Earth Day – Ideas to Consider
Whyte Ridge is a great neighbourhood to live in with many green spaces, parks, ponds and walking trails.
As the snow melts (yes, it really will soon melt), the signs of spring will soon emerge and we see more of our citizens out and about enjoying our lovely community.
As we emerge from a long and tough winter, the WRCC board wants to remind our community about Earth Day (April 22).
Earth day can serve as a great reminder for our families, kids and businesses in our neighbourhood to think of ways to go green, think/act local, improve our well-being, beautify our neighbourhood and help our planet.
While there are likely thousands of little ways we can all contribute to a healthier earth, here are just a few quick ideas for you to consider.
- Neighbourhood Clean-up – Out for a walk with the family? As the snow melts, we often see more debris on the boulevards and sidewalks. Consider bringing along a biodegradable trash bag, some gloves and pick up any plastic you see along the boulevards. Be safe, especially if you come across any sharps, use a grabber or place in a coffee tin. Call 311 if you don’t think you can safely pick up any sharps that you find on public property. Don’t forget to recycle what you can and if unsure if something can be recycled visit simplyrecycle.ca for details.
- Support Pollinators – as we plan our gardens and consider our lawn treatments – consider our bees and hummingbirds.There are some great resources at naturemanitoba.ca that can help highlight many attractive native plants like bee balm, coneflowers and Canada Goldenrod. They also have some great ideas on how to maintain your lawns without using a lot of pesticides or chemicals in your garden.
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – Spring is also a great time to do some spring cleaning. We all collect a lot of things and there are some good ways to ensure that your unwanted items find a new home and new life. There’s an old saying – somebody’s trash is somebody’s treasure! Consider the following ideas
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- Community Garage Sale – Most years, we have had the Whyteridge Community Garage Sale in the neighbourhood. After a bit of a COVID hiatus, the tradition will be coming back on May 7, 2022. So, start gathering your items, create your cardboard posters and ensure you have a little cash float. If you are new to the area, you’ll be surprised how many Manitobans will visit Whyteridge to find some hidden treasures!
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- Winnipeg Giveaway Weekend – If you aren’t able to host a garage sale, or some of your unwanted items don’t sell – the City of Winnipeg also supports a Free Giveaway weekend. Free Giveaway weekend is on May 14 & 15ththis year. For details, visit – https://www.winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste/recycle/giveawayweekend.stm
- Donate, don’t dump – Many organizations in Winnipeg are also looking for clothing, furniture, toys and renovation materials.
- Have some left-over renovation supplies – consider donating to ReStore – https://www.habitat.mb.ca/restore/donate-stuff-to-restore/
- Upgrading your wardrobe – Many organizations are looking for clothing. Consider donating to a shelter or other charitable organizations (e.g. Diabetes Canada, Salvation Army, Siloam Mission and more) that are accepting gently worn clothing (and other items).
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- Upgrading your furniture – consider donating to organizations that can repurpose furniture. Visit https://furniturebanks.org/furniture-banks/ to find an organization near you.
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We know this is just a short list, but together, we can do a lot to beautify our neighbourhood, teach our kids some sustainable practices and protect our planet.
Our board is always looking for ideas on how we can support our community and provide vibrant, fun and healthy activities for our community residents and businesses. If you have any ideas that you would like us to consider leading out of the centre, please email us at directoratlarge2@whyteridge.ca.
Written by:
Directors-at-Large
Jim Dear
