Dear friends,
Wow, the last few months have been busy (but very exciting!). We launched a number of new partnerships around Earth Day, including a new funding initiative, celebrated the winners of our Hometown Heroes and Toyota Earth Day Scholarship programs, hosted our best ever fundraising gala and much more. Read on for details.
Also, keep checking back to earthday.ca over the coming months. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the 20th anniversary of Earth Day Canada. We’ve some wonderful surprises in store.
Have a great summer!
Jed
Community Environment Fund launched
Earth Day Canada and Sobeys Inc. launched the Earth Day Canada Community Environment Fund on June 1, 2009. The Fund provides Ontario charitable organizations, not-for-profits, schools and volunteer groups with grants of up to $20 000 to develop sustainable projects that educate and inspire action in their communities.
The deadline for the first granting period is August 31, 2009. For more information or to apply, please visit www.earthday.ca/envirofund.
National scholarship winner fights grasshoppers and drought
Earth Day Canada and Toyota Canada are pleased to recognize Adil Adatia as the national winner of the 2009 Toyota Earth Day Scholarship Program.
Adil, from Lethbridge, AB, conducted original research into bio-pesticides where he demonstrated how fungi could be used as an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides in the control of grasshopper populations that attack crops in Alberta. He also spearheaded the creation of a drought-tolerant garden on unused school grounds to address issues of water shortages and endangered species in southern Alberta.
For his outstanding contributions to the environment, Adil received $5 000 and a Panasonic notebook computer to help further his studies.
To read more about Adil and the regional winners of the 2009 Toyota Earth Day Canada Scholarship Program, please visit www.earthday.ca/scholarship
Canada’s Hometown Hero recognized
Earth Day Canada is pleased to recognize Liz Benneian as the 2009 Hometown Heroes Award winner. Liz, from Oakville ON, has served as the full-time Volunteer President of the Oakvillegreen Conservation Association for the past four years and played an integral role in the creation of the BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association and Miltongreen. She has also been one of the strongest local advocates for responsible community development and planning in Oakville.
To read more about Liz and the other finalists of Canada’s 2009 Hometown Heroes, please visit www.earthday.ca/hometown. You can also read a story on Liz in the upcoming edition of Alternatives Journal.
Yellow Pages and EDC partner on Ecoguide
Beginning this month, Canadians can look to their Yellow Pages™ directory for the newly created Yellow Pages™ ecoGuide, a local resource for responsible consumption that was developed in collaboration with a number of leading environmental organizations including Earth Day Canada.
The Yellow Pages™ ecoGuide is located in the front section of all new Yellow Pages™ directories and includes municipal environmental services, a 3R directory to help users dispose of more than 400 household items, a comprehensive list of environmental certifications to help consumers make informed purchase decisions, and a list of 15 simple and practical actions that will help Canadians reduce their household’s ecological footprint.
The EDC Gala... what a night!
Great food, comedy, music—and the opportunity to recognize Maude Barlow as this year’s recipient or the Outstanding Achievement for the Environment Award—made this year’s Gala the best yet (which is getting harder to say each year!).
Thank you to Cascades, the Drake, Michael Stadtländer, Anthony Rose, Mark McKinney, Seán Cullen, David Donnelly, Denis Hayes, the Sultans of String, Daniel Lanois and all of our wonderful sponsors. As one illustrious guest stated, “for environmentalists the gala is like having Christmas, Valentines Day and Easter all rolled into one!”
To view photos of the event, please click here or visit www.earthday.ca/gala.
The 2010 Gala promises to be absolutely spectacular as we recognize the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the 20th anniversary of Earth Day Canada. For more information, please contact Reid Bodley at reid@earthday.ca or 416.599.1991 ext. 204.
Storytelling in action
The EcoAction Teams 2009 Storytelling Contest was a huge success. Outstanding entries came from Kerrie Lowitt of Newmarket, ON and Thomas Howard of Baie Verte, NL. These EcoAction enthusiasts won digital cameras and camcorders courtesy of Panasonic Canada.
Kerrie, a strong enthusiast for natural spaces and biodiversity, naturalized the land surrounding her cottage and started an Environment Club to encourage others to take environmental action.
Thomas founded Youth for Environmental Awareness (YEA!) to address excess plastics and packaging in the local community as well as recycling needs.
To read Kerrie and Thomas’ stories as well as many others from the EcoAction Teams storytelling contest, please visit www.ecoactionteams.ca.
Schools rise to the challenge
Whether the projects were big or small, winners of Earth Day Canada’s Great EcoKids Challenge showed tremendous commitment to improving the health of our planet. This year, winners were selected in three categories. Sony of Canada Ltd. generously provided prizes to the winning schools.
Students of Conrad Elementary School in Prince Rupert, BC won the primary category for organizing a wildlife awareness and fundraising campaign. They far surpassed their goal of $230 by raising $1 800!
Herb Campbell Public School students from Caledon, ON won the junior category. They created a green space on their school grounds that could be used as a learning space for the school community.
The Green Gators of Sir William Gage Middle School won the intermediate category. The Green Gators initiated a school-wide recycling and litter-less lunch program. They reduced their daily waste from 150 litres a day to just 50 litres a day!
To read more about these amazing schools, please visit www.ecokids.ca.
EDC gets Frosted
Earth Day Canada and the Frost Centre Institute (FCI) have partnered to offer a special Earth Day discount of up to $160 per person on sessions taking place this summer at the Frost Centre. The discount applies to the following sessions
- July 12 to July 25
- July 26 to August 8
- August 9 to August 22
The FCI Summer Camp hosts 200 boys and girls between the ages of 10 to 16 every summer. During the two week sessions, participants learn about environmental science through visual arts and water sport activities.
For more camp info, go to www.frostcentreinstitute.com/summercamp.php. To register, open the “Online Summer Camp Registration” link and add “Earth Day Special Offer” beside your child’s name to receive the discount.
Support Earth Day Canada
Since 1990, Earth Day Canada has continually created truly innovative approaches to conservation across Canada. To continue this work we hope you will consider making a gift of $25, $50, or more. A tax receipt will be issued for each donation.
To donate online, visit Earth Day Canada’s website.
You can also mail a cheque to Earth Day Canada:
111 Peter St., Suite 503
Toronto, ON, M5V 2H1
Attention: Jed Goldberg, President, Earth Day Canada
Earth Day Canada is a registered adherent to Imagine Canada’s Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code. Earth Day Canada is a registered charity (#13195 1378 RR0001).
