Okotoks will be buzzing with activity for a celebration of green living and sustainability.
The Town has daily events from June 4-10 to celebrate national Environment Week.
“The main idea is to get families out to engage in these activities and learn a little more about our local environment,” said Okotoks sustainability coordinator Dawn Smith. “It’s a good way for people to learn about green initiatives and our natural environment.”
Though the official week begins June 4, conservation educators also plan to be at the Okotoks Garden Club’s annual plant share event in Ethel Tucker Centennial Park June 3. Residents are invited to bring their perennials to trade with one another. Conservation educators will be providing information on using rain barrels in the garden, she said.
On June 4, a day-long event called Explore Wild Okotoks, kicks off Environment Week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Epcor Environmental Education Centre, next to the new Eco Centre on North Railway Street.
“The whole intent of this one is to talk about the wildlife in and around Okotoks,” said Smith.
Presentations will include “Don’t Let it Loose” at 10 a.m., “Wildlife Spotlight: Urban Deer” at 11 p.m. and “Creating Pollinator-Friendly Environments” at noon.
Participants will hear about the dangers of releasing domestic aquatic life into Town storm ponds and water sources, learn about the types of deer in Okotoks and how to ensure gardens are deer-resistant and attend a session about how to create an environment that attracts butterflies and bees to help with biodiversity, she said.
In the afternoon, a nature walk and scavenger hunt will teach children and families about the different plants and animals found in the river valley.
“It’s aimed at getting kids out and realizing what things are and educating them on the different types of species in our river valley,” said Smith.
At 4 p.m. the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society will bring Lito the Swainson’s Hawk to Okotoks for people to learn about hawks in the region.
“That will be a really cool thing for the kids to come see up close and personal,” said Smith.
There will also be educational videos on various topics like bear safety and bees playing on screens in the educational centre throughout the day, and crafts for children.
The next day, June 5, there is a clothing exchange at the educational centre from noon to 6 p.m., where people can bring unwanted clothing and leave it for others to take home for free.
“The intent is, you would bring in some clothing and people can also come and pick up clothes for free as well,” said Smith. “Then any of the materials that aren’t collected by anybody else we’ll take to different donation groups in the Okotoks region.”
Any items that can’t be reused will be sent to the Eco Centre, where they will be given to Clothing for a Cause and repurposed into rags and other items, she said.
She said it’s an important part of Environment Week because a lot of clothing ends up in the landfill.
On June 6, an Energy Showcase will teach residents about the Town’s energy rebate program and solar PV panels for households. There will also be crafts for children focused on solar energy.
“If people are interested in PV on their house in the near future or even down the road, they can come and learn about it,” said Smith. “A lot of people don’t know details about how it works.”
The events on June 7 will be child-centric, with an Eco-crafts and Upcycling event running from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Children will have the opportunity to create art with recycled materials at the educational centre.
“They’re looking also at following that native species topic and making animals that are local to our area, teaching kids about different types of animals,” said Smith. “They’ll also make flower pots out of old newspaper and plant native seeds in them, so kids should have fun with that.”
Foothills Composite High School students can have their vehicles tested for emission output June 8, she said.
A sock is placed over the exhaust pipe of each vehicle and then the results are revealed to the students. At the end of the day, a prize package for a tune-up will be given to the student vehicle that needs it most, she said.
On Green Action Day, June 9, students at both Holy Trinity Academy and the Comp are invited to bring their reusable mugs to school to receive free coffee and treats between 7:45 a.m. and 9 a.m.
“That’s just to talk to kids about the type of disposable society we are with coffee cups and plastic bags and things like that,” said Smith.
A photo competition also ends that day. Throughout the week, Okotokians are invited to take selfies and photos of themselves taking green action, like planting a garden, composting, or recycling. The conservation educators will select the best photo for a prize draw.
The week closes out June 10 with the grand opening of the new Operations Centre and the annual document shredding event on-site.
“We just request people bring items that need to be shredded,” said Smith. “They should be separating their paper out so the material that’s highly confidential should go through the shredder and everything else can be taken into the Eco Centre to the regular paper disposal.”
For more information visit www.okotoks.ca
