The Earth Centre is proud to be a partner in GREENFEST, a campus-wide celebration of sustainability at Queen’s, from March 4th to March 8th.
Its 5 themed days – Energy & Climate, Waste Diversion, Food & Water, Transportation, and Sustainability Education – provide participants with 5 ways to live more sustainably
both on campus and at home.
We are hosting events throughout the week, so be sure to check out some of the green action!
More information on the greenfest website
Hello Friends,
You’d never guess it by the chilly weather, but spring is here (almost)! With that we thought we’d hit you with some updates:
1.) Modified Earth Centre Hours
We’re absolutely 100% open this week during our usual hours from 10-5 M-F and hope to see all your lovely faces to stock up for the coming month. To keep our library and products accessible, we’re going to be open from 10-5 until Friday April 15th. After that, the Earth Centre will be closing its doors for the 2010-2011 year. Sad. So be sure to come by and say hello/goodbye before the penthouse of the ARC quiets down!
2.) Book Exchange–Success!
Big thank you to all who participated in our first Book Exchange. It was an awesome event and we’re already getting stoked about possibilities for next year. Also, thanks/high fives to Alaya (Education Exec now, incoming External Co-Chair) for suggesting the idea and putting it together. Way to go!
3.) Kingston Sustainability Partnership!
We’re now an official community partner with the city of Kingston’s Sustainability Plan! Alright! Basically, what that means is we’re into what they’re doing and they’re digging what we’re up to. For more info on that process and the exact steps we outlined for the folks over at the city feel free to shoot an email or come by the Earth Centre. We’re pretty excited about this.
4.) Volunteers 2010-2011
Thank you thank you thank you! The Earth Centre couldn’t run without you all! I think I speak for all the Exec when I say that we really enjoyed getting to know all of you and loved the input/energy and commitment you all had this year. That being said, I’d love to see you this Friday at the social/volunteer appreciation. You all rock.
5.) Comment Box
There’s a newly added comment box in the Earth Centre for anyone to slip in a concern/suggestion/question. Totally anonymous and homemade. Alright!
6.) Library Updates
For all the library members out there with book still; please get them back to us by the 15th! We’ll start to hunt you down next week! On another note, if you’re finding that you have a lot of extra time on your hands, be sure to come by and check out the library. We got a pile of new books in earlier this week from the fabulous Alan from Transition Kingston.
Thanks again for a great year. Looking forward to seeing the Earth Centre take off in 2011-2012 to new, soaring and green heights.
-
Annie and Jenna
Earth Centre Co-Chairs
2010-2011
Greetings Earthlings,
We have an exciting side project that we are taking on that would benefit from having a few of you awesome volunteers helping us! The project is with a fourth year health project who has to implement a program and they have chosen to implement a sustainability program at the Boys and Girls Club. We are working with them to make an interactive education session to teach the kids there about the connection between their actions and the environment. We are looking for a few people to help create the session, so essentially making a lesson plan, figuring out all the logistics and then teaching it to the kids. The actual session will happen at 6:30- 7:30 on Monday, March 7th at the Boys and Girls Club, which is north of Princess on Bagot. If anyone wants to help with any portion of this project that would be much appreciated! This is great opportunity to get more involved with the Earth Centre and with the Kingston community, especially for those who unfortunately aren’t on the schedule and want to get more involved! Most of the work would happen the first week back from reading week, as the session will be on the following Monday and it probably would be maybe 3-5 hours of work. Taking this into consideration with your busy schedules, anyone who has time and wants to help or anyone who has any ideas can send me(Sarah) an email at my own email, 7si4(at)queensu.ca, and I will get back to you to get things rolling!
Enjoy the rest of your break!
-
The Earth Centre
Hi friends,
With the new year, there’s a lot going on around campus! Here are some updates that might strike the fancy of Earth Centre supporters:
1.) Bike Kitchen Project (AMS Sustainability Office):
The “Bike Kitchen” will be a student run used bike shop available to the Queen’s population and the Kingston community. Here we will have a range of quality used bikes to sell at a student friendly cost, tune up and repair services, and the equipment and tools for rent for you to come in and fix your own bike or learn how from our student volunteers. Volunteers will be trained students interested in everything bikes and trained in bike repair. Email Theresa at sustainabilityprojects@ams.queensu.ca for info!
2.) JDUC Green Roof (Earth Centre and friends)
We’re currently talking with the fine folks at the student life centre to see how feasible it would be to install a Green Roof on the JDUC! Cool! Feel free to shoot us an email if you want to get involved or have any inputs/questions/comments/etc.
3.) Green Corps 2011-2012 Field School for Environmental Organizing
In Green Corps’ year-long paid program, you’ll get intensive training in the skills you’ll need to make a difference in the world. You’ll get hands-on experience fighting to solve urgent environmental problems — global warming, deforestation, water pollution and many others — with groups such as Sierra Club and Greenpeace. And, when you graduate from Green Corps, we’ll help you find a career with one of the nation’s leading environmental and social change groups. Hit up: www.greencorps.org for more info or shoot Angela an email at angela(at)greencorps.org.
4.) Farm jobs/interships in Kingston!
The CRAFT program operates all around Ontario providing regional nodes for sustainable farmers to connect with each other and get a hold of interns for the spring/summer seasons. There’s a whole pile of farms in the Kingston area that are part of this network so if you want to get to farming this summer and get an awesome experience/understanding of Kingston’s food system hit up: http://www.craftontario.ca/regions/eastern-ontario/craft-kingston-farms/.
5.) Kingston Community Gardening Network Launch! (Loving Spoonful and others)
Be sure to check out the recent launch of the Kingston Community Gardening Network, which is a recently formulated group advocating for community gardens in Kingston and promoting a culture of gardening and farming in Kingston. Feel free to sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date on a series of gardening workshops (including seed starting, permaculture and urban gardening techniques). We’ll also be posting those dates in our monthly What’s On board in the centre. Cool? Cool.
6.) Recycle-mania 2011 (AMS Sustainability Office)
Recyclemania is an international competition encouraging students to increase recycling and waste diversion efforts. This project is headed by Queen’s Physical Plant Services, the Sustainability Office, the AMS Sustainability Office, MCRC Green Team and the SGPS. This initiative needs volunteers! It’s a great way to meet like minded individuals and get involved with larger campus sustainability project. Either shoot Anna an email at sustainabilitycommunications(at)ams.queensu.ca or check out their facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Queens-University-Recyclemania-2011/191751424171464.
Hope to see some of you around! -
the EC team
Here are some useful contacts in case you find yourself in the situation of having too much stuff than you could possible move!
The following groups will pick up old furniture from your home (call for pickup):
Ontario March of Dimes – 613-549-4141
Salvation Army – 613-544-4396
The following agencies will pick up clothing from your home:
Canadian Diabetes Association – Call 613-384-0767 to book a pickup time or call 613 384 0767 to find nearest drop-off location.
Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy – Call 613-384-1957 to book a pickup time.
Salvation Army – Call 613-544-4396 to book a pickup time.
St. Vincent de Paul Society – Call (613) 546-3333 to book a pickup time.
Clothing can be dropped off at the following locations:
Better Beginnings – 730 John Counter Blvd.
St. Mary of the Lake Hospital – 370 Union Street, 613-549-1348
Kingston thrift stores (clothing and coat hangers):
Value Village, 1412 Bath Rd., 613-544-4849
The Salvation Army, 472 Division St., 613-531-5002
Ontario March of Dimes, 540 Armstrong Road, 613-546-9979
The Salvation Army, 277 Bath Road, 613-544-4396
Goodwill, 1469 Princess St., 613-545-9780
Non-Perishable Food Items (drop off):
Queen’s student food bank - 218 Earl Street (MacGillivray-Brown Hall on campus), (613) 533-6972
Martha’s Table – 629 Princess St., (613) 546-0320
Partners in Mission Food Bank, 140 Hickson St. (613) 544-4534
Used batteries, ink cartridges and old cell phones (drop off):
Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) – Room 021, JDUC
Used Appliances (drop off or pick up for a fee):
Potter’s Appliance Repairs – 746 Development Drive, 613-389-2177
Grundy’s, RR #1 Glenburnie – 613-544-5041
Rowe Refrigeration & Appliance Services – PO Box 35, Selby, 613-548-4733
Knapp Appliances 1528 Sydenham Road, 613-542-3232
The Fridge Doctor – 139 Joseph Street, 613-542-4525, 1183 Montreal Street, 613-388-2403
Online Markets:
Online exchange markets (free of charge):
http://kingston.kijiji.ca/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KingstonFreecycle/
Conventional markets at www.quikdrop.com, www.stuffyadontwant.com, www.craigslist.com, http://apps.facebook.com/marketplace/ and http://www.myams.org/marketplace/forumdisplay.php?fid=1
Hey all,
You might know that the Earth Centre is Bullfrog powered. This means that the Ontario company Bullfrog Power injects the same amount of green power (wind and low-impact water) into the energy grid as the Earth Centre takes off the grid. So our store is run on entirely renewable energy! You can find out more at www.bullfrogpower.com
Also, Bullfrog Power is launching a campaign geared to residential consumer. If you’re interested in checking out the service for your own home, click on www.paymoreforenergy.ca
Come in and bask in the renewable energy at the Earth Centre on the 3rd floor of the Queen’s Centre, open 10-5 Monday to Friday.
Just a reminder to everyone that our Environmental Resource Library is available for everyone to use. Although we’re lacking a book shelf at the moment, 100+ environmental books are waiting (in piles on the ground) for you to read them. We also have magazines and videos.
Everything is available for 2-week rentals. Just fyi though, if you’ve never borrowed from us before you’ll have to register to be a member and that involves putting a $10 deposit with the Earth Centre (that you can get back at anytime)
Check out the Library page on the website to check out our titles.
Happy Reading!
Hello Friends!
Here’s a great opportunity for all those still searching for summer employment: CRAFT Farm Internships! Check out the website at: http://www.craftontario.ca/regions/eastern-ontario/craft-kingston-farms/