November 2023
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Dear Friend,
Winter season is moving in quickly and we've had a few snowfalls already! This newsletter is all about pumpkins, waste reduction, updates, and acknowledging our supporters and partners.
Below, you'll have a chance to join an international movement with local benefits. This will support CNL and help us continue our important work in the county.
Make sure to fill out our Website Survey for a chance to win! More info below.
As the holiday season draws near, we can't help but reflect on the community our supporters, volunteers, and donors have created with us! Our work wouldn't be possible without you and we will be forever grateful for that.
- The CNL Team
Halloween is Over, Now What?
You may find yourself with pumpkins lying around now that Halloween has passed, and you’re wondering what you should do with them. Throw them in the garbage? Leave them to rot and smell on your porch? Throw them into the wild and hope for the best? Read on for some tips and tricks on what to do with your unwanted decorative pumpkins.
Feed the farm! Reach out to local farmers to see if they want your pumpkins! They can be used to feed their pigs, cows, and goats. Maybe arrange for a pumpkin drop-off from your neighbours so you can make one trip to the farm to drop them all off at once, thus lessening your emissions. Only give the pumpkins that are free of any paint or chemicals, those ones are NOT safe for anyone’s consumption. Here’s a list of local farms where you can start!
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Put them in your green bin! Unfortunately, this is only applicable in Perth at this time.
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Cut them up and place them in your Just Good Compost bucket!
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But the simplest answer? Eat them! The majority of decorative pumpkins are edible. Make a pumpkin pie, roast some chunks in the oven, or dry out the seeds in any uncut pumpkin for a snack later! Note the “uncut” part: do not eat pumpkins you’ve opened/carved, they could contain bacteria. Check out this article for 10 Ways to Use Your Pumpkin!
Photo taken by Sophie Lamb
WasteNot
On October 20th, the Carleton Place Environmental Advisory Committee (CPEAC), in cooperation with the Carleton Place & District Chamber of Commerce, presented Waste Not. The event was organized to create an opportunity to learn more about what our community can do to reduce waste and create a healthier, more sustainable community.
There were three presentations.
Peter Landry, an environmental consultant, director of his own Ottawa-based company, Virdis Environmental Inc. Peter is a certified environmental professional specializing in waste management. He has completed projects across Canada and has managed or personally completed over 800 waste audits encompassing all regulated sectors. He presented waste reduction strategies for small businesses and organizations and explored the benefits of and challenges of zero waste for municipalities and businesses and tips on how to get started.
Next was Climate Network Lanark (CNL) with a panel of speakers, including Cathie Green, CNL chair Scott Hortop and co-founder Sue Brandum. The presentation included a description of how organic waste influences our greenhouse gas emissions and produces methane in the atmosphere and the improved soil health and carbon sink composting offers. There was an informative open discussion about how the shift to extended producer responsibility for recyclables could create new opportunities for reuse and reduce initiatives within Lanark County.
Finally, Will Afflect, founder of Just Good Compost introduces a unique approach to community composting that is designed for smaller urban communities. A social enterprise that employs local people with intellectual challenges, who assist with a weekly collection of Almonte’s residential and commercial kitchen scraps.
Snacks and coffee were sustainably supplied by The Good Food Company.
This event was created to fulfill the CPEAC’s main focus; to provide council with advice, information and recommendations on environmental issues related to public policies, programs and projects, as well as encourage environmental awareness in the community.
Thanks to all who made this event so successful.
ALUS Lanark Officially Launches at Montague Farm Tour on Saturday, October 21, 2023
Climate Network Lanark co-founder Gord Harrison is emcee as Local farmers, politicians and sustainability advocates came together with a common goal : to celebrate a new program supporting farmers in Lanark County.
ALUS Lanark was officially launched at Milkhouse Farm + Dairy in Montague during the sheep farm’s popular Open Farm event. Officials from Lanark County, Climate Network Lanark, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) and Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) joined Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP John Jordan, Ducks Unlimited staff, neighbouring farmers and other guests to tour the farm and learn more about its new ALUS project, one of the first to be completed in the county.
Milkhouse owners Cait and Kyle White worked with ALUS Lanark to add two new wetlands in areas where it was already too wet to mow or graze their sheep. ALUS Lanark covered construction costs and will provide annual compensation for the ecosystem services the wetlands provide, such as cleaner air and water.
“We saw an opportunity to create some habitat that would contribute to a more interesting and diverse farm,” said Kyle White, who sells their cheese, grass-fed lamb and wool products at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market. “It’s been great for us. We always wanted to create these wetlands, but we needed the financial support to get it done.
Guests could see the completed wetlands were already hard at work storing runoff, filtering contaminants and providing flood storage.
“This is really a win-win for everyone,” said Derek Matheson, ALUS Lanark co-ordinator for RVCA. “Farmers can put otherwise marginal land to work while supporting better water quality and a healthier environment.”
ALUS is a national non-profit organization that works with local farmers to help them undertake environmental stewardship projects on their farms. ALUS communities are overseen by local partnership advisory committees (PACs) and administered by local organizations. In the case of ALUS Lanark, RVCA and MVCA administer programs on the ground alongside their other longstanding stewardship programs.
The push to bring the program to Lanark County was spearheaded by Climate Network Lanark, which got Lanark County officials on board before approaching the conservation authorities to administer the program. Since the program was officially created in January 2022, ALUS Lanark has recruited a PAC comprised of local farmers, business owners and residents, and set project priorities for the county. Matheson and his MVCA counterpart Marissa Okum have already sought out and approved 26 projects to receive ALUS funding, for a total projects value of more than $202,000. More than half those costs have been covered by ALUS Lanark, with RVCA, Ducks Unlimited and Environment and Climate Change Canada covering almost everything else.
To learn more about ALUS Lanark or to apply, visit:
https://www.rvca.ca/stewardship- grants/rural-clean-water-grants/clean-water-grants
Hydro One: Prices, Rates, and Calculator
Don’t forget to check out Hydro One’s rates and prices page to stay up-to-date on their changes and rebates.
Make sure to use Hydro One's calculator which is designed to provide you with an estimate on whether you may benefit financially from making a switch.
Website Survey: Fill It Out for A Chance to Win!
We are in the process of completely redoing our website and would love some of our supporter's feedback. Everyone who fills in the complete survey will be entered to win a $50 gift card to a local store/restaurant of your choosing! Click the icon below!
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Lanark Community Survey for Health and Wellness
Lanark County is asking residents to respond to a survey on Health and Wellness in the County. Questions 33-37 ask about Climate Change!
We’re making headway!
Please let the County know what you think about health and the climate crisis. This survey closes on November 10th!
The CNL Social
On Saturday, September 30th, Climate Network Lanark had a small social reunion where board members, staff, and volunteers gathered to spend time together over delicious food. Many interesting plans for the future of CNL were discussed as well as personal anecdotes about everyone’s experiences with environmental work. We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Steve and Karen Graham for hosting this event at their beautiful property in Lanark. We hope that many events such as this one can take place in the near future.
💙We Need Your Support💙
Do you want to act, but don’t think you can make a difference in the climate fight?
CNL wants to continue to grow our reach in the community. We have been working hard to expand our projects since we started four years ago. But to keep going, we need your help!
Giving Tuesday
GivingTuesday is a global movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. This year, it falls on November 28th. Millions of people participate in Canada (and worldwide) each year and over 50 million is globally donated to non-profits and charities.
CNL relies on YOU in order to keep pushing for climate action in Lanark County. We need stable staff positions, and to do that we need stable funding. Projects that we are excited to expand may be stalled when we don't have a stable funding base. We would love for you to consider helping in any way you can. Please consider becoming a monthly donor and join the movement!
We offer charitable receipts for your donation through our partnership with the Salal Foundation. Monthly donors receive an annual receipt in time for tax season.
Donate Today!
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Newsletter Survey
We are always striving to do our best for the community, so we would love your feedback on our monthly newsletters! This survey features 3 short questions and should take no longer than 5 minutes of your time. Click the button below!
“Everything is hanging in balance now. So when we live in a moment like this it matters where you stand. When everything is in the balance, it matters what I do. I am born into a time where every decision I make matters for the future of the world. I have responsibilities here and it is a joy to undertake them because I know that my life has meaning.”
- Robin Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass
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