Brampton Environmental Alliance
Exercise, yoga, meditation, well-being, volunteering, community events.
Three more Graceful Aging Through Connecting with Nature events are now in the history books as the project bids farewell to May. The last five events have experienced spectacular dry sunny weather which helps draw the crowds.
Continue reading “Three more events completed as the Graceful Aging Through Connecting with Nature Project bids adieu to May”The Friends and Stewards of Dorchester Park, this past week, hosted two events as part of the Graceful Aging Through Connecting with Nature, GATCWN, Project supported by the Government of Canada and coordinated by the Brampton Environmental Alliance.
“Spring Birding in the Park” was this past Saturday May 20th. Cold and rain, discouraged picture taking but the event was still attended by 7 hardy souls, 5 of whom were seniors. With the aid of “Birding Kits” courtesy of the Brampton Library and Bird Studies Canada. the group learned some useful tips for using binoculars, and learned about the importance of growing native species and removing invasives to support bird habitat. They also learned tips for birding success and where to find additional resources to be even more successful bird-watchers. And, of course they saw a number of bird species including: Downey Woodpecker, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Red Eyed Vireo, Northern Cardinal, Common Grackles, Red Winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, Mallard Duck and even a Swanson Thrush. Good spotting!
Participants received prizes to build their own birding kits for future outings.
Did you know that outdoor household cats are responsible for killing an estimated 2.5 Billion birds every year? They are one of the leading causes of bird mortality, according researchers at the University of Guelph. Keep your cats indoors to protect birds from predation!
“Discovering Dorchester Park through Plein Air Painting”, the second GATCWN event of the week, was held on Tuesday evening May 23rd.
Stephanie Schirm, a local artist and art educator, led the class in landscape painting on a beautiful spring evening.
The group had a wonderful time and did a fine job of capturing the beauty of the local park landscape!
Two more GATCWN events are scheduled for this weekend. Discover Native Flowers in Dorchester Park tomorrow from 10-11:30am. Click here to register. On Sunday attend a Park Cleanup event hosted by People Against Littering. Register here. Meet at Creditview Park 10-11:30am
I admit that I didn’t know where Peelton Hills Park was when I started out this past Saturday morning for the Sierra Club/CVC tree-planting event. It’s not a park I’ve frequented before. It was a beautiful spring day and Google Maps said it would take me less than 40 minutes to travel the 11.5km by bike.
Continue reading “Planting trees at Peelton Hills”The Friends & Stewards of Dorchester Park launched their 2023 season this past Saturday April 29th, with a park stewardship startup event. This involved clearing out invasive species, making it easier for native, “pollinator friendly” plants to flourish. Funds from the Graceful Aging Through Connecting with Nature project, (GATCWN), helped the group purchase a tent to help promote the event and protect participants from the wet .
Continue reading “Dorchester Park Gets a Spring Cleanup from its Friends & Stewards”
Ah April! With longer days, the cloak of winter darkness rests lighter on our shoulders. The warmer sun thaws our blood and makes our spirits rise. April is a month of rebirth and awakening; a time to give thanks for the joy of seasons, the laughter of children playing outside, the birds singing and the plants greening, April is also Earth Month, a time to celebrate nature’s bounty and to give thanks for the ecosystem services provided to us by the plants, animals, water and air that surrounds us and supports us. Earth Day on April 22nd, is a time to honour the achievements of the environmental movement and raise awareness of the need to protect the Earth’s natural resources for future generations.
Some would argue the environmental movement merely slows down progress and adds costs to development projects. History shows, however, that unbridled progress often leads to unintended environmental consequences and the potential for human catastrophe. Let me offer a few examples.
Continue reading “It’s April 2023, How Should You Recognize Earth Month, Day, Hour”
The Brampton Environmental Alliance is pleased to announce that it has received grant funding from Employment and Social Development Canada to implement a “New Horizons for Seniors” project called, “Graceful Aging Through Connecting With Nature”.
Continue reading “Graceful Aging Through Connecting With Nature”
The members of the BEA Board want to take this opportunity to wish you, your family and loved ones, all the very best this holiday season. We look forward with optimism and excitement to 2023 despite the economic, social, and environmental challenges we face.
This year the BEA advocated at all government levels for legislation and actions to bring harmony and balance to social, environmental and economic issues. We partnered with conservation authorities and other agencies to sponsor events that highlight environmental problems and bring specific actions to our neighbourhoods. And we’ve supported our members in their work, restoring and protecting habitat, cleaning our neighbourhoods, planting trees and riding bicycles.
This coming year we will maintain our prime objective to have Brampton grow as a sustainable community. We will stay focused and strive for the future. We look forward to working with you as we continue building momentum for a caring and balanced Brampton community that is healthy and resilient, economically, environmentally and socially. Think of the planet as you complete your seasonal shopping.
Merry Christmas!!
Brampton city staff, from the Community Safety and Well-being Office, are looking for your input on the Nurturing Neighbourhood Program. Now in its 4th year, Nurturing Neighbourhoods is designed to give residents an opportunity to have conversations with staff and members of Council to share their experience on a range of topics that will help create vibrant and inclusive neighbourhoods where everyone feels safe and connected.
Since the program started, staff and Council have visited with residents from 15 neighbourhoods across all 10 city wards. Now they are looking for feedback that will help set their plans and priorities for 2023 and beyond. They want to understand what you like and don’t like about the neighbourhood where you live. They want to know how safe you feel, what your concerns are and how the city could do better.
Members of the Brampton Environmental Alliance are invited to participate in an on-line survey.
Saturday morning dawned cold, wet, and blustery. By noon, the rain had stopped and about 50 people braved the low temperatures and wind chill to protest the Ontario government’s intent to remove land from the Greenbelt and to implement the New Homes Built Faster Act 2022, a bill that would further erode protections for environmentally sensitive areas in the province.
Continue reading “Brampton Environmental Alliance joins protests over the Province’s Bill 23 New Homes Build Faster Act”
Yesterday I had the privilege to present to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure, and Cultural Policy regarding Bill 23 More Homes Built Faster Act 2022 that is currently in second reading at the Ontario Legislature.
As stated in a previous article this Bill, unless substantially altered, has the potential to inflict massive environmental damage on communities all across this province but especially on those in the greater Toronto area. Below is the text of my opening remarks to the Committee. If you are like me and believe in building communities that are healthy and happy through environmental, social and economic sustainability, then I urge you to let your MPP know that Bill 23 needs a significant overhaul. An easy way to do that is through the David Suzuki Foundation’s letter campaign.
Continue reading “We need you to speak out against Bill 23”