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.

So,  I’m blogging again. This is more or less a rant…two of them actually.  I’m kind of hung up with which one I will write about first because they both REALLY annoy me a lot.

OK, here goes. Last night when I was arriving home from work, it was blazing hot. The temperature in my car said it was 36 degrees (a bit of an exaggeration) and the official temperature at the Ptbo airport was 31. In addition to the hot temperatures, the late afternoon sun was beating down. The time was around 4:45.

I pulled onto my north end street to see a gentlemen standing on his driveway proudly watching his LAWN SPRINKLER watering the lawn. Yes, that’s right, watering the lawn.  Two or three houses down, someone else was doing the same thing. It completely blows my mind.

Watering during the hot afternoon is serving absolutely no purpose! Very little of it actually reaches the root level of the grass because it evaporates away as quickly as it reaches the ground.  Save your watering until the evening after the sun has lowered in the sky! Watering the driveway, street and sidewalk also is pointless– not much grows in those areas.

Now  to pet peeve #2. I was driving two work Wednesday morning and was coming down Chemong Road as usual. The right lane by the strip mall on Chemong seemed to be backed up for no apparent reason, as traffic below the mall entrance was flowing normally. As I changed lanes it became quite apparent why traffic wasn’t moving. There was a line up for the Tim Horton’s drive-thru! Why do people think they have the absolute right to BLOCK a FULL LANE OF TRAFFIC so they can wait in line at a drive thru? Not only are they creating a safety issue, but also spewing endless amounts of exhaust into our atmosphere. Air Quality was already strained that day, and drive thrus like this were only making it worse.

So how can we solve this problem? Park your car, take your coffee cup into the restaurant, get it filled and pay inside. Without a doubt, by the time you get out and into your car the drive thru line won’t have moved too much.

What do you think? Post a comment!

I just returned from a busy morning with Peterborough Green-Up educator Brianna Salmon. We boarded a Peterborough Transit bus at 8:30 this morning, and along with bus driver Jim, picked up 20 or so kids at a school I can’t currently remember the name of.

The kids, teacher, and two grandparent chaperones, were taking part in Peterborough Green-Up’s “On the Bus” program. Students from local schools are shown how to take public transit by learning how to read bus schedule maps, how to transfer onto a different bus, how to make the bus stop and know that the bus driver is always there to help them if they have any questions.

The part the kids enjoyed the most was driving under the Lift lock! They got to scream at the top of their lungs, and the driver honked the horn. They also enjoyed our Ecology Park stop where they learned about pollution and global warming and the importance of carpooling and using public transit.

At the “bus barn” we saw how the busses are parked after the routes are finished at the end of the day, how a bus is washed and Jim, the driver, answered questions.  Everyone had a great time!

Ah, life at the lake. It’s something we here in the Kawarthas take for granted. Next week I’ll be returning home to New Brunswick for a well deserved week of rest and relaxation. It will be great to catch up with friends in Fredericton that I haven’t seen since Christmas.

My parents live about an hour and a half outside the city, in a tiny community bumped up against the Canada/US border. Probably one of the best parts of this remote location is the close proximity to the lakes.

Growing up, swimming was always a real treat on those hot summer days. Usually the beach would be packed with kids (and adults) from both sides of the international border. The lake featured clean water, a sandy beach and the fishing wasn’t bad either. My parents eventually purchased some shoreline property of their own, so over the past few years, over-crowded beaches were never an issue

I’m hoping when I return the water will have warmed enough for a quick dip. Last year was so cold and wet days for swimming were few and far between.

Here in the Kawarthas we also enjoy our lakes. Peterborough Green-Up in conjunction with the Lakeland Alliance works hard to educate shoreline property owners in the importance of keeping our lakes clean and healthy for generations to come.

Up the road on the shores of Pigeon Lake, another organization has the same mission. Gamiing Nature Centre (pronounced Gah-min-j) works hard to provide similar education in addition to environmental workshops and a native plant nursery.

Gamiing operates on a 100-acre property consisting of picturesque forest, meadows and wetlands. The property was purchased in 1985 by current volunteer executive director Mieke Schipper and in 1995 Mieke placed the property in a land trust with the goal to create an environmental education site.

I first heard about Gamiing when I took over this position almost a year ago. I was sorting though an endless pile of newspaper clippings that a predecessor left behind and happened across an older column. The name threw me off initially, but after asking around I found a correct pronunciation.

My counterpart at Gamiing, Andrew Kadykalo, says that’s something he sees all the time.

“We get confusion surrounding the word Gamiing,” he said. “Gamiing is a word in Ojibwa [Pigeon Lake’s first settlers] meaning ‘at the shore.’”

The Pigeon Lake shore is going to be the centre of attention in a couple of weeks at Gamiing’s annual Summer Lakeshore Music Festival. The Festival, held on June 20^th, is a fabulous opportunity for young and old to come out and enjoy great local musical entertainment, activities for children and much more.

“Live folk and blues music will be playing throughout the whole day. We are very excited to showcase a special appearance by the L’ll Big Band!,” Kadykalo said.

Event organizers made sure this was an event that would appeal to a wide age range and designed activities to appeal to young and old.

“This event is great for the whole family. There will be face painting, pony rides and interactive games for children. Featured will be an organic food court serving wine and beer for when you get hungry and thirsty and exhibitor booths of local artisans will be on site as well,” he said.

The event serves as an important fundraiser for Gamiing, with all money raised going to support their education and environmental programs throughout the whole year.

Aside from raising money, the event is also a chance for people from throughout the Kawarthas to come and learn about what Gamiing does, and the important role the organization plays in our communities.

“We want to make the public aware of the work being done here and to encourage the broad community to utilize what Gamiing has to offer. The Kawarthas were established and settled on because of the beauty of our natural resources and we want to preserve that beauty and ensure the Kawarthas remain a favoured destination to visit and inhabit,” he said.

Gamiing is also looking for exhibitors to be at the Lakeshore Music Festival. For only $25 you will receive a 10 foot by 10 foot area to sell your products or service to those in attendance. Those representing not-for-profit organizations can receive one free space.

Those interested in attending the festival as an exhibitor can contact Mieke Schipper by phone at 705-799-6734 or email info@gamiing.org.

I encourage you to plan ahead and attend this excellent community event. Not only will you experience some great local music and entertainment, but also leave with a better understanding of our beautiful Kawarthas.

Gamiing is located at 1884 Pigeon Lake Road (County Road 17), 12 km south of Bobcaygeon. For more information give Andrew a call at (705) 799-7083 or email marketingandpromotion@gamiing.org