I’m a little bit excited! On March 4th and 5th our very own Paula Anderson is hosting a workshop about worms. I mean really, how could I not be excited! I’ve decided that I’ll sit in on it and soak up as much knowledge as I can about them.

Green-Up's Paula Anderson with worms that will be part of this year's vermicomposting workshops.

One of the great (some would argue not-so-great) things about my job is I have to know about everything Green-Up related. If a reporter from one of our area news organizations calls for an interview and one of our resident experts isn’t available to speak, then I have to be prepared to talk about pretty much anything. I guess I could classisfy this workshop as professional development.

So, about the workshop? The topic is Vermicomposting! It’s just a fancy word for feeding worms your left over table scraps, but please, hold the mayo. Worms won’t eat just anything.

Vermicomposting has real advantages, especially for those of us who live in apartments or don’t have access to a backyard– and it’s really very easy.

I don’t want to give away all of Paula’s secrets ahead of the workshops but I’ll post a little preview here.

To get started you need a bin, but not just any bin will do. It has to have proper ventilation to allow the worms to breathe. Specialized worms are a requirement as well. Your typical earth worm isn’t nearly as efficient.

Those who come to the workshop will leave with a half pound of worms that can hardly wait to turn your table scraps into “black gold” for your gardening needs. You’ll also get the proper bin to house your worms in as well.

Paula will be talking about the do’s and don’ts, what you can and can’t feed them, what happens if they get to moist, how to avoid fruit flies etc etc.

The workshop fee is $50, which as I stated before, get’s you both your worms and bin in addition to the knowledge from our resident worm expert.

The workshops are taking place March 4th from 2 until 3:30 pm and March 5th from 5 until 7:30 pm. The deadline for registration is February 24th and a $20 deposit is required to hold your place. There are only few spaces available, so get your information to us soon.  You can call Paula at 745-3238 ext 205.

I hope to see you there!

-Matt

If you didn’t hear, our Executive Director, Sue McGregor-Hunter made an appearance on CBC Radio’s Ontario Morning, this morning talking about icicles. What in the world do icicles have to do with anything environmental related? You’d be surprised.

Right now as you walk around town you can see many homes, especially older structures, with huge amounts of icicles hanging off eavestroughing and, in some cases, causing a real hazard for anyone who walks below. A recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy comes to mind where Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is impaled by a falling icicle. Not much fun, I would think.

So….I bet you didn’t know that icicles could be used as a way to determine if your home is experiencing heat loss! They can, and act as a barometer of sorts, warning you of impeding trouble that might come in the form of ice dams and water damage.

Here’s how it works. Attic spaces ideally should be the same temperature as the outside air. Plenty of insulation keeps the heat from escaping from the lower floors. A good indication of a well insulated home can be found by checking out the roof. Chances are if there’s snow, its means there isn’t any heat escaping through the roof to melt the snow on top.

Roofs where the snow has melted off, especially in locations that don’t get a lot of sun (such as easterly facing roofs) are a sure sign that heat is escaping through the roof. Another major indication that your home may be lacking insulation is icicles. Beautiful yes, but they should be seen as warning sign. As the snow disappears, the melt water runs down the roof and refreezes along the cooler edges. This excess ice can create dams along the eaves which can cause water to back up into your home along the roof line.

Fresh snowfall on a roof can act as a layer of insulation on the exterior causing even more heat to build up inside the attic, leading to more snow melting and more ice forming. It’s and endless cycle.

So what can you do? Insulate, insulate, insulate!…proper roof ventilation is also important. Keeping the interior of the attic the same temperature as the great out doors can lessen the threat of ice dams by reducing the amount of snow melt.

So what about the sun? Spring thaws? Absolutely, the sun and mild temps will always melt some snow and cause ice damming, but in today’s newer homes large build-ups shouldn’t be the norm.

If you see large quantities of icicles building up, it might be worth having an Energy Audit performed on your home. The audit can tell you how energy efficient your home is and recommend what changes can be made to solve your heat escape problems…..and with new money announced by the federal government these changes might not break the bank.

A large majority of the Energy Audit fee is also covered by both the provincial and federal governments. For further information give Cobi a shout at 705.745.3238 ext 202. Why let your heating money escape through the roof?!

Last night I attended my first Green Drinks. Green Drinks is a monthly event that happens on the third Wednesday of every month at Riley’s Pub here in Peterborough. People from throughout the city and beyond gather for drinks, socialize and chat about the issues of the day, environmental and otherwise.

This month’s event, was a bit different as it was held at the offices of Green Communities Canada, of which Green-Up is a founding partner. I showed up not knowing a soul there, other then a few of my Green-Up co-workers that also attended, and left knowing a lot of new people….I have to admit the wine was good too.

I left with some great contacts and even story ideas for my Green Update segment that airs on CHEX-TV’s NEWSwatch every Monday at 5:30. I encourage everyone to attend Green Drinks! Just meet anytime after 5 at Riley’s.

-Matt

Welcome to Peterborough Green-Up’s latest online endeavor, blogging. Soon there will be posts from Green-Up staff on a host of topics and environmental issues of the day. Check back soon for updates.

-Matt