The E-Update – September 4, 2007

*The E-Update � September 4, 2007*
The Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network
A Network of more than 30 Member Groups
Many Voices for the Environment

*In this E-update you will find: *
1. First Letter Writing Session: Calling All Environmental Voters!
2. Send Us Your Volunteer Opportunities
3.* *It is Time To Celebrate!! � *OCEAN NET DAY* September 21, 2007
4. Anti-Idling at MUN � seeking volunteers
5.* *Beaches World Tour 2007
6. President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service, Memorial
University
7. Project Green Looking for Bikes for BikeShare Program
8. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
9. Much Ado about Mushrooms�and More!
10. Fall Plant Sale at MUN Botanical Garden
11. *Art Show at MUN Botanical Garden*
12. Green Speak Radio, Monday’s 4-5pm, 93.5FM or www.chmr.ca
13. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Invasive Alien Species: Workshop at MUN
Botanical Garden
14. Get Outside � it’s Good for You! � David Suzuki
* A Message for the NLEN Members
** A message to Readers of the NLEN E-update
*** What is the NLEN about?
**** For more information.
*Now for the details: *
1. Letter Writing Session: Calling All Environmental Voters!
In light of the upcoming provincial election, the Northeast Avalon
Sierra
Club group would like to host the first NLEN letter writing session to
ask
candidates how their platforms address the voters’ environmental
concerns. A
template letter will be provided with the message that the environment
is a
top priority for provincial voters and should be a key focus of this
campaign.
Letter writers will be encouraged to customize their own letters
around
their own specific interests and concerns, and contact information will
be
provided for all candidates so that we can send the letters to any or
all of
them, depending on the issue. Media contact lists will be available if
people are also inspired to write a letter to the editor.
This session is open to everyone including member groups and the
general
public. Paper, writing utensils and refreshments will be provided. Come
and
bring friends!
*Where*: Environmental Gathering Place Boardroom, 172 Military Road
*When*: Tuesday, September 18 at 7:30 pm
*Who*: NLEN Member Groups, Friends, Family, General Public
2. Send Us Your Volunteer Opportunities!
Dear members,
One of the services the NLEN is offering is a volunteer database where
your
volunteer needs can be posted. Since high school students are now
required
to complete a number of volunteer hours before graduating from high
school,
there will now be a bigger pool of potential volunteers. If you have
any
volunteer opportunities you need to fill, please e-mail the information
below and we will shortly be posting the database on our website.
Organization
Name
Contact Information (address, phone number, fax, e-mail, etc.)
Contact Person
Volunteer
Title
Duties
Times or Number of Hours (e.g. 2 hrs. per week)
Length of commitment (e.g. minimum 3 month commitment)
Location (on-site, off-site, virtual volunteer)
High School Student Opportunity
Previous Experience Required
Certificate of Conduct Required
Orientation and/or Training Provided
Age Restrictions (if applicable)
Equipment Required
Vehicle Access Required
Wheelchair Accessible Site
Other Information if relevant
Thank you,
Annie Antonenko
*3. It is Time To Celebrate!! � OCEAN NET DAY September 21, 2007*
On September 13, 2004 Premier Danny Williams signed a proclamation
honoring
the third Friday in September as Ocean Net Day to “celebrate the legacy
of
proactive, positive environmental “education by action” initiated by
Ocean
Net and continued throughout the province by its board, network of
volunteers and the people of the province.”
We are proud to announce that mere days ago, in Port Saunders / Port
aux
Choix, Maurice Ryan partnered with Ocean Net to clean up 15 km of
coastline!
In celebration of Ocean Net Day, 14 beaches were cleaned by a host of
community volunteers. We are so proud of Maurice’s efforts over the
years
to take action and become such a great example to communities across
the
province!
Ocean Net’s NL Environmental Action Team (NEAT) Program will also be
getting in on the action! NEAT Regional Coordinators will be
mobilizing
their volunteer teams for the 3rd Annual Ocean Net Day. Our goal is to
educate by action, empower communities, and create change in how we
look at
our coastal marine environment � the environment that is the backbone
to our
province’s economy and our growing billion dollar tourism industry.
*What
we do to our environment, we do to ourselves* � and the future
prosperity of
our communities will reflect how well we can take stewardship of the
coastal
marine environment that has given so much to our culture, history, and
economy.
JOIN with Ocean Net! Contact us on how YOU can get involved in the
province-wide OCEAN NET DAY on Friday, September 21st.
*Ocean Net*
276-A Water St. | St. John’s, NL | A1C 1B7
(T) 709.753.3680 (F) 709.753.4679 (E) info@oceannet.ca (W)
www.oceannet.ca
* *
*4.* *Anti-Idling at MUN � seeking volunteers*
What: Anti-Idling Campaign
Where: Memorial University St. John’s campus
Who: Sustainability Office, Coordinator Shelley Pardy
When: September 10-14, 3-6pm
The Sustainability Office of Memorial University was opened in January
2007
and has as its broad mandate to ‘make MUN green’. The office is working
with
numerous stakeholders within the university community on a number of
initiatives and projects to achieve this goal.
The Sustainability Office is currently developing a short-term
*Anti-Idling
Campaign* for the St. John’s campus to complement permanent signage
that was
recently placed on the campus, and targeting those drivers that keep
their
cars idling while waiting to pick up passengers.
The Anti-Idling Campaign will take place during the week of September
10-14
from 3-6pm each day. The campaign will involve approaching drivers to
let
them know they are in an Anti-Idling Zone and to give them an
information
pamphlet outlining cost and environmental savings to not idling.
The Anti-Idling initiative is very important and with YOUR HELP this
short-term campaign can really make a long-term difference to making
MUN a
sustainable institution, and to keeping unnecessary greenhouse gases
out of
the atmosphere. All volunteers will receive a sustainability gift as a
thank
you.
To volunteer for this important initiative (for 2 or 20 hours!) please
contact the Sustainability Coordinator Shelley Pardy by emailing
sustain@mun.ca or by calling 737-2637.
*5. Beaches World Tour 2007*
We are pleased to invite you to the *Beaches World Tour 2007*, taking
place
Tuesday, October 9th to Thursday, October 11th at the Marriott Downtown
Eaton Centre Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Please email
nlen.ed@gmail.com to receive the *brochure* for additional information,
and
visit www.blueflag.ca for full conference details and online
registration.
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this exciting and
informative
event! Beaches World Tour is a conference on best practices and key
issues
at beaches and coastal areas around the world. Panel discussions will
address health and water quality, coastal zone management and
sustainable
tourism, equity and access to coastal resources, and impacts of climate
change on coastal areas. Hear about best practices at specific beaches
in
over 20 countries and how the Blue Flag program has helped to improve
coastal environments.
Opening keynote speeches will be made by Murray Simpson (Research
Scientist
at the Centre for the Environment, Oxford University) on the impacts of
climate change on sustainable coastal tourism, and Lara Hansen (Chief
Climate Change Scientist, WWF International) on the effects of climate
change on ocean and coastal habitats.
Other noteworthy presentations will be made by Calum McPhail (Scottish
Environmental Protection Agency) speaking on Bathing Water Signage and
predictive water quality models in Scotland; Donna Francy (US
Geological
Survey) describing *predictive and rapid methods to provide ‘nowcasts’
of
bacterial levels at Great Lakes beaches*; and Blue Flag representatives
from
numerous countries discussing Blue Flag coastal management initiatives
and
successes at beaches around the world.
The conference will include an evening reception, refreshment breaks,
daily
luncheons, and one conference dinner.We encourage you to make your
travel
and accommodation arrangements as soon as possible. A block of rooms
has
been reserved under the name ‘Environmental Defence October Conference’
at a
special rate of $169 per night. Please call the Toronto Marriott
Downtown
Eaton Centre Hotel at 1-800-905-0667 before *September 17th, 2007* in
order
to receive this special rate. Additional information is available at
www.blueflag.ca
We look forward to seeing you in Toronto!
*Blue Flag Canada*
Program of Environmental Defence
317 Adelaide St. W., Suite 705
Toronto, ON M5V 1P9
*Tel:* 1-866-420-8477 (only in Canada), or
416-323-9521, ext. 233
*Fax:* 416-323-9301
*Email:* jfrye@environmentaldefence.ca
*6. **President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service, Memorial
University � Deadline September 17, 2007*
*Nominate someone from your organization!*
The President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service is presented
each
year in recognition of Memorial University employees (faculty or staff)
who
have demonstrated outstanding community service.
Nominees for the award must have a sustained pattern of exceptional
voluntary contributions to communities and/or community organizations.
These contributions must be beyond what might normally be considered
academic or professional service, and must have had a significant
impact
upon those organizations or on the communities.
Nominees must be full-time employees with a minimum of five years of
continuous service and have made the cited community contributions
during
their period of employment at Memorial University. The nominees must
not
have been previous winners of the award.
——————————
– *Award*
The award, bestowed in recognition of outstanding community service,
consists of a personalized scroll and a monetary award of $1,000. The
names
of award recipients will be publicly displayed together with those of
other
university-wide award winners. No more than two awards will be given in
any
year.
– *Criteria*
� Nominees for the award must have a sustained pattern of exceptional
voluntary contributions to communities and/or community organizations.
These
contributions must be beyond what might normally be considered academic
or
professional service, and must have had a significant impact upon those
organizations or on the communities;
� Nominees must be full-time employees (faculty or staff) with a
minimum of
five years of continuous service and have made the cited community
contributions during their period of employment at Memorial University.
For more info, visit:
http://www.mun.ca/marcomm/community_service_award.php
* *
*7. Project Green Looking for Bikes for BikeShare Program*
MUN Project Green is gearing up for the launch of our exciting new
BikeShare
project! We’d love to add to our collection of bikes so that we can
offer
the service to as many campus community members as possible. If you
have an
extra bike lying around the basement or garage, please send us an email
at
enviro@mun.ca We take all kinds of bikes as long as they are in decent
condition. We’ll also take bike parts! Stay tuned in the next few weeks
for
the announcement of our launch. There’ll be lots of fun bike-related
stuff
happening at the university!
**
*8. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup*
September 15-23, 2007
Help us protect Canada’s shorelines.
Every September, Canadians from all walks of life take action to
restore the
health of their local shorelines.
Be a part of the solution.
Register today to organize or join a shoreline cleanup in your
community.
It’s easy, it’s fun and it’s good for our environment. Shoreline
cleanup
supplies and support materials are provided *free of charge*.
To get involved go to www.vanaqua.org/cleanup or call (toll free)
1-877-427-2422.
*9.* *Much Ado about Mushrooms�and More!*
The Brother Brennan Environmental Education Centre is pleased to be
hosting the first of what we hope will be a series of “MUCH ADO ABOUT
……” weekends. The first is Much Ado About MUSHROOMS, an intensive
weekend (October 12 to 14, 2007) of lectures, workshops and field
excursions under the instruction of Dr Andrus Voitk. It is intended for
beginners who wish to learn to identify many of Newfoundland’s
beautiful
mushrooms. The fee of $170 (with discounts for students and children)
includes all meals, accommodation and instruction.
To receive the information, the program, registration form, waiver and
kit
list for the course, please email nlen.ed@gmail.com.
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””‘”””””
Helen Spencer
Environmental Education Teacher
116 Strawberry Marsh Road
St John’s, NL
A1B 2V5
*10. Fall Plant Sale* *at MUN Botanical Garden*
Fall plant sale on Saturday, September 8, 10 a.m. at MUN Botanical
Garden,
located at 306 Mount Scio Road. Offered by the Friends of MUN
Botanical
Garden (FOG).
This popular fundraiser, offered every fall by the Friends of the
Garden,
will start at 10 a.m. sharp, Saturday, September 8. Most plants are
usually
sold by 12 noon, so come early for a good selection.
The sale usually features a good selection of heaths, heathers, shrubs,
and
perennials suitable for our local area, as well as some unusual
rhododendrons. This event is offered by the volunteer members of the
Friends
of the Garden (FOG). All proceeds raised help support the Garden.
Plant
sale lists will not be available until the day before the sale. For
more
information, please call 737-8590 or visit *www.mun.ca/botgarden*.
*11. **Art Show at MUN Botanical Garden*
*Painting in The Garden � MUN Botanical Garden Art Group Exhibition**
*Art works related to nature � plants, scenery, etc. in watercolour,
pastel,
oil, acrylic, gouache, pen and ink, and mixed media. On display at MUN
Botanical Garden from Friday, September 7 to Sunday, September 23,
2007. For
more information on the art show, please contact Joyce Cho (telephone:
722-4278, e-mail: cho@physics.mun.ca).
Exhibit hours may vary due to private bookings. Please call the Garden
at
737-8590 for more information.
*12. Green Speak Radio, Mondays 4-5pm, 93.5FM or www.chmr.ca*
Beginning next week Green Speak Radio airs on a new day! Starting
September
11 GSR will air from 4-5pm on Tuesdays every week (not Monday), on
93.5FMCHMR or
www.chmr.ca
* *
*13.* *Newfoundland and Labrador’s Invasive Alien Species: Workshop at
MUN
Botanical Garden*
Think you’re the only one whose garden is being taken over by that big
“bamboo-like” plant? If so, then you need to join us on September 22
from 9
to 12 at the MUN Botanical Garden for an informative session on
invasive
alien plants. Due to the overwhelming success of our first workshop,
we’ve
decided to have a second. Join us and learn about the little (and
sometimes
enormous) green aliens creeping around in your back yard and wilderness
areas. Help us fight back with our “Eyes Across the Province”
monitoring
campaign. Pre-registration is required. To receive more information
call
Costa or Joy at 737-8590 or visit the Garden’s website at
www.mun.ca/botgarden. Cost is $10 per person and a light snack will be
provided.
Become the ‘eyes across the province’ and take a closer look at some of
the
“green aliens” that may be invading our natural areas. Find out how
these
alien species are spreading. Learn about using native trees and shrubs
to
beautify your own garden. Encounter some of our “Canadian Bandits” and
learn how you can help prevent an invasion of alien species
*14. Get Outside � it’s Good for You! � David Suzuki*
When your mom told you to go outside and play – she really did know
what was
best for you. Just being outdoors or having access to the natural world
has
been proven to have physical and mental health benefits. And new
research
has now found that the more diverse and vibrant an ecosystem is, the
healthier it is for us.
One of my personal favourite places in the world is Haida Gwaii – the
Queen
Charlotte Islands – off the coast of British Columbia. The diversity of
life
there in the cold nutrient-rich waters, on the shorelines and in the
old-growth forests, is simply astonishing. I’m hardly alone. Lodges and
retreats are popping up all along B.C.’s pristine mid and north coast
as
people search for places to get away from the stress of their everyday
lives.
People gravitate to these kinds of places, they usually say, because
they
are beautiful, peaceful, or relaxing. Sometimes they will venture as
far as
calling experiences with these ecosystems uplifting, moving – even
spiritual. For others, it’s a feeling that’s difficult to describe in
words,
but being in nature just somehow makes them feel better.
Although many people may not realize it, there’s actual biological
value in
having experiences with nature, value that is measurable and
quantifiable.
It’s long been established that general health, mental fatigue and
physical
injury all recover faster when patients have access to natural areas.
Studies have shown, for example, that surgery patients recover more
quickly
when they have views of natural landscapes outside their windows,
rather
than views of bricks and concrete.
Some people attribute this connection with nature to the perceived
benefits
of having access to fresh air and fewer distractions. But it actually
goes
much deeper. Famed Harvard ecologist E. O. Wilson calls this connection
to
the natural world biophilia. It’s a term he coined and it simply means
that
he believes humans have an innate kinship with other living things.
So I’m sure Dr. Wilson wasn’t the least bit surprised by a recent study
published in the science journal Biology Letters. The study found that
the
psychological benefits of urban greenspaces increase with the diversity
of
life found in them. Researchers interviewed more than 300 park-goers in
the
medium-sized city of Sheffield, England, and compared their answers to
an
analysis of the species richness, or biodiversity, of their parks.
They found that while the overall size of a park influenced the
visitor’s
perception of how it made them feel, even more important was the
diversity
of life. Bigger parks made people feel better, yes. But species-rich
parks
were even more beneficial. In fact, the researchers report that
visitors to
the greenspaces were actually able to consciously perceive differences
in
species diversity – especially with plants.
As it turns out, when it comes to our health and well-being not all
parks
are created equal. Simply providing a grass field, for example, is
likely to
be far less beneficial than a natural area with a greater diversity of
plant
and animal life. We now know that humans are able to, consciously or
otherwise, judge the overall diversity and vibrancy of greenspaces.
What’s
more, the more diverse and vibrant those ecosystems are, the greater
their
value to humanity in terms of our own personal health and well being.
With three quarters of Canadians now living in urban areas, we must
hope
that our city planners and municipal politicians are paying attention
to
this kind of research. It underscores the need to both protect our most
diverse ecosystems, and to design our cities to have larger and more
green
spaces. Ultimately, our health depends on it.
Take the Nature Challenge and learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.
* *
** A Message for NLEN Members*
This E-update is intended to announce your meetings and showcase your
interests and events. Please send notices by Friday 10 a.m. as a
paragraph
with 12 point font, no bold/italics/underline/all caps, single spaced
and
left hand justified. Notices less than 200 words, and with no
attachments,
are best.
* *
*** A Message to Readers of the NLEN E-update*
Attempts are made to cover a range of environmental issues and events.
You
are welcome to contribute information by Friday 10 a.m. At this time
not
all submissions are guaranteed.
* *
**** What is the NLEN about?*
The NLEN (www.nlen.ca) is a network of more than 30 member groups and
associates throughout the province. The goal of the NLEN is to
facilitate
communication between non-government environmental organizations, and
assist
members with initiatives through non-advocacy means. Member groups
operate
to conserve, protect or restore the Earth’s ecosystem through action,
education; stewardship and/or modeling ecologically sound ways of life.
All
provinces and the Yukon have environmental networks funded by the
Canadian
Environment Network. Visit CEN /RCEN at www.cen-rce.org.
The NLEN recognizes the link between environment and health and
therefore is
a member of the Environmental Health Working Group of the Provincial
Wellness Advisory Council as well as a member of the Wellness Coalition
�
St. John’s Region and a member of its’ Healthy Environments
Sub-Committee.
The NLEN is located on the third floor of the Environmental Gathering
Place,
sharing space with 5 environmental groups including: Protected Areas
Association, www.paanl.org; Northeast Avalon Coastal Action Program,
www.naacap.ca; Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-NL,
www.cpawsnl.org ;
and the Atlantic Canada Sustainable Energy Coalition.
* *
***** For information about the environment, NLEN mandate and
membership, or
this E-update (comments, contributions, subscribe, unsubscribe,
preference
for E-update with NO attachments) contact: *
—
Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network (NLEN)
Network of more than 30 Member Groups and Associates � “Many Voices for
the
Environment”
Katie Temple
Executive Director
ph:709-753-7898, fx:709-726-2764
Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network, www.nlen.ca
Located at the Environmental Gathering Place
172 Military Road
P.O.Box 5125, Stn.C
St. John’s, NL
A1C 5M3
The NLEN is a member of the Wellness Coalition – St. John’s Region and
recognizes the link between environment and health. The NLEN also
recognizes
the link between environment and adventure tourism. All provinces and
the
Yukon have Environment Networks, funded by the Canadian Environment
Network.