It's Earth Day. Time to celebrate our planet, reflect on our overpopulation, degradation, ignorance...ok this is getting negative very quickly.

What we are doing to our planet can be overwhelming, defeating, enraging, sure. Maybe with a little positivity can come some promise. What are the good news stories? The tar ponds were once seen as the greatest environmental disaster in North America and they have now been remediated. People are talking sustainability in communities across the island and have done some great things on shoestring budgets.

We have a beautiful island at our fingertips that both residents and visitors can enjoy. Its discovery seems endless. I've written about certain places to visit in the past. Here are a few more special places in nature that I've sought out.

1. White Point

                                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_nmVWVq-ns

White point is breathtaking - plain and simple. It is located near Dingwall at the top of the island.The path out to White Point, like most places on the island, doesn't seem to provide an expectation of what you are in for, and likely never will. There is a tribute to those lost at sea and a grave site. Northern Cape Breton is know for numerous shipwrecks over the years, and being out at this location really demonstrates how treacherous the coast can be. This is also a great refuge for birds, and you should be able to pick the odd blueberry on your way out.

2. Main-à-Dieu Beach

Photo Credit: Cape Breton Lobster

Main-à-Dieu is my favourite fishing village on the island, located on the eastern shore between Glace Bay and Louisbourg. I fell in love with the place when I arrived here and even looked at options for living there at the time. The beach demonstrates the ambition and forethought of the community, one that is outgoing and very proud, and it complements local initiatives like the Coastal Discovery Centre located a stones throw away. There are boardwalks that make this one of the most accessible places to visit on the island, and the beach is one of the best. The boardwalks also help to protect sensitive beach vegetation. I think a part of my heart is still there.

5. Gooseberry Cove and Wild Cove

                                                                             Photo Credit: Canadian Geographic

I have fond memories of Gooseberry Cove and Wild Cove, walking dogs across the rugged an unforgiving coastline. They can be found on the eastern shore near the quaint village of Little Lorraine that never seems to get the attention it deserves. The views are breathtaking and the experience of isolation is very reflective. It is such a dynamic coastline and it takes a pinch to convince yourself it is real. For me it is a place where I can visit the past and leave it there.

3. Morrison's Beach

Morrison's Beach is always on my list because it is one of the most extensive beach areas on the island and people don't ever seem to know about it. Found down Pig Point Rd. near Framboise, it can be treacherous navigating huge puddles by car to get there, but once you are there the sand is grand and it is truly a place of discovery. It is also one of the cleanest beaches, with very little litter or fishing gear waste. Walk for hours and feel you can still enjoy a pristine setting away from all of the hustle and bustle of life.

4. Johnson Lake

                                                                                                                                                                      Photo Credit: Leah Noble

Johnson Lake is at exit 3 of the 125 and wouldn't necessary strike you as a great nature experience. At first you have to travel down a gravel road until you get to some decommissioned roads and paths that will take you to George's River. Although the lake is quaint, it can be an unspectacular experience walking along the highway and witnessing illegal dumping that seems rampant in many of these tucked away places. But once you get beyond the initial stretch the forest seems to swallow you up. There is a beautiful mix of trees, geology and nature that I really cherish, and I could get lost in there for the day if the day allows.

5. Ball's Creek

Photo Credit: Tom MacDonald

To many Ball's Creek is an exit from the 125 between Sydney and North Sydney. But it takes getting out of your car and into a kayak to truly see what is there. I've seen seals, families of mergansers, majestic bald eagles and nature thriving in a small area that is cut off from our busy world. Paddling up this creek has been a very relaxing experience for me, and it is amazing how far you can go once you get beyond the three bridges that cross it.

Having these types of experiences help me to realize that we aren't powerless to reverse what damage we have done, and we can coexist in a world that continues to put pressure on the environment through cumulative effects based on our efforts to improve our lives and demonstrate our own success in the world. I think Cape Breton, with our rich environment, could be a leader in demonstrating how this is done. It is, perhaps, our biggest underexploited resource after all.

Happy Earth Day, and don't forget about the blue marble we live on the other 364 days of the year.

Chris Bellemore is a blogger from Ontario that moved to Cape Breton Island and is logging his experiences in this strange and wonderful place. He's trying to make friends and understand enemies as he stumbles through life.

Me:
https://www.facebook.com/chris.bellemore

Abandoned Places and Untold Stories of Cape Breton
https://www.facebook.com/groups/518156224947471/915613581868398/?notif_t=like

My music:
https://soundcloud.com/crispbellemono