PCAP (Personal Climate Action Plans)
Trees and the Urban Forest – March 2022
March is one of the most important months of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, daylight savings time begins on March 14th and the Vernal Equinox on March 20th extending the hours of sunlight. In turn, winter frosts melt and the ground becomes fertile for harvest. Soil moisture is high and cooler conditions prevent seedlings from drying out. This makes it the perfect month to begin farming once more and to plant trees in Nanaimo’s urban forest.
As an essential part of a livable and economically-sound community, urban forests are now considered a component of “green infrastructure” The City of Nanaimo is currently auditing its urban forest with the view to protecting it and seeing it grow.
Click here to learn more about the beneficial contributions trees make to the environment, our health and the economy my article on the web site provides further information and resources.
Please note Members and Friends have been invited to an interpretive tour of the Nanaimo Area Land Trust’s Parnessian Woods property south of Nanaimo at 3145 Frost Road on Saturday, March 12th. Plan on arriving between 9:45 – 10:00 AM. Driving instructions can be found here.
If you plan on attending the Tour, please email suzandre@telus.net and provide the number of persons in your group. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, and bring drinking water.
Reduce Household Waste and Energy – Jan-Feb 2022
It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, and here’s one the Environmental Justice Committee would like us all to make: reduce your household waste as part of your personal climate action plan.
The best gift for the planet would be to cut back on our individual consumption, and only buy what we truly need, not want. That’s difficult in a society that constantly urges us to buy more. So how do we do that?
You can find my January article here and my February article here.
Make reducing your waste a New Year’s resolution along with reducing your waist!
Kathryn Hazel, Environmental Justice Committee
Buy Local – Nov-Dec 2021
We have compiled a directory of Seasonal Craft Fairs, Markets and Local Artist and Businesses to help you with Shopping Local.
If you and your friends and family exchange gifts at this time of year here are some ideas to share:
You could ask them for a voucher for a local business that might be struggling. Bookshops, restaurants, salons, cinemas, craft stores, art venues, whatever you’re into. Help them still be here next year.
The big box stores and the restaurant chains will survive. Take your money to people who truly need it to survive.
Shop small, shop independent, shop local and help the environment too.
Eating Green – Sept-Oct, 2021
The fall season is a great time for eating. The fall harvest is in full swing, Thanksgiving dinner beckons, and Halloween candy will soon be prevalent in the stores. Bev Lock is our champion for “eating green” and has written an excellent article which can viewed here. If you are interested in learning more about sustainable food, she’d love to start a group where we can share knowledge and support each other. We can change our eating habits, encourage better agricultural practices and help make the world a little greener in the process.
Go By Bike Week – April-June, 2021
For anyone who gets out on a bicycle, either electric, tricycle or regular, you can register at https://gobybikebc.ca/. Then log any ride you do under the group FUFON. Each entry gets you a ticket and a draw will be held for all the tickets in early May, after Go By Bike week is done. So far, we have, at least, a $20 gift certificate for Delicados as a prize.