Thursday, April 28, 2016

Earth Day 2016 in Kawartha Lakes

Rivera Park in Lindsay hosts more homes for wildlife and a water protecting shoreline thanks to Earth Day 2016 celebrations.





Thank you to all who came and helped get the work done!

2 classes of students from Queen Victoria Public School,  LCVI's Eco Committee, people from the neighbourhood, and volunteers from the community. We could not have got this project done with out you, and our local lakes, air, and animals thank you also!!





Together we planted 18 large trees! Once mature, those trees will absorb 864 pounds of Co2 per year- that is equivalent to driving 690 miles!! They will also provide homes for countless birds, shade to cool, and can absorb up to 1000 litres of rain water preventing it from entering the sewer system or river un treated with sediment.





We also naturalized approximately 75 feet of shoreline by planting native shrubs and grasses , which have a capacity to absorb and filter 35% more water than a mowed grass shoreline, and protecting our most cherished asset- our water bodies (or lakes and rivers)!





This project was made possible by The City of Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee  and The City of Kawartha Lakes Parks and Recreation department who maintains our many green spaces and parks in this city. Thanks goes out to Ryan Smith who worked on this project with us and will ensure everything planted here today will be cared for, for years to come.

Kawartha Conservation is also a partner on this project. Kawartha Conservation manages natural resource features that are essential for sustaining water quality and quantity, through watershed planning, stewardship, environmental monitoring and research, and management of conservation and natural areas. Big thanks to Holly and Becky who put allot of time into planning this event, and Kawartha Conservation also purchased the potted grasses and shrubs for the shoreline.

HydroOne purchased all of the large trees. Hydro One works with communities every year to plant trees to offset the pruning and cutting they do that ensures we have uninterrupted power services. Thanks to Evan Wharram who worked on this project. See the full story here.

The LandBetween, a non profit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving natural landscapes- in the land between,  which is an area of unique bio diversity between the Canadian Shield, the St Lawrence Lowlands, and the Boreal Forest. Thank you goes to Leora at The Land Between and RBC's Blue Water Project for purchasing the shrubs for the river’s edge and educational signage,  and for working closely with us on this initiative. 



Organizers from the left- Evan Wharram Hydro One, Julia Taylor Environmental Advisory Committee, Ryan Smith Parks and Rec CKL, Richard Holly Manager of Planning CKL, Becky Parker Kawartha Conservation, my daughter Danika and the top of my son Roscoe's head, and missing is Leora Berman from The Land Between and Holly Shipclark from Kawartha Conservation.

There she is- organizer Holly Shipclark from Kawartha Conservation


Big thanks also goes out to Lucas at Pine Needle Farms- a family run farm in Ponty Pool that specializes in native species, and for the past three or four years has always been able to pull together an order for me quickly for Earth Day events. They supplied the large trees and the bare root stock.


Richardson's Pine Needle Farm and city staff


Thanks to Grow Wild Nurseries from Omemee who supplied the perennials and potted grasses. Paul and his staff provide biological consulting, ecological restoration, ELC surveying and contract growing for native tree and plant restoration projects.


Grow Wild Native Plant Nursery 


Thank you to all of our partners! This event would not have been possible if it was not for all of them!

So why plant trees?

Why are trees so important? 

Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize soil, and give life to the world's wildlife. They also provide us with the material for tools and shelter. In some cases they even give us food.

Also on those plans is naturalizing shorelines.  Shorelines are often called the "ribbon of life." That's because they are critical to the ecological health of lakes and rivers. How you manage your shoreline can make a big difference, and a natural shoreline can provide many benefits, such as
·         Protecting water quality by reducing the amount of nutrients, bacteria, contaminants, and sediments that reach your lake or river
·         Reducing erosion and sedimentation that can impact fish spawning beds
·         Provide wildlife habitat for native species such as wild flowers, shrubs, birds, dragon flies, pollinators, and butterflies, as well as frogs and fish
·         And deter nuisance Canada Geese that can make a mess and contribute to elevated E.coli in the water.


So that is why, and how this event came to be, and we are very thankful to have the help of the community for this project-please come back to this park often and enjoy watching the plants and trees grow!




Thank you!
Julia Taylor

Friday, April 8, 2016

Hydro One, Kawartha Conservation, and The Land Between Sponsor Cities Earth Day Event






Why are trees so important? 


Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize soil, and give life to the world's wildlife. They also provide us with the material for tools and shelter. 
In some cases they even give us food.





Last year Hydro One was pruning trees in our neighbourhood; Great! Our service will not be disrupted by tree limbs falling on the lines...but pruning really was a nice way of putting it, they really were cutting down allot of trees, it really changed the whole landscape on our street and we were losing valuable tree cover that takes allot of time to replace and does allot of hard work for our clean country air and beautiful lakes.

So I tweeted.

I tweeted at Hydro One thanking them for protecting our service from interruptions and asked them if they would be replacing the lost tree cover.

They tweeted back.

They said that they worked with communities every year to replant trees. Excellent answer. I followed up with an email- after all we are a community, how could we help re plant those trees?

Well what do you know; they purchased us more than 200 trees seedlings! My children and I, along with anybody and everybody I could get spent a good part of the spring and summer planting those seedlings at Gamiing Nature Centre. Hydro One told me that if I could have a plan in place by next year we could do more- well turns out I like to plan and plant trees!

So this year thanks to The Cityof Kawartha Lakes, Kawartha Conservation, The Land Between, and Hydro One we invite you to join us at Rivera Park on Friday April 22cnd (Earth Day) to help us plant some trees and complete a shoreline restoration project. You can come at 930am until lunch or at 1pm until 3pm, dress for the weather and bring your refillable water bottle. 


Celebrate Earth Day this year by loving your lake!



Thanks to Richardson Pine Needle Farm for pulling together our order!

Some more information at the City's website


Please register!



Thanks for reading my blog and column.
Julia Taylor
@sogreenithurts
on Facebook

Monday, March 28, 2016

Gather The Women in Kawartha Lakes


Calling All Pleasant Point/Kennedy Bay/Snug Harbour Area Residents (Kawartha Lakes)


2016's Pleasant Point Community Clean Up will focus on the 1/4 mile of Snug Harbour Road between Pleasant Point Road and Kennedy Bay Road. 

Anybody that has travelled that stretch knows how badly it needs it. There is allot of wet, deep, and steep areas and ALLOT of garbage so we sure could use all of the help we can get!

Many Hands Make Lighter Work


Please  help us!

Sunday April 24th 2016
Meet at the corner of Snug Harbour/Pleasant Point Road at 10am
Wear rubber boots or hip waders and gloves, bring your refillable water battle and snacks if needed.
 Rain or shine.

See you there!



Julia Taylor
juliataylor@live.ca
705-201-1120

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Litter is Coming Out Of Hibernation in Kawartha Lakes




Aaah winter. So pretty. It covers up all of the garbage.





Unfortunately, now that the snow is melting away, all of that litter is re emerging. There just seems to be so much of it this time of year.

I got so sick of it one spring a few years ago that I did what the average engaged citizen would do. I complained. I wrote a letter to express my distaste over the amount of trash that was trashing up my neighbourhood.

And you know what that accomplished?

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Hmmph! Well, I never!



What I did next might shock you (reader discretion advised)



I cleaned it up myself!


Yup, garbage all garbagy, neighbourhood all cleany.


The thing is, I cared enough about it that I wanted to change it. So I figured I might as well do it myself because complaining wasn't doing anything except littering people's ears with garbage talk.

At first I remember hiding my garbage bag when people drove by. What would they think of me picking up garbage?

But I realized I wouldn't think twice about picking up garbage on my lawn. And this community is our collective lawn.

Being a steward to our community and our environment is a good deed, and adds value to everyone's lives.

So if the trash is bugging you, grab a bag and be proud to be a steward. You could even host a community clean up.

Did you know you can adopt your road, and the city will help you with supplies and landfill fee's? Check out your local service centre for details, or right here. You even get a fancy sign!




My daughter found 5 bucks picking up litter one day!  Stewardship pays!


"Be the change you want to see"-Mahatma Gandhi


As printed in the Kawartha Promoter as my column "It' Easy Being Green."


Thanks for reading my blog/column.
Julia Taylor
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or never miss a post by following me on twitter here

The sign I made for our clean up in 2015.

The litter collected at the 2015 clean up.




Saturday, March 5, 2016

More Ways to Recycle Better in Kawartha Lakes- Tips from the Recycling Facility Staff



The biggest complaint from the staff at the Material Recovery Centre is the rats!








Too bad I didn't get to see any- but I did learn a ton, and I'm eager to share it with you because I know how good it makes us feel to do the right thing and sort our recyclables- so we want to make sure we are doing it properly.



Here are the top 3 things 
we need to get better at...






Bags and all film plastic need to be put into one bag and tied tight, when it is loose it is hard to sort and gets caught in all the machinery so much of it wont be recycled.





Cleaning your recycling is the best thing to do, but rinsing it or at the minimum removing the food from it is what is needed- if you are sending your containers dirty- they are NOT being recycled. The number one culprit- peanut butter containers.





The machinery that sorts the recycling is done by weight, so if a water or pop bottle has liquid in it the machinery is not able to sort it properly and thus rendering the bottle not recyclable! Another reason to remove lids!!



Some other things I noticed and questions that were answered...


Q. Why cant we put our container recycling in plastic bags? 

A.  Because things get caught in the bags and then do not get recycled and can cause the machinery to malfunction. Also unfortunately allot more garbage gets put in with the recyclables when it is bagged, making allot more materials unrecoverable, and is also a health and safety issue for the employees- remember the rat thing!

Q. Why don't we have a green bin program in Kawartha   Lakes?

A.  Kawartha Lakes does not have the quantity of green waste to offer a program like this. The facilities needed to process green bin waste are expensive to build and require a certain amount of material to support them financially. City staff are constantly in talks with other municipalities to try and make a project like this go forward, but unfortunately they are not there yet- they encourage residents to compost in their backyards.


A Little something I noticed...
The glass pile.


In the glass pile I noticed a ton of can lids (the ones you use a can opener to get off). The glass pile goes to Guelph and is sorted more thoroughly- now I don't know if those lids eventually get recycled but I do know that more sorting and transporting equals more resources needed to recycle that product- so from now on when I open a can I will leave it attached so that the lid will remain with the can and has a better chance of being recovered.

I hope you learned as much as I did!

For more ways to recycle better in Kawartha Lakes check out my last blog post...

How To Recyle Properly In Kawartha Lakes


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Me with the container recycling before it heads to the line



Bailed materials


A look up to the manual sorting line


Poly coat- bailed

Poly coat- sorted pile

Material being put into the line for processing

Aluminium bailed

The reject pile.
The tour crew





Friday, February 26, 2016

Out With The Water- Where Our Water Goes in CKL



I was so happy to be able to have my first veggi patch when I moved back up to the Lakes. I grabbed a gardening book and started planning. 



When Joe got home he probably couldn't even understand what I was saying I was so excited, but he had to be the “Debbie Downer” and break the news to me that I could not put my plot where I wanted. See not only was this my first time having a property big enough for a garden, it was also my first property with a septic system.


He explained to me where the tank and weeping bed was and how it would be like fertilizing our garden with our, well...personal compost tea...He explained how everything that went into the septic came out, eventually, through the weeping system.I thought a septic filtered all of that stuff out?? Nope- all it does is hold the solids until they become liquid enough to make their way through a series of pipes into the ground, no filters, no magical ferries in it that takes out the germs and the soap, it basically goes right into the yard.



Well that got me thinking- what about the bleach I use to clean the bathroom?  I don’t want that going into the food I’m growing, and wait a minute- I don’t want that going into the lake I swim in either!




Investigating further I found that the DavidSuzuki Foundation has created a list called “The Dirty Dozen”. These are ingredients found in almost all household cleaners, laundry detergents, soaps, and personal care products that are not filtered out by municipal waste water stations or septic systems. They go directly back into our water table and have negative impacts on our natural eco systems.



Negative impacts on our drinking, swimming, fishing, and boating water!



So I made our home ‘chemical free’ by switching to eco labelled products. These products don’t have the ‘dirty dozen’ in them and have gone way up in effectiveness and way down in price in the past few years. Now I don’t have to worry about bleaching my vegetables or the lake.



Check out this super cheap, super easy, and super eco friendly laundry soap recipe- sorry no dish soap recipe, I tried once and I failed miserably!






This is the un edited version of my column in The Promoter.




Thanks so much for reading! 

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Then you will never miss a post:)

Julia Taylor

Friday, February 12, 2016

The 5 W's of Donating Gently Used Items in Kawartha Lakes


Ever wonder where to donate your gently used items in Kawartha Lakes?

Here is everything you need to know...you can even choose your favourite cause! The one thing all of these organizations have in common is that if things are dropped off that are not working or in poor condition- they have to pay to dump it, so please donate properly.


All organization names are clickable links to get more information...




Who
What
What Not
When
Where
Why

By The Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes
Antiques
Jewelry
Decor
Dishes
Books
Pet items
Nik naks
Purses
Scarves
Pashmina’s
Clothing
Shoes

Large furniture

Electronics
Tues-Fri
12-4

Sat
11-230

Or call to make arrangement
Front half of the old animal shelter

111 McLaughlin Rd, Lindsay

705-878-4618
To help protect and provide humane care for all of the animals of Kawartha Lakes.

By Women’s Resources




















Home decor
Bedding
Linens
Kitchen Ware
Dishes
Small appliances
Clothing
Shoes

Small Sports equipment
Large furniture

Toys

Baby Equipment

Protective   sports   equipment

Opened cleaners
Mon- Sat
10-4
50 Mary St W
Lindsay

705-878-5938
To ensure that abused women and their children can lead lives free of abuse and violence in Kawartha Lakes.

All proceeds go directly to women in need and supporting them- they also get free items from the store.


Baby clothing from preemie to 6x

Maternity clothing
Formula

Un opened baby food

Cribs (made after 1986)

Car seats (made after 2012)

Play Pens
Strollers
Diapers

Blankets and crib linens

Towels
Toys

Other baby equipment



Wedding dresses
Wedding items
Accessories
Shoes
Formal dresses
Prom dresses
Purses
Hair accessories
Vails
Baby equipment that is not CSA compliant

Stuffies

Maternity clothes that you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing


Mon-Wed
12-4

Thurs-Fri
10-2



























Tues 10-5
Wed 10-8
Thurs-Sat
10-5
Sun 1-5
241 Kent St W
Lindsay

705-878-8527

Please phone ahead to ensure equipment meets safety requirements and is acceptable.

















196 St David Street Unit#4
Lindsay

905-809-7806

ballroombeautyrecycled@gmail.com
To help women and teens in crisis pregnancy situations in Kawartha Lakes.

























A Not-for-profit organization that supports young parents, struggling youth and education. Funds raised go to current need and programs and support for other local organisations.


By Habitat for Humanity
Lumber
Trim
Paint
Tools
Electronics
Sports equipment

Work shoes/uniforms

Sinks and plumbing

Lighting and ceiling fans

Hardware
Furniture
Home decor
Kitchenware
Toilettes
Head boards
Kitchen cabinets

Large appliances working or not

Flooring
Seasonal decor

Windows (in frame only)

Doors
Electronic waste
Tubs

Clothing
Shoes

Mattress

baby equipment

Mon- Thurs 10-5

Fri- Sat
 830-5



50 Mary St W
Lindsay

705-880-4663

Will pick up if on main floor


Have a salvage team that will come to your home and remove good condition doors/fixtures/cabinets.
To help build decent, and affordable homes for low income families in Kawartha Lakes and offer them a hand up building wealth through home ownership.

Lindsay
Clothing
Shoes
Purses
Bedding

Good condition Furniture

House wares

Small kitchen appliances

Scrap metal

Working electronics


Mattresses
Toys

Baby equipment

Large appliances

Mon –Sat

930-4
30 Peel St
Lindsay

705-324-7771

Use back door for donations- buzz in.
To help share the love of Jesus Christ and meet the needs of humans.

By the Canadian Diabetes Association
Clothes
Shoes
Accessories
Linens
Towels
Draperies



Pick up Only
Kitchenware
Electronics
Tv’s under 27’’
Toys
Small appliances
Area rugs 5x7 max
Nik nak's


Large appliances

Furniture

Building supplies

Sofa bed’s

Baby equipment

Large play/game equipment

Carpet
Pet cages
BBQ’s

Hazardous Waste

Clothesline (pick up)

1-800-505-5525

Mum’s Mini Mart
Dunsford
Sturgeon Rd

Downeyville County Store
Sturgeon Road

Fenelon Falls Secondary School

Fenelon Falls UPI

Noble Storage Fenelon

Oakwood Corner Store

Scott Young Public School Omemee






Mac’s Milk on Angeline St William St N
Lindsay St S

Home Hardware on Kent St

Home Building Centre on Lindsay St S

St Dave’s Diner on HWY 36

Buttertarts and More on HWY 7

Knights Inn Motel on HWY 35 S

Macs Convenience Omemee

Little Britian Community Centre

Woodville Arena

Coby Variety and Dollar Store

Shell Gas Station Bobcaygeon

Cajun Tanz

Mckague’s Foodland Woodville
To help find a cure for diabetes and support those who live with diabetes.

Royal Garden Foodmart View Lake

Public Water Facility Norland

Millbrook Convienience

Janetville Supermarket

Manilla General Store

Kinmount Legion

Manilla General Store

Foodland Bobcaygeon

Bobcaygeon Public School

Cutlery
Light bulbs

Household toiletries (cleaning and kitchen supplies) half bottles acceptable

Pillows and pillow cases

Socks (preferably new)
Slippers
Mittens
Hats
Scarves


Small fans
Small alarm clocks

Personal hygiene and care items for women and men- must be new

Blankets/bedding

Food (non perishables and fresh)

Clothing

Large appliances

Large furniture

Beds
Mattresses

Shoes
Toys
Stuffies
Games

Baby equipment 
Mon-Fri
830-430
64 Lindsay St S
Lindsay

705-328-0905


APCH helps people get back into homes and at times has clients with different needs to furnish their new places- please call to see if there is any current wish lists, or follow them on twitter

Front Desk
@APCHLindsay
To help provide shelter and support services to the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in Kawartha Lakes.
Care and Share
House ware
Clothing
Furniture
Small appliances
Books and media
Seasonal decor
Decor
Antiques
Collectibles
Dishes (only sets)
Large Appliances
Electronics


Toys
Mattresses
Toys

Baby Equipment




Mon-Sat
930-6
55 Angeline St N
Beside Giant Tiger

705-344-1976

Free pick up.
Help those in need and keep usable items out of the landfill.

Donate directly to families in crisis situations.

Fenelon Falls
Clothes
Shoes
Home decor
Kitchenware
Sports Equipment
Seasonal decor
Media and Books
Small Appliances
Furniture

Antiques and collectibles

Jewelry
Toys
Linens
Draperies/material
Electronics
Electronic waste

Mattresses

Baby equipment

Carpets
BBQ’s
Hazardous Waste

Tires and auto parts

Large appliances

Bunk beds

Blinds

Paint


Mon- Thurs
9-6

Friday
9-9

Saturday
9-6
91 Murray Street
Fenelon Falls

705-887-1490
To help share the love of Jesus Christ and meet the needs of humans.

At the Fenelon Landfill
Furniture
Dishes
Kitchenware
Books and media
Miscellaneous items

Novelty vintage items and collectibles
Electronics
Appliances
Mon, Wed, Sat

9-5


341 Mark Road
Cameron

705-324-9411

1-888-822-2225
To help extend the life of the landfill and make usable items destined for the garbage available to the public.


Thanks for reading my blog! Don't miss a post by following me...

Julia Taylor
@soGREENithurts
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