I have a passion for the community in which I live and the beauty and fragility of the Okanagan Valley where I was born and raised. Also, because the Okanagan Valley is a semi-arid environment, I feel strongly that the protection of our water systems needs to be an imperative. Not only are the large lakes (Okanagan, Wood, and Kalamalka) vulnerable, but also are the out of the way water edges, ponds, and streams. I know that protection and preservation of our waters is not only a concern for the Okanagan but is a universal subject that people are becoming more aware of. Water has deep spiritual meaning for me in that it makes up the basis of all life and connects all life on earth through its life-giving powers.