At Earthfest and throughout the year, we organize free public workshops to help residents and local businesses learn about simple, cost-effective ways to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, and take better care of our environment. Stand-alone workshops we offered in 2023-24 include: 

• City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing, with author Lorraine Johnson
• Greening Your Home: How to Save Money and Help the Planet
• Waste Not! Waste Reduction & Composting in Your Home, Business, & Community
• Grow Your Own Pollinator Garden, with master gardener Dale Odorizzi

The Environmental Advisory Committee supports composting as an important part of our waste reduction and climate action strategy. We offer workshops on home composting and help promote Town initiatives like the FoodCycler Program and the Carleton Place launch of Just Good Compost, a new compost collection service.

Why composting? Most people know that composting is an easy, cost-effective way to turn food waste into nutrient-rich soil for home gardens. But not everyone knows that composting also helps fight climate change. It improves carbon sequestration in the soil, and it helps lower greenhouse gas emissions by keeping methane-producing organic waste out of municipal landfills. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with 86 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide. About 23% of Canada’s methane emissions come from municipal landfills—so diverting organic waste from landfills to compost bins is a significant way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stabilize the earth’s climate.

We are developing ways to support residents and Town staff in naturalizing private yards and creating more naturalized areas in our public parks and green spaces. 

What is naturalization and why does it matter? Naturalization means replacing cultivated landscapes, such as lawns, with native grasses, wildflowers, trees and shrubs planted in ways that mimic local ecosystems. Once landscapes are successfully naturalized, they are easier to maintain than a cultivated lawn, and help conserve water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions because they don’t require as much watering and mowing. Naturalized areas also help store carbon and absorb rainwater for greater climate resiliency, and they protect biodiversity by providing much-needed habitat for native pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

In 2021, CPEAC planted a Pollinator Garden in Roy Brown Park (park entrance at the end of Lake Avenue West, across from the boat launch). 

Native pollinators—wild bees, butterflies, moths, and hoverflies—are essential for healthy ecosystems and food systems. They help pollinate many agricultural crops as well as the native wildflowers, shrubs and trees that provide habitat for birds and animals. But many pollinators are now threatened or facing extinction because of habitat loss, pollution, climate change, pesticides and herbicides, disease, and competition from non-native honeybees. By planting a variety of native wildflowers, such as black-eyed susan, hairy beardtongue, wild bergamot, and heath aster, we provide the right kind of food and nesting places to help native pollinators thrive.  

At the Pollinator Garden, you can see these flowers in action, and maybe get inspired to create your own pollinator garden at home or school. We’ve provided signage to help you learn about the native plants and the pollinators they support.