Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Grieving the loss or change of a cherished natural space has not always been recognized as a true form of grieving. For example, the grief First Nations Peoples in USA and Canada experienced after losing their way of life in the wake of colonization, was generally not recognized as ecological grief. Wildfires and summers filled with smoke, devastating floods and subtle changes in the seasons seems to be the new normal and following recent IPCC reports, ecological grief is now starting to become recognized as a legitimate form of mourning and anxiety. But like all forms of grief, ecological grief is personal, unique and often does not follow a logical pattern. The speakers will argue that recognizing and working with ecological grief is an experience familiar to many, but is only now beginning to be understood. How to connect the dots is a work in progress with a multitude of nuances. Grieving a loss of natural space or build environment may or may not be similar to other forms of personal loss. Speakers