The NLEN E-Update – August 4, 2008

The E-UPDATE – August 4, 2008

The Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network
A Network of More Than 40 Member Groups: Many Voices for the Environment

In this E-update you will find:

EVENTS

1. Protected Areas Association Second Annual Glen Davis Memorial Walk, August 6
2. Wild Rose Rally and Ride, August 9 – 10
3. Ecotopia: Youth in Action, August 25 – 28
4. Training for Adopt a River Program, September 22 – 24
5. Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) Conference, September 25 – 28
6. Much Ado About Mushrooms Workshop, October 3 – 5
7. Ocean Net’s Camp Starfish

OPPORTUNITIES

8. Employment Opportunity – Biology Intern

9. Environmental Damages Fund

10. Volunteer Opportunity with Oxfam

11. Cool Cities Campaign – Get Involved!

12. Community Development and Recreation Service Learning Field Placement 

NEWS
 
13. Ocean Net Volunteers Continue Cleanup Activities Throughout Province
14. If You Can’t Get Local Organic-What then? – Lezlie Lowe, The Coast

EVENTS 

1. Protected Areas Association Second Annual Glen Davis Memorial Walk, August 6

This year the event will be an airplane ride into the forests on the Great Northern Peninsula. The purpose of this trip is to raise awareness about the importance of this untouched wilderness. 

This will be a trip of a lifetime for many people, and sure to be an inspiring experience. If you are interested in joining us, please give us a call – we are hoping to keep participants’ costs to a minimum.

Phone: 726 2603

2. Wild Rose Rally and Ride, August 9 – 10

Come along to the St. John’s Racing and Entertainment Centre on Aug 9 for the Wild Rose Rally and Ride.

 

This is a fundraising event where motorcycle enthusiasts raise funds for wilderness protection and donate to Protected Areas Association.  The event is organized and run by East Rider Inc. (THANK YOU!) 

Day one is a Rally with entertainment, a Bike show etc. Day two is the ride.

To find out more about the rally, or to raise funds and participate in the ride, contact:
East Rider Inc. 
709-738-3278
eastrider2005@yahoo.ca

 

See pictures learn more on our Facebook page and Website!

http://www.paanl.org

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20185640168

3. Ecotopia: Youth in Action, August 25 – 28

Do you love the environment? Do you want a living, breathing experience of living sustainability? Then ECOTOPIA is for you!

Ecotopia is a 4-day event of environmental gathering for Atlantic youth. Join us and take part in skill building workshops on leadership, ecological footprint, climate change, and MUCH MORE!

Who: Youth ages 14-18

What: Ecotopia! Youth in ACTION!                    

Where: St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia

When: August 25-28

For more information, contact us!

Education Program Facilitator: Maryam Adrangi

E-mail: maryama@sierraclub.ca

Telephone: (902) 444-3113

Fax: (902) 444-3116

 

Register at:

http://www.sierraclub.ca/atlantic/getinvolved/events/ecotopia/ecotopia_home.htm

 

 4. Training for Adopt a River Program, September 22 – 24

 

Are you interested in participating in a free two-day training of the Adopt a River program in NF September 22 to 24, just before EECOM Conference?

Nathalie Piedboeuf (CVRB), Katja Rodriguez from the Canadian Museum of Nature and Thérèse Baribeau from Environment Canada’s Biosphère, will be delivering a two day training session on the Adopt a River program. The training will take place at Rocky Harbour, Gros Morne National Park, on the 22nd in the evening, 23rd and 24th, 2008.

The training is free but each participants assume his own expenses (travel, hotel, meals…) Space is available on a first come, first serve basis.

Please register before the 1st of August 08, with Katja Rogriguez, Krodriguez@mus-nature.ca or 613-566-4708.

Please contact nlen.ed@gmail.com to a draft training agenda for details of the two days.

For more information on Adopt a River visit: www.wmyp.ca Please share this invitation with your contacts.

 

5. Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) Conference, September 25 – 28

EECOM 2008 Conference – Where Continents Collided and World Heritage Wonders are in Your Backyard!

September 25-28, 2008 ~ Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

Keynote speakers include Bob McDonald, host of CBC’s Quirks & Quarks, Sarah Harmer, co-founder of PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land), and Father John McCarthy, recipient of the 2002 Canadian Environment Awards Gold Medal. Bob, Sarah, Father John and environmental practitioners, learners, teachers and students from across the country will gather in Gros Morne
National Park this fall! We’ve got a great line-up of traditional musicians that will keep you dancing ’til all hours’, pre and post conference activities that’ll take you on journeys to the heart and soul of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, aboriginal storytellers to share their stories of place and maybe a Viking or two to keep things in order!

**Space is limited and popular workshop sessions are filling up quickly – register today to avoid disappointment! www.eecom2008.com

**WOW! – Workshop on Wheels (aka., the EECOM “Research Symposium”) Wednesday the 24th of September  http://www.eecom2008.com/en/33

**Special seats sales available with Westjet! $99 from Toronto to Deer Lake!!http://www.westjet.com/

 

6. Much Ado About Mushrooms Workshop, October 3 – 5

Once again the Brother Brennan Environmental Education Centre will be hosting a “Much Ado About Mushrooms” week-end residential workshop under the tuition of Dr Andrus Voitk author of “A little illustrated book of Common Mushrooms of NL” and organizer of the annual Newfoundland mushroom foray.

The workshop is for beginners or those with some experience who wish to learn more about identifying local fungus. The Brother Brennan Centre is located in the Avalon Forest near Deer Park, Salmonier Line, an ideal location for combining classroom studies with foraging in the woods. The course will be a combination of lectures, foraging and hands-on workshops and will end with a hike to collect edible mushrooms to take home. The cost of $175 includes tuition, accommodation and all meals.

For more information and registration forms visit www.brotherbrennancentre.ca or call Lisa VanNostrand at 895-1085

7. Ocean Net’s Camp Starfish

In communities throughout Newfoundland and Labra
dor, Ocean Net continues to provide a unique summer program designed as an “educational and fun” experience for children ages 8-12.  Named by the children,  “Camp Starfish” has provided an environmental experience for several hundred young people over the past eight years in Bonavista, Bell Island, Burgeo, Westport, Whiteway, and Corner Brook, with additional one-day “camps” led by our own staff in several communities, helping to share the wonders of the marine environment with the children of the province.

Developed as a way to educate children through a creative program  that includes hands-on learning tools to empower them to become young stewards of the oceans in their own schools and communities.

Many fun events are built into the program, as are visits to the local beach and shoreline for the traditional Ocean Net cleanup and beach BBQ!

These camps can run from a day-long interactive experience as part of a community’s summer recreation program, to a six-week initiative that incorporates “learning and fun” built around the marine environment.  Camp Counsellors are hired in their own communities to supervise and lead activities over the course of the six-week program, providing summer jobs in mainly rural communities of the province.

Another very positive outcome of Ocean Net’s new partnership with the Marine Institute is the expansion of the “Camp Starfish” concept to include a whole new generation of young people.  On a go-forward basis, this partnership will allow Ocean Net to offer this unique learning experience in other areas of the province – and communities are already registering for inclusion in the program for 2009. 

 Ocean Net’s archives contain a wealth of ocean stories, beautifully designed “ocean alphabet” projects, crafts, painted rock – and the list goes on.  It’s a veritable treasure trove that illustrates the concern for the marine environment shown by these young people.  In fact, a dream of this organization is to publish a children’s book based on the concept of its “Ocean Alphabet” developed as part of the “Camp Starfish” program.

 

For more information, or to register your community to be part of our exciting “Camp Starfish” experience in 2009, contact Ocean Net at 709.753.3680 or email us at info@oceannet.ca

 “Remember Every Day is Oceans Day at Ocean Net”

OPPORTUNITIES

8. Employment Opportunity – Biology Intern

 
In partnership with Memorial University’s Community-University Research for Recovery Alliance (CURRA) 

Duties will include assisting graduate student conducting research on the American lobster. Position will be based from the Ocean Sciences Centre in St John’s with some field work in the Bonne Bay area.   Field travel costs will be covered.

The internship includes a field and a laboratory component.  Work involves; post-processing and data entry of historical and current lobster biological information, assessment and processing of juvenile lobster settlement data, and data on lobster Traditional Ecological Knowledge from local fishers.  If interested there is opportunity for an honours project.  Scientific Diving Certification would be desirable but is not required.

Applicants must have good communication skills and be able to work independently and as a team member. Applicants must have good leadership, observational, time management and computer skills. Applicants should have an interest in conservation of the environment, community stewardship and education, cultural heritage and community development.

Interns will follow all Memorial University/CURRA protocols related to working on boats and diving. Diving policy requires that all divers have l) certified diving course, 2) First Aid/CPR certification and 3) DAN Oxygen provider certification.  Competence in the water will also be evaluated prior to any dive taking place.   Boating safety training/orientation is required before working on boats.  This training will be provided through the Bonne Bay Marine Station.

Salary is $400.00 per week for twelve weeks. Internship is scheduled to run between September 1 to November 21, 2008. All applicants for the above positions will be youth (under 30 years of age).

Application Deadline is Friday August 8, 2008.

Please apply with cover letter, resume and three references. For more information on Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador please visit www.conservationcorps.nf.ca

 Applications should be forwarded to:

 
Darren Feltham, Director of Programs
Conservation Corps Newfoundland & Labrador
267 Duckworth Street
St. John’s, NL, A1C 1G9

Tel: (709) 729-7266
Fax: (709) 729-7270

Email: dfeltham@conservationcorps.nf.ca

Website: www.conservationcorps.nf.ca
Website: www.bonnebay.ca

 

9. Environmental Damages Fund

For your interest, the next deadline for applications to the Environmental Damages Fund is August 31, 2008.  For more information on funds available in NL and application requirements, please consult the EDF website:  http://www.ec.gc.ca/edf-fde/.  In addition, you can also call the Environment Canada office directly at 1-800-663-5755 or (902) 426-2266.  Drafts will be accepted for review up until August 15th, 2008.

10. Volunteer Opportunity with Oxfam

Oxfam St. John’s is looking for volunteers to help out at their booths during summer festivals, such as the upcoming Folk Festival. Contact stjohnsvol@oxfam.ca if you have a few hours to spare.

11. Cool Cities Campaign

 

Sierra Club Canada has an amazing campaign that we’d like you to be a part of — the Cool Cities Campaign.

So what is Cool Cities?

The Cool Cities campaign empowers residents, community groups and leaders encourage their communities to implement smart energy solutions to save money and reduce emissions in a concrete way.

Global warming requires solutions at every level. Cool Cities brings real solutions at the local level such as hybrid cars, energy efficient buildings, and renewable energy and these are just a few of the many  ways to make this real.

This campaign also showcases solutions for other cities to model and builds leadership to ensure solutions are implemented at provincial and territorial levels and nation-wide.

You can make this real in your city or town! Volunteers across the country are joining and leading Cool Cities teams, and have the support of their peers as well as an expert team to back them up.

The Cool Cities website has tons of amazing tools to help you every step of the way, including a step-by-step guide for carrying out a successful campaign, templates for letters-to-the-editor and examples of press releases … everything you will need to carry out this campaign.

So how can you get involved? Sign up to be the city lead (the main contact person for the campaign), join an existing group (groups are active or starting up in Saint John, Sydney/CBRM and Halifax), or start a new group by registering your city and contact info on the Cool Cities 

website (no town is too small!). While it’s best to gather a large multi-stakeholder group to work on this campaign, remember the words of Margaret Mead “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.

So what are you waiting for?! Sign your city or town up now! www.coolcities.ca

If you are in the Halifax area and would like to get involved with this campaign, come to an info/strategy session on Tuesday August 5th at 6pm at the Sierra Club office – 1657 Barrington St, Suite 533, (902) 444-3113.

For more info or for campaign support, contact Emily Rideout at emilyr@sierraclub.ca or call (902) 444-3113

 

12. Community Development and Recreation Service Learning Field Placement

Community Development and Recreation (HKR 3575) is a course offered each fall term through the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University.  The course introduces students to theoretical perspectives on community organization and development, as well as methods available to recreation practitioners to facilitate the development of recreation services in communities.  Students conduct community development service learning field placements in order to familiarize themselves with some of the social-action, environmental-action, and community development programs available in the St. John’s area, while at the same time assisting communities to develop further.   Approximately 54 hours of “internship” person-hours is dedicated to each field placement project.  Organizations and agencies are encouraged to submit a proposed Service Learning Field Placement project by completing the 1-page application and email, mail or fax the application to Dr. Angela Loucks-Atkinson no later than September 1^st.

For more info contact: aloucksa@mun.ca

 

NEWS     

 
13. Ocean Net Volunteers Continue Cleanup Activities Throughout Province

Residents of the Miawpukek Reserve in Conne River will lead communities throughout the province who are busy cleaning up their beaches and shorelines as we head into August and as the sunny days of summer continue to bring tourists and residents alike out to enjoy some of the most breathtaking costal vistas in the world. The Conne River cleanup, taking place over a two week period in early August, is sponsored by the MAMKA.

The Mission of the MAMKA – the Mi’kmaq Alsumk Mowimsikik Koqoey Association – is to represent the Mi’kmaq people and communities of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians and the Miawpukek First Nation in aquatic resource and oceans management issues. 

We’re delighted to welcome the MAMKA team to Ocean Net’s province-wide network of volunteers cleaning up their marine environment  through
out 2008 through our “Friends of Beaches” program. 

Members of NLEN, and indeed any group wishing to show their concern for the marine environment should visit our website at www.oceannet.ca where you can obtain all the documents you need to get started!

Remember that your completed Inventory Sheet, when returned to Ocean Net, entitles your group to enter our annual “Milestone” draw for $1000 taking place in October at our 10^th annual “Youth and the Oceans” Conference at the Marine Institute.  It also provides Ocean Net with data on the type of marine litter found on beaches/shorelines throughout the province.

 For further information, call us at 709.753.3680 or you can reach us by email at info@oceannet.ca

 “Remember Every Day is Oceans Day at Ocean Net”

 

14. If You Can’t Get Local Organic-What then? – Lezlie Lowe, The Coast

 
When you can’t get a local organic English cucumber, what’s your next choice?

An organic one from Israel or a conventionally farmed one from Maitland, Nova Scotia?

It’s an important question in the quest for reducing our food’s impact on the environment: What does more harm—the greenhouse gas emissions from long-distance hauling by air or on land, or synthetic pesticides and fertilizers? When you can’t get the gold standard—local and organic—do you choose local or do you choose organic? But, hey, wait! Are you even thinking about this in the first place?

Maybe you already do go for organic local produce whenever you can (and yes, the assumption here is that local and organic is the best environmental food choice. It’s the jumping-off point for our investigation).

Or maybe you’re one of those shoppers blithely plucking produce off the grocery displays, your concern for cucumbers limited to the question: How many do I need to make enough cucumber-curl garnishes for the tuna salad sandwich platter for the picnic tomorrow?

And, why does it matter, really, anyway?

There’s so much to think about when we shop for food—ingredients, brands, freshness, price, customer service, do they have a candy-free check-out?, what is that spiky thing and how would I eat it if I brought one home?—it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But more and more people are stopping and asking: How was this grown, and where?

Read the full deal at http://thecoast.ca/Articles-i-2008-07-31-152417.113118_Local_versus_organic.html

— 
The E-Update Instructions
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 10 point font, simple formating, single spaced and left hand justified. Notices less than 200 words, and with no attachments, are best. 

More about NLEN
The NLEN is a network of more than 35 member groups in 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. www.cen-rce.org. 

Katie Temple
Executive Director, NL Environment Network
nlen.ed@gmail.com
www.nlen.ca
tel 709.753.7898 
fax 709.726.2764