in B.C. means the ambitious project to conserve vital ocean ecosystems risks becoming a string of “paper parks,” environmental groups say.
Rewilding a school wetland is a lesson in climate resilience
“I can’t think of anything more hopeful than getting involved in rewilding and restoration projects," says teacher Sheldon Etheridge on Quadra Island's school wetland project, which will be an outdoor classroom and mitigate climate change in the community.
North Island MP calls on feds to increase funding transfers for health care
But experts question if money will be enough to fix the health crisis in B.C. or anywhere else given the unending impasse over transfer funds between Ottawa and the provinces.
‘Absolutely gutting’: Mourning the death of Spike the humpback whale
People should grieve the death of humpbacks as individuals because it helps us comprehend how human actions impact whales as representatives of the ecosystem, a B.C. researcher says.
First Nations worry feds are flip-flopping on B.C. fish farms transition
First Nations fighting to get salmon farms out of the ocean are dismayed in the wake of federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray’s recent engagement tour on a plan to transition open-net pen operations in B.C.
‘It’s a broken system that needs fixing,’ say emergency responders about B.C.’s rural paramedic shortages
On 11 days during the summer and early fall, Quadra Island had no local paramedics available for emergency medical calls, data from the emergency responders’ union shows.
Researchers look to Canada’s oceans to sink planet-warming carbon
A new research initiative is working on a national assessment of the “blue carbon” storage capacity of Canada’s salt marshes, seagrass meadows and kelp forests to fight against climate change.
Canada’s not prepared to handle marine cargo spills, House committee finds
A parliamentary committee is recommending changes and has red-flagged response gaps by Ottawa as debris from the ZIM Kingston cargo spill in B.C. reportedly reaches as far north as Alaska.