Special Features - April 12, 2012

Featuring Elk Valley residents & community groups that support environmental initiatives

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INSIDE!

EARTH WEEK Events Schedule THE FREE PRESS ~ APRIL 2012

WILDSIGHT ELK VALLEY is celebrating 25 WILD years with Wild Nature Tours and our new downtown office come visit us at 891 2nd Ave Fernie Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm

wildsight.ca

G2 THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

Welcome to Earth Week 2012!

M

any people believe ‘everyday yday is Earth Day.’ We ag agree, greee, but also think it’s important portant to dedicate a day to do something outt of the ordinar ordinary ry and celebrate our environment in a creative and d community-focused way. That’s whyy this year ar the 2012 Earth Day celebrations includee two days packed full with eventss forr community members of all ages. We aree challenging everyone to get involved in n one way or another.

Don’t forget abo about the Freecycle event that takes place all weekend. pl week The aim of this event is to reduce the amount of garbage ending up in the re landfill by diverting unwanted items to be la re-use re re-used. Reusing and recycling household item it items instead of discarding them reduces p pressures re on our municipal facilities, and iiss a great way to not only get rid of your underused items, but to find some u ggreat treasures of your own! Drop ooff useful stuff you no longer need on S Saturday, April 21 from 12pm-6pm aand Sunday, April 22 from 11am-2pm.

Come by on Sunday, April 22 from C 2pm-6pm 2p to find new treasures.

In Fernie, the excitementt 1 takes place on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 at the Ferniee ays Community Center. These two days nity offer the community lots of opportunity to celebrate the 42nd annual Earth Day event that is celebrated worldwide.

E The Earth Day organizing committee is excit xcit about this amazing weekend full of really excited events, and hopes h hop op that you’ll find something to get involved ed in. Fo For mo more information check out the Earth Day website at www.earthd www.earthdayfernie.ca w.e

The Saturday celebrations start off with a Green Drinks event and Think Tank Cinemaa screening of Surviving ese. Come down and enjoy a Progress, produced by Martin Scorsese. eening DJ, DJ dancing and delicious drinks special Think Tank cinema film screening, from the Green Drinks bar.

Happy Earth Day!

Sunday events feature the 6th annual Trashy but Flashy Fashion Show, EcoGarden Seed Swap, Freecycle and interactive activities. You don’t want to miss the trash and fashion that is fused on the runway during the fashion show. Check out the photos from previous years at www.facebook. com/earthdayfernie

Trashy Flashy Fashion Show but

6th

Earth Day Committee: LeeAnne Walker, Lesley Graham, Casey Brennan, Mary Cosman, Dawn Deydey, Kai Deydey Missing: Ryland Nelson, Sharon Switzer, Ayla Bennett, Megan Walsh

WE Ann

ual

WE USE

fusing trash & fashion on the runway

2pm doors 3pm show

at Community center

sunday April

22nd

as part of earth day celebrations

learn more at...

earthdayfernie.ca

learn more at www.facebook.com/earthdayfernie

:

s A cold web offset printing proces which creates no emissions 100% canola based inks

REDUCE

REUSE

RECYLCE

Our Newsprint is made from

• Share with a friend • Train the puppy • Use as packing •Arts & Crafts paper

Please be responsible and

over 50%

recyled paper

recycle

your paper!

THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

Saturday & Sunday April 21st and 22nd

6pm-11pm, with screening of Surviving Progress at 7pm; a party after film with dancing & DJ. Entrance $5

Freecycle

Think Tank Cinema Humanity’s ascent is often measured by the speed of progress. But what if progress is actually spiraling us downwards, towards collapse? Ronald Wright, whose best-seller A Short History Of Progress, and inspired SURVIVING PROGRESS, shows how past civilizations were destroyed by “progress traps” - alluring technologies and belief systems that serve immediate needs, but ransom the future. As pressure on the world’s resources accelerates and financial elites bankrupt nations, can our globally-entwined civilization escape a final, catastrophic progress trap? With potent images and illuminating insights from thinkers who have probed our genes, our brains, and our social behaviour, this requiem to progress-as-usual also poses a challenge: to prove that making apes smarter isn’t an evolutionary deadend. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARTIN SCORSESE. Screening at 7pm. Entrance $5

Help discover the hidden treasures in your community. It’s another way to RETHINK GARBAGE and protect our most precious treasure – our environment.

What a great way to clear out outgrown and underused household items - things that might be exactly what others are looking for. The aim of this event is to reduce the amount of garbage ending up in the landfill by diverting unwanted items to be re-used! Reusing and recycling household items instead of discarding them reduces pressures on our municipal facilities, and is a great way to not only get rid of your underused items, but to find some great treasures of your own! Not sure what you should drop off? Learn more at www.earthdayfernie.ca So how does it work?

- Drop off items at the Fernie Community Center on Saturday, April 21 from 12pm-6pm and Sunday, April 22 from 11am-2pm - Come by on Sunday, April 22 from 2pm-6pm to check out the treasures and take some home with you.

Sunday April 22nd

Saturday April 21st 6pm-11pm

Reflect on Water Join Lee-Anne Walker, Executive Director of Elk River Alliance, this Earth Day to reflect on water, a powerful element connecting our faith community requiring stewardship. 10 am at the United Church.

Green Drinks

GREEN DRINKS is an international phenomenon with groups in over 200 cities around the world. GREEN DRINKS is a couple hours of mingling, with no structure or speakers. Everyone is welcome, whatever the motivation. These nights provide a unique opportunity to just talk. Check out www.greendrinks.org to learn more about this informal, organic, self-organizing network.

Enjoy Fernie Green Drinks with the delicious green drinks bar open from

Seed Swap By growing and saving seed from food varieties that have adapted to our unique Elk Valley climate we are, on the global scale, contributing to the biodiversity of the world’s cultivated plants. On the local scale we are supporting healthy, sustainable food production and food security for ourselves and our community.

Gardeners who have seeds which they have collected are encouraged to bring any they can share. We ask that seeds brought are cleaned and labeled with variety and type.

Anyone who wants to grow locally grown seeds can come to select seeds that have been donated by other gardeners. A small cash donation is appreciated.

At seed swaps you will also find information about the EcoGarden and its activities, share information about gardening in general, learn how to grow plants for seed saving, and understand why it’s important to save seeds in the first place. Runs 2pm-5pm on Sunday, April 22nd

Trashy but Flashy Fashion Show The highlight of Earth Day for many is the annual Trashy But Flashy Fashion Show.

For the 6th year in a row, the Fashion Show aims to inspire the community to assess their consumption patterns by demonstrating creative methods of re-using. Previous years have featured: a bubble wrap tuxedo; a coffee filter dress; and a young warrior created from coffee and flour bags. No fashion show would be complete without a make-up artist, a catwalk, lights, and a DJ. There is a place for every style, age and ability. Cash prizes are distributed for a number of categories.

A panel of judges will be looking for elements of recycled material used, unique use of materials, creativity, and craftsmanship.

Fashion show starts at 3pm. This free event also offers interactive activities for the whole family.

A Good Day, A Good Time... For A Good Cause The success of our tournament is due mainly to the generous support of local businesses, individuals and groups.

NIE ROTARY R E F th

11 Annual

ENTRY FEES:

Charity Golf Tournament

Sponsorship Opportunities: * Hole Sponsors * * Hole in 1 sponsors * * Silent Auction Items * * Prize Donations *

• Single Adult (w/dinner) - $110 • Couples (w/dinner) - $200 • Team of 4 - $350 Non Playing Dinner Tickets $35 REGISTER BY MAY 7TH, 2012 or contact us anytime to become a sponsor.

Call Aysha Haines 250-531-3999 or email golf@fernierotary.org

2012 Beneficiaries A Clear View - digital stereotactic mammography Shelter Box Canada

Fernie Golf and Country Club • Saturday, May 12th, 2012

Fernie Puppy School We reduce the carbon footprint these ways: 1. We asked the city of Fernie to use biodegradeable pooper scooper bags in all dispensers a few years back. They eagerly complied.

2. All students in our classes are shown how to properly use these biodegradeable baggies and students are taught to use them when walking their dog on every public property and even on mountain trails where humans walk or hike.

3. We inform students they can purchase biodegradeable baggies at Barkside Pets and Overweitea foods in Fernie.

4. Pets are great companions and healers, helping humans to have enriched lives.

Fernie Puppy School: offering puppy classes in May and June.

Call Cathy Smith-Clark 250-423-7257. [over 25 years experience]

G3

G4 THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

It’s In Your Hands

April 22, 2012 is Earth Day

Earth Day Fun Trivia Earth Day was ûrst celebrated in: A) 1960 B) 1965

C) 1970 D) 1975

Which household appliance uses the most energy?

A) Refrigerator C) Dishwasher B) Toaster D) Washing machine Recycling 1,000 kg of aluminum saves enough energy to heat a/an ____________ for 10 years.

A) Typical home C) Corner store B) Elementary school D) Restaurant What household appliance uses the second most amount of energy (the ûrst is the refrigerator)?

A) Hair dryer C) Microwave B) Clothes Dryer D) Computer The average Canadian home is illuminated by ___ light bulbs: A) 31 C) 51 B) 41 D) 61

Medications Return

Recycling 101 - The Basics You can use ANY yellow bin in the East Kootenay. Here are some quick tips to remember when recycling in the Elk Valley: All plastics MUST be clean and have a number between 1 and 6. That number must be in the triangular recycling symbol. If there is no number, it should go in the garbage if it can’t be reused.

All plastic grocery/shopping bags can be recycled -- even if they don’t have a number on them. This is the only item that can be recycled if it doesn’t have a number. All other plastics must be numbered Styrofoam CANNOT be recycled -- even if it is marked with a number 6.

Tin cans should be well rinsed with labels removed, if possible.

Cardboard should be üattened to save bin space.

All paper products can go in the yellow bins (and Fernie’s blue bag program) -- including hard and soft cover books. Foil covered or waxy papers (like milk cartons or foil greeting cards) cannot be recycled. Milk cartons can be taken to the Fernie Bottle Depot for recycling.

Paper, cardboard, tin

The average Canadian uses 36,000 L of water each year for: A) Showers C) Laundry B) Dish Washing D) Toilet Flushing

Unused and expired medicines can be returned to pharmacies participating in the Medications Return Program.

What’s accepted: All prescription drugs Non-prescription medication Herbal products Vitamin and mineral supplements Throat lozenges

and the City of Fernie’s

Answers: C; A – Refrigerators use about 11% of a household’s total energy consumption; A - Recycling 1,000 kg of aluminum saves the equivalent of 10,000 L of gasoline; B; B; D WKH DYHUDJH WRLOHW XVHV DERXW OLWUHV SHU üXVK C.

blue bag program.

What You Need to Know About Glass Glass goes in the yellow bins marked “Glass Only”.

The only glass that is accepted for recycling is food-grade glass, which is anything that holds your food or beverages. This includes:

jam jars salsa jars

olive oil jars beverage bottles

Dishes, picture frames, trinkets, ceramics, light bulbs, window glass, etc. should NEVER go in the glass recycling bin. They contaminate the load and could cause the entire bin to be landûlled.

In the Elk Valley, the glass recycling bins are located at the Elkford Transfer Station, Elkford Camp Road, Sparwood Heights, next to Sparwood Esso, Sparwood Transfer Station, Silver Fox Pub, Fernie Transfer Station and Fernie Bottle Depot.

unused or expired medicines are collected each year

Both your alkaline and rechargeable batteries are recyclable.

From AAA to odd size batteries (like the ones in your portable phone), batteries can be recycled in many communities around the region.

The drop off locations for old batteries and cellphones in the Elk Valley include: City of Fernie Fernie Aquatic Centre

Fluorescent Lights Can Be Recycled LightRecycle is the new BC üuorescent light recycling program. Each recycling location will accept your burnt out compact üuorescent and tube üuorescent light bulbs, free of charge.

Proper disposal of medicines is important. Check dates on medications today - and call your local pharmacy to see if they are participating in the Return Program.

For more information visit www.medicationsreturn.ca.

Recycling Your Old Electronics

plastics #1-#6 go in the yellow bins in the RDEK

50,000 kg of

What’s NOT accepted: Cosmetics, skin care products Disinfectants/cleaners Contact lens solutions Sunscreen/suntan lotion Mouthwashes and toothpastes

cans, grocery bags and

Composting can reduce your household waste by: A) 10% C) 50% B) 25% D) 75%

In BC, over

Batteries Included

The electronics recycling depot for the Elk Valley is: Fernie Bottle Depot 1291 Ridgemont Avenue, Fernie Phone: 250-423-2009

The recycling program is for residentially generated lights only. The commercial and industrial recycling program is expected to begin later in 2012.

There are currently two LightRecycle Depots in the East Kootenay: Fernie Home Building Centre 300 Manitou Road Cranbrook Home Hardware 1901 McPhee Road

They accept a wide range of electronics, including: Televisions Speakers Computers & peripherals Earphones (keyboard, mouse) Microphones Monitors Telephones Fax machines Discman, walkman DVD/VHS players Radios Scanners Cable, satellite and PVR boxes Stereos, MP3 players & docking Vehicle audio and video systems stations

Incandescent lights cannot be recycled at this time. For more information, visit www.productcare.org

This year the program also expanded to include over 120 new items, such as:

The 2012 Earth Day challenges offer: Step-by-step guides that kids, teachers/ group leaders can use Tips and activities for individuals, groups and businesses to work together to keep commitments Chances to win great prizes and rewards.

Blenders Microwaves Food Processors and mixers Bread makers Coffee grinders Clocks and timers

Bathroom scales Ironing Boards and Irons Portable fans Portable heaters Automatic toothbrushes Electric razors

Learn More About Earth Day Earth Week is a great time to think about what each of us can do to make a positive difference. Reducing, reusing and recycling really add up. This year, they have two Earth Day challenges: Act for the Planet (for schools and students) and Take It Up for Earth Day (for everyone).

www.earthday.ca

For more information, contact the RDEK at 250-489-2791 or 1-888-478-7335

G5

G4 THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

It’s In Your Hands

April 22, 2012 is Earth Day

Earth Day Fun Trivia Earth Day was ûrst celebrated in: A) 1960 B) 1965

C) 1970 D) 1975

Which household appliance uses the most energy?

A) Refrigerator C) Dishwasher B) Toaster D) Washing machine Recycling 1,000 kg of aluminum saves enough energy to heat a/an ____________ for 10 years.

A) Typical home C) Corner store B) Elementary school D) Restaurant What household appliance uses the second most amount of energy (the ûrst is the refrigerator)?

A) Hair dryer C) Microwave B) Clothes Dryer D) Computer The average Canadian home is illuminated by ___ light bulbs: A) 31 C) 51 B) 41 D) 61

Medications Return

Recycling 101 - The Basics You can use ANY yellow bin in the East Kootenay. Here are some quick tips to remember when recycling in the Elk Valley: All plastics MUST be clean and have a number between 1 and 6. That number must be in the triangular recycling symbol. If there is no number, it should go in the garbage if it can’t be reused.

All plastic grocery/shopping bags can be recycled -- even if they don’t have a number on them. This is the only item that can be recycled if it doesn’t have a number. All other plastics must be numbered Styrofoam CANNOT be recycled -- even if it is marked with a number 6.

Tin cans should be well rinsed with labels removed, if possible.

Cardboard should be üattened to save bin space.

All paper products can go in the yellow bins (and Fernie’s blue bag program) -- including hard and soft cover books. Foil covered or waxy papers (like milk cartons or foil greeting cards) cannot be recycled. Milk cartons can be taken to the Fernie Bottle Depot for recycling.

Paper, cardboard, tin

The average Canadian uses 36,000 L of water each year for: A) Showers C) Laundry B) Dish Washing D) Toilet Flushing

Unused and expired medicines can be returned to pharmacies participating in the Medications Return Program.

What’s accepted: All prescription drugs Non-prescription medication Herbal products Vitamin and mineral supplements Throat lozenges

and the City of Fernie’s

Answers: C; A – Refrigerators use about 11% of a household’s total energy consumption; A - Recycling 1,000 kg of aluminum saves the equivalent of 10,000 L of gasoline; B; B; D WKH DYHUDJH WRLOHW XVHV DERXW OLWUHV SHU üXVK C.

blue bag program.

What You Need to Know About Glass Glass goes in the yellow bins marked “Glass Only”.

The only glass that is accepted for recycling is food-grade glass, which is anything that holds your food or beverages. This includes:

jam jars salsa jars

olive oil jars beverage bottles

Dishes, picture frames, trinkets, ceramics, light bulbs, window glass, etc. should NEVER go in the glass recycling bin. They contaminate the load and could cause the entire bin to be landûlled.

In the Elk Valley, the glass recycling bins are located at the Elkford Transfer Station, Elkford Camp Road, Sparwood Heights, next to Sparwood Esso, Sparwood Transfer Station, Silver Fox Pub, Fernie Transfer Station and Fernie Bottle Depot.

unused or expired medicines are collected each year

Both your alkaline and rechargeable batteries are recyclable.

From AAA to odd size batteries (like the ones in your portable phone), batteries can be recycled in many communities around the region.

The drop off locations for old batteries and cellphones in the Elk Valley include: City of Fernie Fernie Aquatic Centre

Fluorescent Lights Can Be Recycled LightRecycle is the new BC üuorescent light recycling program. Each recycling location will accept your burnt out compact üuorescent and tube üuorescent light bulbs, free of charge.

Proper disposal of medicines is important. Check dates on medications today - and call your local pharmacy to see if they are participating in the Return Program.

For more information visit www.medicationsreturn.ca.

Recycling Your Old Electronics

plastics #1-#6 go in the yellow bins in the RDEK

50,000 kg of

What’s NOT accepted: Cosmetics, skin care products Disinfectants/cleaners Contact lens solutions Sunscreen/suntan lotion Mouthwashes and toothpastes

cans, grocery bags and

Composting can reduce your household waste by: A) 10% C) 50% B) 25% D) 75%

In BC, over

Batteries Included

The electronics recycling depot for the Elk Valley is: Fernie Bottle Depot 1291 Ridgemont Avenue, Fernie Phone: 250-423-2009

The recycling program is for residentially generated lights only. The commercial and industrial recycling program is expected to begin later in 2012.

There are currently two LightRecycle Depots in the East Kootenay: Fernie Home Building Centre 300 Manitou Road Cranbrook Home Hardware 1901 McPhee Road

They accept a wide range of electronics, including: Televisions Speakers Computers & peripherals Earphones (keyboard, mouse) Microphones Monitors Telephones Fax machines Discman, walkman DVD/VHS players Radios Scanners Cable, satellite and PVR boxes Stereos, MP3 players & docking Vehicle audio and video systems stations

Incandescent lights cannot be recycled at this time. For more information, visit www.productcare.org

This year the program also expanded to include over 120 new items, such as:

The 2012 Earth Day challenges offer: Step-by-step guides that kids, teachers/ group leaders can use Tips and activities for individuals, groups and businesses to work together to keep commitments Chances to win great prizes and rewards.

Blenders Microwaves Food Processors and mixers Bread makers Coffee grinders Clocks and timers

Bathroom scales Ironing Boards and Irons Portable fans Portable heaters Automatic toothbrushes Electric razors

Learn More About Earth Day Earth Week is a great time to think about what each of us can do to make a positive difference. Reducing, reusing and recycling really add up. This year, they have two Earth Day challenges: Act for the Planet (for schools and students) and Take It Up for Earth Day (for everyone).

www.earthday.ca

For more information, contact the RDEK at 250-489-2791 or 1-888-478-7335

G5

G6 THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

go green ~ earth week 2012

Energizing the Valley You don’t have to look far to find examples of how communities in the Elk Valley are using energy in effective and efficient ways

F

rom the 766 individuals throughout the Elk Valley that are signed up to BC Hydro’s “Team PowerSmart”, to the local governments of Elkford, Sparwood and Fernie that are committed to reducing their own energy and emissions, our communities are taking steps towards becoming more sustainable and resilient.

For more in formation, contact Megan Lohmann: megan.lohmann@ gmail.com or 250.531.0690

The power of the sun is being used throughout the Elk Valley - solar aerators are used at the sewage lagoons in Elkford, new solar lighting has been installed along a pathway in Sparwood, and the Fernie Aquatic Centre captures energy from the sun to heat water for the

showers. Domestic solar hot water systems are popping up on houses throughout Fernie, and residents are seeing reductions in natural gas consumption as a result.

Changes are being made to buildings to improve efficiency - new lights are being installed in municipal buildings throughout the Elk Valley, and a heat recovery system is capturing the waste heat from the dehumidification process at the Fernie Aquatic Centre, cutting down significantly on the amount of natural gas being used to heat the pools.

Houses throughout the Elk Valley are undergoing major renovations, with improvements to insulation, windows, roofs and

fireplaces. A toilet exchange in Sparwood is encouraging the installation of efficient models to reduce communitywide water consumption.

The decision to improve the efficiency of your home or business may be motivated by the desire to ‘make a difference’, or it may be that you are looking to reduce monthly energy bills – to save money. Addressing efficiency can be as simple or complex as you’d like to make it. The great news is that there are all sorts of resources out there to support your commitment to becoming more energy efficient.

BC Hydro offers a variety of incentives to help offset the cost of more efficient lighting,

appliances, electronics, windows and more. Check out http://www.bchydro. com/rebates_savings/ to find out what rebates and coupons are available to help you make the switch to more efficient products.

programs change according to available funding. It’s worth checking the following link http://www.livesmartbc.ca/ incentives/index.html to take advantage of opportunities to save on home efficiency projects

Fortis BC offers a similar rebate program, with a focus on natural gas appliances.

Purchase an efficient clothes washer, and receive $75 back from Fortis! Check out: http://fortisbc.com/ NaturalGas/Homes/Offers/ Pages/default.aspx for more information about the rebates available.

If you live in Sparwood, rebates are currently available for the replacement of an inefficient toilet to a low-flow model. More information is available at http://www. sparwood.ca/rebates.

Keep an eye on the LiveSmart BC website for incentives available for homes and transportation. Incentive

We’re in an era of increasing energy prices and increasing demand for energy.

Becoming more efficient, and looking for new and creative ways to make and use energy will encourage more resilient communities.

We challenge you this Earth Day to change one thing in your home to reduce your energy consumption...

your energy bills will reward you!

Est. 1898

Check out full E-editions of The Free Press as it looks in print as well as all our special sections including Real estate.

Welcome to

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FREE

PRES

2nd Annual Best Ball Charity Golf Tournament All proceeds go towards the Elkford Early Childhood Development Committee

2012 TH E

x

FRE

EP RE SS

Fernie’s Winter Festival March 2 - 3 - 4

x

$250/team of 4 registration fee

One cart per team (based on availability)

Friday June 1st, 2012 Mountain Meadows Golf Course Elkford, BC

Brought to you by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce

The Free Press ~ March 2012

le edu Schnside I

x

Steak dinner included

@ www.thefreepress.ca

x x

Silent Auction Guaranteed FUN

To register a team please contact: Jennifer 250-865-7156 elkfordecd@gmail.com

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 1:00 ~ Registration & Silent Auction Opens 2:00 ~ Shot Gun Start 5:00 ~ Dinner 6:30 ~ Awards & Silent Auction Closes 7:00 ~ Poker Tournament Begins

Sponsored by:

The 2011 charity tournament raised over $7000 that was used to help support such programs and events such as: Mom and Me Parent and Tot Fun Times Kidnasium Books for Babies The Teddy Bear Picnic Cookie Decorating Toboggan Parties Winter in the Wild Preschool Dance

THE FREE PRESS, APRIL 2012

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go green ~ earth week 2012

Preserve the Elk River

Talking about and learning how we keep the Elk River drinkable, fishable, swimable

W

ater is our most valuable natural resource. All life needs it, yet we treat it like it will never stop running clean, always be available when we want it, with enough of it to share. At the same time as these expectations, our water faces unprecedented changes.

Think about human activity in our watershed today. There are 5 metallurgical coalmines with demanding markets and expansion plans as well as a new proposed coal mine under the Elk River. Summer tourism is growing and with the river as a premier fishing destination there is increased pressure on native Westslope cutthroat and bull trout. Urban expansion and development from an increasing workforce and amenity migrants contributes more chemicals and pollutants into the receiving environment. Add to this the uncertainty of climate change, retreating glaciers and changing snow conditions.

When precipitation falls in our valley on the peaks above, each droplet of water or melted snow drains into the Elk River, thus defining our watershed. Any action in one part of it will often result in impacts throughout.

Watersheds capture water, filter, store and determine its release. Humans impact

it and our activities have to be managed.

This is a tricky dance that combines scientific and technical information balanced with cultural and societal values.

It also takes energy and political willpower to keep our water clean.

What will it take to keep the Elk River drinkable, fishable and swimable and pass on the legacy of a healthy watershed to our children and grandchildren?

The Elk River Alliance (ERA), a community-based water group is taking a proactive approach to healthy water in our watershed by connecting people to the Elk River in three key ways: 1) Make information available to people about our watershed respecting the right for community to know about their water; 2) Get people out in the watershed wading into restoration and getting wet doing enhancement activities; 3) Increase community water literacy through education and gathering scientific water data, building our capacity to participate in decision making for a water sustainable future.

To ensure drinking water for humans, habitat for wildlife and protect our source of recreation and enjoyment, we need a plan. There is an old saying “fail to plan: plan to fail” and water quality and quantity

the issue to be solved in our pursuit of water sustainability. By analyzing these concerns we can investigate causes and suggest solutions. To implement solutions requires resources and commitment to feedback. Evaluating solutions depends on the feasibility, cost, effects and acceptability to the community. When decisions are made, we need to evaluate their success and modify the plan accordingly. The purpose of this watershed planning effort is to achieve an acceptable desired watershed future.

To prepare community for participating in this dialogue, ERA is hosting Elk River Watershed 101, on Water Wednesdays April 25 and May 2, 2012, 7pm-9pm.

Topics covered will be the Elk River watershed and function, freshwater ecology, issues/challenges facing our river, and understanding the watershed planning process.

These two sessions will take place at the Wildsight office, 891 - 2nd Avenue in Fernie. Pre registration required for both and it is FREE. For more information about Watershed 101 or the upcoming Watershed Dialogue call LeeAnne Walker, ERA Executive Director at (250) 423-3322 or email lee-anne@ elkriveralliance.ca.

Contact: Lee-Anne Walker • Elk River Alliance, Executive Director • leeanne@elkriveralliance.ca • www.elkriveralliance.ca 250.423.4306 office or 250.423.1682 cell

Sharing Seeds: our contribution to biodiversity and food security

O

is too important to people of the Elk Valley to knowingly harm it.

For this reason, ERA is hosting an Elk River Watershed Dialogue: Opportunity for Collaboration and Effective Action May 30 in Fernie’s Best Western. This conference will facilitate meaningful conversations that matter for the health of the Elk River watershed. By harnessing the resourcefulness in our diverse approaches to water thinking and management. This day promises interesting activities, using new tools, and innovative techniques. Dive into deep conversation, building relationships while kicking off an approach to watershed thinking and acting with the long-range goal of an Elk River Watershed Plan by 2015.

Building on the FLOW (Friends Living on Water) conversations held in Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford, March/April 2011, this dialogue will start with a summary of what we heard from Elk River watershed residents, community groups and industry.

Elk River community residents worked on a vision, issues and priorities for action during the FLOW Conversations (to see the full summary report go to www. elkriveralliance.ca).

The Elk River needs a watershed strategy.

To start the process we must first identify

n a chilly Earth Day in 2006, the Fernie Community EcoGarden held its first Seedy Saturday in the gazebo at Rotary Park. Since then, EcoGarden members have presented their seed sharing events at the Griz Days craft fair and the Earth Day celebration every year.

Numbers of these community-based events are increasing every year in Canada.

Besides offering opportunities for gardeners to meet and to share seeds from their favorite vegetables, these initiatives support deeply vital issues of preserving genetic diversity and the security of our human food supply.

It is estimated that farmers produced about 80,000 species of plants before the advent of industrialized agriculture; now they rely on about 150. Since the beginning of the 20th century, about 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost worldwide.

This has resulted from a number of factors but, over the last two decades, there is one which may pose the greatest threat to our food supply. Large, multinational companies like Monsanto have been pursuing policies of buying out small seed companies, deleting many food varieties from catalogues and marketing their own hybrid and patented seeds. With growing resistance to their programs in Europe and North America, these companies are shifting their focus to agriculture in the developing world.

For us, this means that both home gardeners and farmers are increasingly forced to buy new seeds each year from these corporate sources. Often farmers are legally prevented from using their own saved seed for planting subsequent crops, because they had purchased patented seed.

Companies like Monsanto are also at the forefront of developing genetically modified crops, and wind pollination from GM plants to neighboring crops mean that, legally, the neighboring crops eventually will contain the proprietary genes. They are also trying to establish in the marketplace seeds which, when grown out, do not produce viable seed.

The results of these policies are indeed a frightening threat to world food supply.

Moreover, by becoming dependent on these companies for seed, our gardeners and farmers are at risk of losing the knowledge and techniques of traditional seed saving and plant propagation.

Seeds of Diversity Canada (www.seeds.ca ) is an organization comprised of ordinary Canadian gardeners who generously grow and offer seeds of their favorite food plants to other members. Started in 1988 with 140 seed varieties, their seed directory has grown to include 3,380 varieties in 2011. In addition to publishing journals and a seed-saving manual, they promote small seed companies producing heirloom, open-pollinated and organic varieties.

With seed swaps and seed-saving instruction, the Fernie Community EcoGarden (www.seeds.ca ) provides support to local gardeners who want to grow their own food and collect seeds for planting. At its events, locally grown seeds are shared and gardeners are encouraged to produce and share seeds. The resulting benefits of encouraging local growers are enormous to our community. Varieties that have adapted to our climate, grown without pesticides, herbicides and harmful fertilizers in home gardens can be shared or sold in farmers markets. All gardeners, no matter how small their gardens, can contribute to local, sustainable food production, and live the tradition of caring for the biodiversity of the world’s cultivated plants.

Got extra garden space? Want to garden but don’t have space? Shared gardens is the place to make the connections.

T

he Fernie Community EcoGarden has launched a new way for Elk Valley residents to garden more, a GardenShare program. Based on their AppleShare program that links tree owners with those that want to harvest fruit, the GardenShare program hopes to do the same for garden space in the area.

“More and more people are itching to Denise Holden tours through the EcoGarden get their hands in the soil and start gardening,” said Dawn Deydey, part of the Community EcoGarden advisory committee. “Due to rising food costs and the many benefits of eating locally grown foods, many more people in our community are planning to plant a garden this year.”

The SharedGardens project is partly a response to the success of the Fernie Community EcoGarden, which is filled to capacity each year. “We keep having to turn people, even though we doubled the number of our plots in 2009,” Deydey said.

The SharedGarden website can benefit both gardeners and those with space to share.

Many of our older gardeners just can’t handle the large gardens of their past. Some people travel so much throughout the summer and just can’t manage a garden on their own. The SharedGardens site helps make it possible to continue gardening by facilitating connections in our community between those that want gardens, and those that need help. In exchange for sharing some of your yard or garden space, you get the help you need.

Visit the webpage now at www.EcoGarden.ca/SharedGardens and allows people post their unused garden space, so hopeful gardeners can find it. It also has a section that explains how to make garden sharing go smoothly for those involved.

In addition to the benefits to gardeners and those who want to fill their empty yards, sharing gardens has several other benefits. It cuts down on greenhouse gases by limiting the travel to get your vegetables to your table. It connects you to family, friends and neighbors.

It helps you eat more fresh veggies and avoid pesticides.

Most important, Deydey said, is that yard sharing lays the groundwork for local food systems that are more resilient to fluctuating global economic trends. “Gardening increases our individual and community food security. It’s not only fun, it’s a step to a more secure future.”

For more information visit www.ecogarden.ca

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