Children of all ages like music, and there’s no better time to cater to that likeness then during the holiday season. Local musician Glen Caradus recently released a CD with kids in mind!

Titled Song Gardens, the CD is not only geared towards kids, but local kids themselves play a starring role, singing along to the environmentally themed songs. Students from Nicola Jennings’ grade 5 class at King George Public School recorded the CD, Song Gardens, with 14 songs dedicated to nature and the outdoors.

Not only is this a locally produced CD featuring local children, it is also “green” CD as it was recorded using a solar-digital recording system powered completely by the sun in the Ecology Park itself.

Song Gardens features 14 songs dedicated to nature and the outdoors. The CD features songs such as “Frog Song”, “Lots of Bugs”, “ABC Ecology Park Song” and many more!

The CD sells for $20 with all proceeds going to the Ecology Park. CDs are available for purchase at the Peterborough Green-Up office, 378 Aylmer Street, the Toy Shop on Hunter St., Titles Books and Blue Streak Records on George St North. and the Canadian Canoe Museum. It makes an excellent and memorable gift!

In today’s world of e-mail communication, there’s nothing quite like opening the mailbox and finding a letter form a friend or loved one. However, more often then not, opening the mailbox reveals flyers, bills and leaflets and a wide assortment of other paper based material that was not asked for nor is appreciated by many. It doesn’t have to be this way, thanks to a little-known opt out program offered by Canada Post.

Simply by attaching a red dot sticker, or sign (”no ad mail” or “no junk mail”) on your mailbox, Canada Post will no longer deliver unaddressed advertisements. Those who receive their mail in community mailboxes, group mailboxes or post offices boxes, are asked to put the dot or sign on the inside of the mailbox door as the letter carrier won’t see the outside of the box when delivering mail.

You have to keep in mind that for the most part Canada Post doesn’t deliver flyers from the big box stores, that is generally taken care of by newspapers or other delivery agents. Unfortunately this program won’t work for flyers from those sources. For reducing flyers from those sources, your best bet is to get in touch with your flyer distribution company.

Canada Post will continue to deliver community newspapers, Elections Canada material, both provincial and municipal electoral notices and House of Commons mailings.

Canada Post reports that only 2% of Canadians participate in the “Consumer Choice Program”

For more information on the topic, go to http://www.reddotcampaign.ca/ and learn about the movement that is trying to get red dots on mailboxes across the country!

Links:
Canada Post Consumer Choice Program

We are so lucky to live in the Kawarthas. We have our beautiful lakes, of course, but also acres and acres of unspoiled wilderness that serves as crucial habitat for thousands of species of flora and fauna. Groups like the Peterborough Field Naturalists cater to our curiosity of nature and allow us to explore, learn and share knowledge with others.

The Junior Field Naturalists, which is part of the overall Peterborough Field Naturalists club, is targeted at the younger generation of naturalists in our area. The program which is run by coordinators Neil Fortin and Dan Chronowic, is aimed at 5-12 year olds and encompasses a wide range of outings and activities focusing on natural history, environmental issues and outdoor recreation.

The group tries run an outing once a month, usually meeting at Camp Kawartha and the new Camp Kawartha Environment Centre. They also meet at other spots in the area as well.

The next outing for the group is happening on Sunday Nov. 22nd at the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre at 2:00 p.m. where they will have a variety of activities for youth to participate in. Everything from bird feeder building, (kids can either take one home, or leave it for the centre to use) nature crafts, hot chocolate (bring a mug) and animal games. Local musician Glen Caradus will be helping out with some songs from his CD “Song Gardens” which is available for sale at Peterborough Green-Up for only $20. It makes a great gift!

For more information, contact Neil Fortin 292-6185 or nkfortin@sympatico.ca

Like many non-profit organizations here in Ontario, Peterborough Green-Up applies to the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) for funding. We are always pleased to find out we are successful with a grant application and those monies have funded many terrific programs that have directly benefited the greater Peterborough area over the years.

We were elated to announce that Peterborough Green Up is one of 19 finalists for the OTF’s prestigious 2009 Great Grants Awards. The awards recognize Ontario organizations that have demonstrated exceptional results, innovation and a lasting impact on the communities they serve.

Unfortunately, we didn’t win the big prize, but being nominated is an honour in its own right. We were chosen out of literally thousands of grants awarded across the province every year, and that is no small feat.

The specific grant that garnered the attention was for our urban forestry program, in partnership with the City of Peterborough. Peterborough school children are learning why trees are vital to a community’s health and well-being and then pulling their families outside to conduct backyard and neighbourhood tree inventories.

Thirty youth and adult volunteers are being trained to serve as urban foresters, under the watchful eye of program coordinator Chirs Gooderham. Staff at local garden centres, Trent University, a hardware store and golf course gave a tree care workshop. All are part of the Urban Forestry Program, a program that engages residents to preserve and enhance the urban forest in their neighbourhood. The city is developing a new municipal forestry policy to ensure the Peterborough’s green canopy is regularly nurtured and maintained.

We were awarded a three-year $162,500 OTF grant (awarded June 2007) is underpinning this community forest movement.

Our executive director Sue McGregor-Hunter and Green-Up Landscape program coordinator Cathy Dueck have been in Toronto since yesterday participating in the awards ceremony. Today the duo is passing on their expertise by participating in a “speed granting” session, offering advice to others who want to be more successful.

Today is “Green Update Day.” Every second Thursday I shoot the “Green Update” that you see Monday’s on Newswatch at 5:30 on CHEX-TV. Today I’m going to take you behind the scenes of my weekly television segment. Everyone loves the behind the scenes stuff, so I figure it would make an interesting blog topic for a dull November day.

The three minute Green Update segment you see every Monday begins sometimes two to three weeks in advance. I’m responsible for coming up with a topic, finding folks to interview and arranging the final location of the shoot. It’s not as easy as you would think. Sometimes people cancel at the last minute, I have to work around schedules etc.

I’m always keeping an eye and ear open to possible environmental themed topics that would be of interest to viewers of the 5:30 show. I can’t pick just anything, however. The topic must be “visual.” When I’m considering ideas, I have to keep Kevin (our CHEX 5:30 camera guy) in mind. There must be adequate material for him to get cover shots of. Cover shots are what you see when myself and my guest aren’t on camera. For example, if we were talking about bikes, Kevin and I would run around town getting shots of bikers on the street, and that might be what you would see on the screen while we’re talking. It just makes the whole thing more interesting then looking at two people talking for three minutes.

The actually shooting of the segment doesn’t take that long…well…usually. It really depends on who I’m interviewing. If the person in question has done it dozens of times before, like our Cathy Dueck or Donald Fraser (who used to host it) then it’s over usually over in one take. If it’s someone new, who’s never been in front of a camera, then it can be many takes, going back saying things over until they get it right, re-shooting a question or the whole segment again. Sometimes we can be as long as 45 minutes for a three minute final product.

After we finish shooting the interview, we shoot something called the “bump”. This is where I tease the upcoming segment and it airs right before the 5:30 show goes to commercial. I usually say something to the effect of “Coming up next on the Green Upate…yadda yadda yadda”

And there you have it, a look

behind the scenes of local television production. If you ever have any good (visual ) ideas for me, drop me a note or give me a call. I’m always open to suggestions.

Green Eyewear Optical is the result of months of handwork and planning by two local entrepreneurs, Shane and Amanda Palmer. The couple, both registered opticians, celebrated the grand opening of their brand new businesses last weekend.

The new store offers many top quality brands of eyewear, many made from recyclable or renewable materials. I attended the grand opening celebration a couple weeks ago and got a first hand look at some of their unique products.

Two types of frames that really caught my eye were actually made from reused material. The first any music lover would appreciate as they were produced from recycled vinyl records. You can also purchase frames made from bamboo

Shane and Amanda went further then just introducing green product lines though, the entire store was set up with the environment in mind, from ceiling to floor. The Palmers went through the Power Savings Blitz program, receiving free lighting upgrades from Ontario Power Authority and Peterborough Utilities. The upgrades allowed the couple to install more energy efficient lighting, thus helping their bottom line in the long run.

The paint on the walls was a no VOC (volatile organic compound) variety, meaning during the painting process there were no fumes or “new paint smell” given off. The flooring chosen for the business was bamboo, a renewable resource that is also very durable and long lasting.

The location of the store was also part of the Palmer’s vision. They believe that keeping businesses downtown is important and ads to the city. Having a vibrant downtown business community ads character, and prevents the need for travelling long distances to big box stores, keeping the local economy strong.

In addition to the store, they’re also are offering a mobile optical for service for seniors and others in the community who are unable to make it into their George Street location. With this in mind, the couple purchased the highly acclaimed 2009 “Green Car of the Year”, a Volkswagen Jetta. There’s no doubt in my mind it will be the most recognizable vehicle in the city, wrapped in bright green leaves and the company logo.

The Palmers have been working closely with Peterborough Green-Up throughout the entire process getting advice on what positive steps they could take to have a truly green business. As part of that excellent relationship they’ve also made a decision to donate $2 from every prescription to Green-Up. A local designer from Millbrook was equally impressed with the environmental practices and relationship and has agreed to donate an additional $2 from purchases of his frames.

Being a member of the non-profit community, every dollar helps the organization on its mission to educate residents on environmental concerns and Peterborough Green-Up is very appreciative of the financial assistance.

For more information about Green Eyewear Optical I encourage you to check out their beautiful new store located at 374 George Street North, just south of Hunter Street. You can reach Shane and Amanda by phone at 775-EYES (3937) or by email at info@greeneyewear.ca

Tourist clogged streets, drivers who had no idea where they were going, and pedestrians who felt they could cross the street at anytime. This sounds like a typical summer scene, at any major tourist attraction and I spent two days witnessing it.

I literally just got back from the long weekend. Being a newbie to Ontario I’m still exploring the province. This past long weekend found me in the Niagara Region. I hadn’t seen the infamous falls yet, so I figured now was a great opportunity.

As I expected (and was warned about) the area was jam packed with tourists. I saw license plates from as far away as Florida and Virginia as tourists made their way to one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

I got sucked into all the usual tourist traps—the Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, and of course the usual hotspots on Clifton Hill. As a personal suggestion to anyone looking to venture down that way, Journey Behind the Falls really isn’t worth your $12.

Of course I had to stop by the Fallsview Casino and support the good works of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. I managed to win $200 and spend only $20, so it was a successful casino experience. If only I could have such good luck at Kawartha Downs.

After a day in Niagara Falls, I ventured north to Niagara-on-the-Lake. I really enjoyed my visit to this small town. It too was packed with tourists, but not nearly as many. Checking out all the local shops was a necessity, and thinking ahead, I even found a perfect Christmas gift. I don’t think I’ve ever bought this far ahead before. I’ll thank myself come December.

I think my favourite shop, besides Cows Ice cream of course, was Kurtz Culinary Creations. Every type of spice, seasoning, barbecue rub, jam and gourmet condiment was sold there. Best of all, they had dozens of samples you could “try before you buy.” I ended up leaving with a bottle of roasted garlic dip mix. I can’t wait to try that out, if the sample was any indication, it should be good!

Niagara-on-the-Lake also featured many beautiful gardens. I was impressed with how much time and effort was put into making their yards truly stand out. You could always measure the successfulness of the homeowner by how many tourists stopped to pose with or take photos of the gardens.

One garden I came across on the town’s historic Queen Street had the usual flair of perennials in full bloom but also had herbs thrown in as well. The scent of lavender filled the air and you walked past and you could tell that the caretaker of this garden recently harvested some other herbs as well.

It seems more and more people are growing herbs as they discover just how much flavour fresh herbs can bring to food as opposed to the dried and processed varieties seen in grocery stores everywhere.

Coming up on Sunday there is an excellent opportunity to lean more about cooking with herbs and walk away with the inspiration to grow your own. Chef Ben Anderson of the Black Horse Pub will be leading a workshop on the best practices of cooking with herbs, providing tips on storage, the best kinds of herbs to use, and how to use them. If you have any herb related cooking questions, this is the opportunity to get them answered by a kitchen expert!

The workshop is taking place Sunday from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m., rain or shine at the Ecology Park on Ashburnham Drive, right next door to Peterborough Utilities. There is a $10 fee (a real bargain if you ask me) to help cover the cost of food. Not only are you going to be getting advice from a professional chef, you’re also going to be leaving with the booklet filled with recipes and tips from local restaurants.

There are only 20 spots available for this workshop, and the deadline for registration is Friday. You can drop your payment off in person at the Green-Up office, 378 Aylmer Street, across from Baskin Robbins and next to the Greyhound Terminal. I promise, no hardhat required for our on-going

By:  Matt Higgs

The construction continues here at Peterborough Green-Up. Every now and then a large BANG will echo through the office, or a saw will buzz, and now and then you can see sparks flying.

We’ve (mostly) become used to our driveway being filled with heavy equipment, dust falling from above, and “the funnel.” No, I’m not talking about your every day funnel used in the kitchen to pour liquid from one container to another. Here at Green-Up we do nothing on a small scale.

Hanging from our ceiling is a large piece of plastic. It stretches from the roof support beams in the top all the way to several bins at the bottom. When it rains, water that leaks through the holes in the roof will run down the funnel and into bins below it. Whatever it takes to keep the floor dry!

I also must say seeing large steel beams being dangled over the skylight above my head, left me hoping they were securely attached to the crane. Thankfully, that part of the job is over.

This is also construction and improvement season on many of our area lakes. New “cottages” are being constructed with older cottages being renovated all the time, which is good in many ways as it brings employment and money to our local economy.

The reason I put cottages in quotation marks is because I don’t believe that’s what the new ones are. To me, a cottage is a simple and somewhat rough, escape from every day life -a retreat to nature and a more restful environment. What you see more and more of today are year-round homes with all the amenities. Homes with two or three bathrooms, finished basements, two car garages— the works.

Back east, I watched over the years as the shorelines of a local lake became more and more built up with upscale homes that get used on a weekend basis. The quaint two and three room cottages built in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were quickly outnumbered.

With new and expanded cottages comes the landscaping that reflects the property’s latest incarnation. Shoreline property owners feel the same way they do about their homes in the city (as most of us do): their properties are a reflection of themselves. A neat and tidy property with manicured lawns and gardens is the norm, and maintaining them this way is a source of pride and weekend honey-do lists.

Our original intent of retreating from the concrete jungle to the serenity and the ease of a lakeside is being eroded by this perception that our recreational properties have to look just like our city properties. Sure, maintaining a building requires a great deal of work to be comfortable and functional, but as it turns out, this is not the case for the land at the cottage and especially for the fragile shoreline. A shoreline functions best when it is left alone in its natural state.

Our lakes are kept healthy and happy if there is a minimum of a three meter buffer of natural plants and shrubs away from the shoreline. The buffer zone prevents shoreline erosion, stops contaminants and runoff from reaching the lake and discourages pests like geese. A naturalized shoreline can also provide food and shelter for many types of wildlife and takes less work to maintain than a larger lawn. Consider trading that time on the lawnmower for time with the family on the dock!

Many people have questions about how they can strike a balance between areas of shoreline naturalization and necessary developments for water access. After all, each property, and lake, is a little bit different.

The Ecology Park in partnership with the Lakeland Alliance is providing an opportunity to learn about restoring and maintaining naturalized shorelines this Sunday from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm. One of the Alliance’s Shoreline Advisors, Sue Prentice, will lead a workshop about what goes into shoreline naturalization and will provide an overview of common shorelines plants available at the Ecology Park for purchase.

The Alliance’s Shoreline Advisor Program is another great opportunity to learn more about natural shorelines, best practices for septic system management, invasive species, and much more. At the invitation of the property owner, an advisor will come and tour your shoreline property providing advice and guidance along the way. This program is available to any shoreline property owner in Peterborough, Haliburton and Hastings County.

If you’re interested in attending the workshop or in signing up for a Shoreline Advisor visit, give Mike Gibbs a call at 745-3238 ext. 207.

Give yourself more time to enjoy the cottage by leaving the city behind!

Vermicomposting Workshops
July 23 and 24th, 2009

Peterborough Green-Up Offices, 378 Aylmer Street

WHAT: Vermicomposting Workshop
WHEN: Thursday, July 23rd at 6 pm and Friday, July 24th at 10:30 am
WHO: Manager, Waste Reduction Programs: Paula Anderson

WHERE: Peterborough Green-Up offices 378 Aylmer St, Peterborough

Back by popular demand, on July 23rd and 24th, Peterborough Green-Up’s Paula Anderson will be hosting two workshops covering the basics of vermicomposting– composting indoors with worms.

“Composting with red worms is an easy, safe, fun and odorless way for offices, schools, apartment dwellers or people with disabilities to turn their kitchen scraps into garden soil,” says Anderson, who is Peterborough Green-Up’s Manager of Waste Reduction Programs.

The cost of the workshops is $50, which will provide those in attendance with all that they need to get started including a half-pound of red worms, a specialized bin to allow proper air circulation, and the knowledge to get started successfully in vermicomposting.

Pre-registration and a $20 deposit is required by the end of the day on Friday, July 17th, 2009. The deposit can be dropped off at the Peterborough Green-Up offices at 378 Aylmer Street. Spaces are limited.

Those interested in registering can contact Paula Anderson by calling 745.3238 ext 205.

Last week I was at the Ecology Park with Cathy Dueck and Steve Guthrie from CHEX-TV. Once again it was time to shoot the Green Update segment that airs on CHEX-TV’s Newswatch at 5:30 show every Monday. We managed to squeeze it in between raindrops and nobody got wet.

Cathy and I chatted about how to bring birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to your garden and the advantages of having them there. Who knew that having these creatures in your yard could be so beneficial?!

Inviting birds not only will allow you to enjoy the beauty of their plumage and song, but they also will make your out door experience that much better by keeping the insect population under control. Less mosquitoes to bite is something that few would complain about.

Like humans, birds require food and shelter so providing those two basic elements will ensure flocks of feathered friends to enjoy.  Food can come in the form of bird feeders or native plants the produce berries.  Shelter for birds is easy to provide as well. Simple birdhouses provide a home to raise young and can also act as shelter from the elements. Water is something to consider as well.  Providing a source to drink and bathe from is an ideal draw for birds to a backyard. A water feature can be as simple as a container buried slightly and covered with rocks to something as elaborate as a small pond with flowing water.

Hummingbirds are important pollinators and are attracted with flowers that are rich in nectar.  Hummingbird feeders also draw in the tiny winged creatures to your home.

Bringing insects into the garden can also be important.  Some insects such as ladybugs are beneficial.  Many caterpillars that call our gardens home eventually turn into beautiful butterflies which, like hummingbirds, slip nectar from garden flowers.

By inviting birds, butterflies and other insects into our garden, we encourage a healthy garden and more diverse ecosystem.