Natural Solutions = Climate Solutions - theHumm April 2021

Natural Solutions = Climate Solutions - theHumm April 2021

By Chandler Swain

This month, to celebrate spring after our long Covid-y winter, we are focusing the Climate Network Lanark column on our Nature-Based Climate Solutions Working Group and several of its initiatives.

To begin, let me introduce Jay Young, the coordinator of this working group. Jay lives outside Clayton with his wife Amber, who teaches yoga and is a massage therapist, and their two boys. As a project manager with Carebridge Community Support, Jay leads the development of the Neighbourhood Tomato Community Farm Project (check them out on Facebook!).

Prior to taking on this position, Jay was the project manager of Generation Sustainable Development Goals for the United Nations Association in Canada. Throughout his professional career he has been an editor with the House of Commons, a writer, and an educator and director of operations with Canada’s first Forest School, formerly located at the Carp Ridge Learning Centre. Jay loves his adopted home of Mississippi Mills. Living rurally surrounded by rocks and trees, he and his family deeply appreciate being immersed in the bounty of our natural heritage. His passion for environmental education and community sustainable development are evident in his work helping the community come together to address the challenges and opportunities we all face.

But it’s Jay’s work with CNL’s Nature-Based Climate Solutions Working Group that I want to explore here. I asked him to tell me more about what they are working on in Lanark County. My first question to Jay seems pretty obvious: What’s the issue with climate here? We have lots of forests, lakes, rivers and many beautiful places to enjoy nature all around us. It seems that all climate solutions are nature-based, aren’t they?

Jay responded with so much information that it’s going to need its own page on the nearly launched CNL website (see note below). Here it is in a nutshell:

Nature-Based Climate Solutions (NBCS) are local solutions that take advantage of nature’s systems to provide multiple economic, environmental and social benefits. They provide mitigation and adaptation strategies to address the climate crisis, particularly biodiversity loss and species collapse. In our CNL working group, we hope to work toward solutions that focus on local natural infrastructure, protected areas, restoration and improved management of our forests and agricultural lands.

Even in Lanark County, a region known for sugar bushes and acres of natural heritage, there is urgent need to work to preserve and protect all this seemingly boundless natural abundance. Issues includemanaged forests, lumber and other resources sold beyond the borders of our communities, and crucial wetlands that are increasingly encroached upon by urban development with little consideration of the long-term consequences of these actions. We will act to better understand the natural and political landscape of Lanark County, so that we can identify, advocate for and drive NBCSs most suitable and effective to this place.

As a father, I know deeply that we need to consider how we want our County to look in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years. What kind of natural endowments do we want to leave our children?

There is so much we could talk about here, but going to the website will be really informative. There we will cover our work with Nature Canada, the regional conservation authorities, all levels of local government, and the work to bring the Alternative Land Use Services program alus.ca to Lanark County. We will be looking into how climate change will affect the forests, the aquifers, reduced rainfall, snowmelt or lack thereof, increasingly damaging storms, new insect pests, and invasive species. We want to have an overview of wild spaces, crown land and protected areas to make sure they have long-term protection. We will outline all the conservation tax incentives for protecting land and more.

There is so much to this topic of Nature-Based Climate Solutions. We have tremendous opportunity and lots of people eager to help. All the CNL working groups would love to hear from folks who want to participate in these proactive climate projects.

The Two Billion Tree Program

Here is a Nature-Based Climate Solution everyone can get involved with: in 2020 the federal government announced a Two Billion Tree Program, and provincial and municipal governments have adopted this initiative across Canada. Lanark County has challenged its communities to plant one million trees by 2023, and with County and municipal oversight these goals can be met.

Here are some links to help with tree-planting in this area:

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Trees for Tomorrow Reforestation Programs:rvca.ca/stewardship-grants/tree-planting

Home Hospice North Lanark Annual Tree Sale: trees.hhnl.ca

Lanark County 1 Million Trees Project Tree Sale: twp.beckwith.on.ca/lanark-county-1-million-trees-program/

For information about how to successfully plant trees (including hot tips from Master Gardener Allan Goddard), read the longer version of this article at thehumm.com .

NOTE: Climate Network Lanark is getting ready to launch a comprehensive website that will be a go-to resource to learn about everything that is going on in the county to address the Climate Crisis. There you will find more in-depth information on the initiatives of the Nature-Based Climate Solutions Working Group, as well as a fuller explanation of the work of all the 9 CNL working groups. Information on the website launch will be forthcoming in theHumm. It’s a labour of love, and you will be able to find everything you need to get involved with and learn more about the Climate Crisis and our community. Stay tuned!

 

Kaajuk Kablalik — Art is My Medium for Preserving My Inuit Culture - theHumm April 2021

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

When I think of jewellery, I don’t usually think of walrus whiskers or whale baleen, but these natural materials feature prominently and beautifully in Kaajuk Kablalik’s distinctive pieces. Originally from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Kaajuk (friends call him Kaaj) loves working with the materials “from home” that inspire him to promote and preserve his Inuit culture.

He is used to questions about the unfamiliar components that make his earrings and necklaces so different fr......

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Spring Fine Art Showin Carleton Place - theHumm April 2021

Rub the sleep out of your eyes and give a good stretch! Come out of hibernation and welcome spring surrounded by incredible original works by local artists. On Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30, Arts Carleton Place presents their annual Spring Fine Art Show and Sale at the CP Canoe Club at 179 John Street, from 10am–4:30pm each day. Both parking and admission are free.

The arts kept so many of us afloat during the past year: musicians gave online conce......

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Festival of the Maples
We’re Back – Just Virtually!
- theHumm April 2021

The 2021 Festival of the Maples will be a virtual experience, due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. People who would normally attend in person are encouraged to connect with the Festival of the Maples through the website festivalofthemaples.com and social media pages to enjoy an online artisan market, fun maple facts, and upcoming contests and games.

On the website, people can also find links to l......

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The Aquanaut Among Us —An Interview with Jill Heinerth - theHumm April 2021

Carleton Place resident Jill Heinerth is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer and filmmaker. She is a veteran of over thirty years of filming, photography and exploration on projects in submerged caves around the world. Jill is the first Explorer in Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a Fellow of the Explorers Club and member of the inaugural class of the Women Divers Hall of Fame. She has made TV series, consulted on movies, and written severa......

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Dickie’s Cause 4 Paws Online Auction - theHumm April 2021

Dickie’s Cause 4 Paws is a non-profit, no-kill, volunteer-run organization in Carleton Place that is dedicated to rescuing and saving the lives of abandoned, lost or feral cats and kittens in Lanark County. In addition to their Trap, Neuter, Release or Re-home Program, they also provide spay/neuter for farmers who are overwhelmed with cats, and for low-income families.

As it is almost “kitten season”, they are planning an online auction to raise money towards vet care for the cats an......

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Ready for Hiking Season? - theHumm April 2021

By Vickie Walsh

“I wish I had a…” says a friend while we are hiking. “Oh — I have that, one second,” I reply. She looks at me deadpan and says, “Of course you do”.

It is a well-known fact that I hike with enough kit to earn all the boy scout badges, and yet still keep my day pack light enough that it’s not a burden. Where did this insistence on being “always prepared” come from? Well, mostly from an experience in the military while deployed over twenty years ago. We were about to head out on a vehicle patrol, so......

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Artists Welcome Spring with New Online Show - theHumm April 2021

Spring is the season of creation, and to celebrate, West Carleton Arts Society (WCAS) is launching its first online Spring Fling Art Show and Sale. It will take place from April 5–18 and can be viewed at wcasonlineshows.ca .

This year’s show will feature the works of 33 artists in a range of media. “This is always a fun show,” says organizer Judi Miller. “We have watercolour, oil and acrylic paintings, as well as pho......

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It’s Show Time! - theHumm April 2021

By Glenda Jones

Get out your wallet; sit by your computer with your finger poised over the Bid button. The Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists Birdhouse Blowout Auction goes LIVE on April 12!

You’ll find the auction site at mvfn.ca/birdhouse-blowout , featuring over 20 birdhouses, veritable works of art created by local crafters who have worked for months to produce these magnificent pieces.

The auction will run from mid......

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Natural Solutions = Climate Solutions - theHumm April 2021

By Chandler Swain

This month, to celebrate spring after our long Covid-y winter, we are focusing the Climate Network Lanark column on our Nature-Based Climate Solutions Working Group and several of its initiatives.

To begin, let me introduce Jay Young, the coordinator of this working group. Jay lives outside Clayton with his wife Amber, who teaches yoga and is a massage therapist, and their two boys. As a project manager with Carebridge Community Support, Jay leads the development of the Neighbourhood T......

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Make Your Business Cycle-Friendly! - theHumm April 2021

Ontario By Bike ontariobybike.ca is offering a Webinar entitled “Destination Bike — Welcoming Cyclists in Lanark County” on Wednesday, April 28 from 10am to 11am.

The Ontario By Bike Network certifies tourism businesses and locations as bicycle-friendly, helping businesses reach the growing number of cycle tourists in Ontario, promoting and further developing cycle tourism in destinations across Ontario.

Now more than ever, cy......

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Let’s Be Alone Together at Sivarulrasa Gallery - theHumm April 2021

From March 31 to May 7, Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte is pleased to present Sarah Anderson: Let’s Be Alone Together, a solo exhibition of new paintings by artist Sarah Anderson. Based in Ottawa, Sarah works with techniques of abstraction. She sees colour as a powerful tool for the expression of emotion. Her paintings are influenced by her observations of people and relationships in everyday life, most commonly by themes of family. She is interested in “where we come from......

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Haunted by Books - theHumm April 2021

By John Pigeau

As unpleasant as restrictions and lockdowns may be, most of us have found some healthy ways to cope with them and keep our spirits up during this past year’s once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Baking became a go-to for some folks, as did gardening, both in and outdoors. Cycling made a comeback too, and judging by social media posts, a whole lot of families adopted a whole lot of puppies. And if people weren’t knitting their new puppy a new sweater, it seemed they were pie......

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Rain Barrel Fundraiser
Almonte Lion’s Club and Home Hospice North Lanark Join Forces
- theHumm April 2021

“We Serve” — that is the simple, to-the-point motto of the world’s largest service club, begun in 1917. It is a motto that the Almonte Lion’s Club has been dedicated to locally since 1947. Home Hospice North Lanark, incorporated in 2013, is a relative newcomer. But the organizations find common ground with their commitment to serving their community with passion and compassion. They are also 100% volunteer-driven and funded by donations and targeted fundraising efforts.

Fundraising has been a challenge over the last year for all organizations that depend on it. Both organizations are ......

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Welcome Spring with a Virtual Fashion Show - theHumm April 2021

By Susan Burke

A fashion show? During Covid? We can do it! Zion-Memorial United Church will be presenting a virtual fashion show on Thursday, April 22, at 7pm. There are five shops in Carleton Place who are participating: The Wool Shop, Sinders Bridal House, Graham’s Shoes, The Dress Shop and Aquisti Life. They will be joined by Almonte’s Kentfield Kids. Tickets are $10, and proceeds will go to the Church.

This is a great way to see what’s new at local shops for the spring and summer season in a saf......

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Here on the Flight Path
Heartfelt Laughs (Virtually!) from Station Theatre
- theHumm April 2021

By Submitted Smiths Falls Community Theatre

I spy with my little eye… It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s two actors on stage together?? Almost as elusive as Superman! The Station Theatre is so very excited to announce that at the end of April they will be presenting their next play, to an audience, via Zoom. Norm Foster’s Here on the Flight Path is a super-cute comedy about a fellow named John (played by Noel White), who just wants to live a nice, quiet life in his fourth-floor apartment. However, his life continues to be ......

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How April Showers Bring May Flowers
And Pandemics Push Us to Build Better
- theHumm April 2021

By Sarah Kerr

Winter is now safely behind us and as the famous saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”. Although the rains are rather unpleasant, we can be certain that they will bring an abundance of beauty to our community. This could be true of the pandemic we’re living in as well. Although the lockdowns are testing our patience as parents, this cloudy season may be giving us an opportunity to dig deep and rethink our idea of back to normal. A time to dream up “back to better”, as Kris Riend......

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Just What I Needed - theHumm April 2021

By Glenda Jones

My sister Sue lives on Vancouver Island. I haven’t seen her since forever but we email nearly every day; so far away, but so close I can feel her warmth. She sends me those beautiful Jacquie Larson cards with flowers and bunnies when her daffodils bloom and ours are still hidden under the snow. She’s off to the greenhouse buying pansies, and I’m trying to figure out if I should put the snow shovel away. She’s sipping wine on the deck when I’m still tying laces on snow boots. She’s watching the her......

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The Blakeney Project - theHumm April 2021

By David Hinks

Amazing and extremely generous communities! The Lanark County Food Bank (branded as The Hunger Stop) has been overwhelmed by the response of our communities to the needs of our most vulnerable folks as the pandemic has exposed serious cracks in our social support structures. We have received local financial and food donations that continue to astound us.

But generous folk have also enabled us to find new ways to help the community: thanks to very generous land-owners and grant money from ......

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Local Libraries Break into Spring - theHumm April 2021

By Your Friendly Neighbourhood Librarians

Now that “April Break” is a thing in Ontario, our local libraries are rising to the challenge of helping keep kids busy and happy during their week off. Here is a round-up of area offerings:

Spring Break Smiles at the Arnprior Library

Is anyone ready for a break? At the Arnprior Public Library we are gearing up for a week of fun activities in April. In addition to offering two readings a day of titles nominated for the Forest of Read......

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Poem In Your Pocket Day - theHumm April 2021

By Dagne Forrest

The League of Canadian Poets (LCP) has celebrated “Poem In Your Pocket Day” annually since 2016. As a dedicated non-profit focused on supporting poets and poetry in Canada, LCP believes Poem In Your Pocket Day (April 18) is a beautiful way to deliver poetry and conversations about the arts into homes, offices, community spaces and more. In April, the LCP will mail out postcards featuring the selected winning poems from their annual Poem In Your Pocket Day Contest to all 900+ members of the League, and they encourage everyone in Canada to select a poem, carry it with them, and sh......

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Concrete & River
A Poetry Workshop by Susan Gillis
- theHumm April 2021

As a follow-up to her Winterwords workshop, Susan Gillis is offering a four-session poetry workshop on Tuesdays from 3–4:30pm, beginning on April 27.

Susan writes: “From first thoughts to first lines, from early inklings to full poems: in this workshop, we consider as readers and writers what engages us in a poem and brings it to life. Each week we explore a published poem and discuss participants’ own work written in response to the week’s prompt.

“This workshop is for anyone interested in reading and writing poetry. All levels of experience are welcome; no specialized knowledge ......

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Grappling with Grief - theHumm April 2021

In conjunction with SchoolBOX, Dina Bell-Laroche is offering a series of “Grief Cafés” to support people who are suffering through losses. Dina is a certified Integral Master Coach and Grief Companion who is turning her own loss story into a force for good during these difficult times. The cafés take place via Zoom, and participants are welcome to make donations to SchoolBOX — all proceeds are being directed to raise Tracy’s Hope Classroom #3 in Nicaragua.

Dina writes: “My involvement with Sch......

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ConnectWell Community Health - theHumm April 2021

ConnectWell Community Health is the new name for Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services (LRHCS) and all its parts and programs offered through Lanark Community Programs, North Lanark Community Health Centre and Whitewater Bromley Community Health Centre.

With 240 staff and 200 volunteers providing services that range from autism services and mental health supports to primary health care and therapeutic riding, ConnectWell Community Health’s programs and services will remain the same across the large rural geography the organization serves, including Lanark and Renfrew Coun......

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The MVFN Cliff Bennett Nature Bursary
An Interview with 2018 Recipient Sophie Anderson
- theHumm April 2021

The 2021 Cliff Bennett Nature Bursary application period is now open. Students entering first year post-secondary studies in a university or college program related to the natural environment are encouraged to apply! Please go to mvfn.ca/cliff-bennett-nature-bursary for all eligibility criteria and the application form. The application deadline is May 1.

This year the Bursary Fund, a program of the Mississip......

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Lake 88.1 — A Voice for the Valley - theHumm April 2021

Back in 2009, theHumm interviewed Brian Perkin about his then two-year-old radio station, Lake 88.1 lake88.ca . Based in downtown Perth, the station has spent the intervening years covering local events, promoting area businesses and initiatives, interviewing interesting folks, and generally providing an independent on-air voice for this part of the Valley. Recently, we discovered that Brian has made the difficult decision to s......

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“Growing Hope”

Gardening Workshops
- theHumm April 2021

The Neighbourhood Tomato Community Farm (NTCF) is a relatively new initiative of Carebridge Community Support, and is in a sense an umbrella organization that will include the existing Neighbourh......

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