GreenUp Plants Five Food Forests In Celebration of Its 30th Anniversary

Peterborough GreenUP and Nourish continued their planting of one of five mini-food forests throughout Peterborough communities at Jackson Creek on Tuesday.

Volunteers gathered on the rainy Tuesday afternoon to plant fruit trees. Photo by Felicia Massey.

Food forests containing 25 trees, 20 shrubs and 25 native non-woody plants have been planted at five locations throughout five neighbourhoods including Kawartha Heights, East City Curtis Creek, Downtown Jackson Creek, Talwood and Jackson Park Brookdale.

“GreenUp is presently celebrating our 30th anniversary, projects like this one are a perfect example of how it takes time and careful stewardship to bring community vision to fruition,” said Tegan Moss, GreenUP executive director.  “Everyone at GreenUp is exceptionally proud of our success in working to bring the interests of local residents and the City together and grateful to all the donors and supporters who have helped us to get here.”

GreenUp and Nourish have been collaborating on a number of Growing Together While Apart projects supported by the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough to create more accessible public spaces.

With support from Arbor Day Foundation and the TD Bank Green Space program, Growing Edible Infrastructure hosted five fruit planting and skill-sharing events. They have planted 25 fruit trees and certified ten people in Beginner Fruit Tree Care through the TD Green Space Grant.

“Green spaces are the foundation to creating more livable, healthier cities so it’s imperative to focus and invest in creating more equitable access to these spaces,” said Janice Farrell Jones, TD senior vice president.

Funding for the tree planting came through a $25,000 Green Space Grant from TD Bank Group and the Arbor Day Foundation. Peterborough is one of just 20 North American cities to receive the grant.

The organization is helping anyone who signed up to help care for the five mini food forests.

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GreenUP Celebrates $25,000 Grant For Urban Greening With Tree-Planting Ceremony

Peterborough GreenUP celebrates their $25,000 Green Space Grant to grow urban mini-forests in town with a fruit tree planting at Dominion Park on Wednesday.

Laura Kersztesi juggles apples in dominion park after announcing the green space grant . Photo by Luke Best

The grant was from TD Bank Group and the Arbor Day Foundation. Peterborough is one of just 20 North American cities to receive the grant this year.

“It's really wonderful to see this come together and have the support from these types of grants to put trees in the ground,” said Laura Kersztesi, Greenup program coordinator.

GreenUP and Nourish are creating five neighbourhood-based mini-food forests and educating how to care for fruit within urban spaces. The mini-forest locations include Keith Wightman Park, an urban farm on Highland Road, Jackson Creek and a to-be-named retirement residence.

Three apple trees such as Royal Gala and Golden Delicious were planted at Dominion Park to kickstart the campaign.

All photos by Luke Best

Kereztesi says GreenUP will plant perennials and berry bushes in the fall including currents and elderberries. She is unsure if more planting will continue past the winter season due to funding and volunteer status but wants to if possible.

“New and experienced gardeners alike have been asking frequently about integrating fruit production into their gardens, and as a community of growers, we have been dreaming about collectively planting fruitful food forests for years,” said Jill Bishop, Nourish community food cultivator.

The five mini food forests support over 10 people in becoming certified in Beginner Fruit Tree Care according to GreenUP.

The staff will help anyone who signed up to help care for the mini food forests in each neighbourhood.

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Peterborough GreenUp Hosting 'Let's Bike!' Around The County To Encourage Bike Safety And Fun

Peterborough GreenUp is inviting residents to join them for ‘Active School Travel Peterborough’ (AST Ptbo). This event will help teach bike skills, play games and celebrate bike safety.

Stock Photo.

This event invited families to bring their bicycles to various locations around Peterborough County for an evening of fun and education.

The evening will feature face painting, ABC bike checks, bike decorating and a draw for a prize.

There are a range of activities suitable for many ages and abilities. Helmets are required, and can be provided if participants do not have one. Parent permission will be required for all children and youth.

On August 9 AST Peterborough will be at the Peterborough Lion’s Centre (347 Burnham St.) from 5 - 7 p.m.

On August 23 they will be at The Lakefield-Smith Community Centre (20 Concession St.) from 5 - 7 p.m.

On August 30 they will be at the Ennismore Community Centre (553 Ennis Rd.) from 5 - 7 p.m.

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GreenUp Celebrates 30 Years Of Environmental Activism With A Birthday Party In The Park

Peterborough GreenUp will be celebrating their 30th anniversary on August 11 from 4 - 7 p.m. at Ecology Park.

Photo courtesy of GreenUp.

GreenUP’s early roots in 1992 began in citizen-lead awareness-raising projects and in cooperation
between different community organizations.

As a non-profit organization, GreenUp offers hands-on environmental education programs, lead inspiring projects that showcase the potential for green, healthy, and active neighbourhoods, and coordinate events and campaigns that enable collaborative action and civic participation.

Their 30 year celebration will begin at 4 p.m. at Ecology Park and is welcome to the public.

Short remarks will be shared recognizing donors, supporters, and partners at 5:30 p.m.

Refreshments and light dinner will follow, and family-friendly programming will continue until 7p.m.

Those interested in attending should RSVP here.

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City Of Peterborough With Peterborough GreenUP Offering Up To $1,000 To Install Residential Rain Gardens

The City of Peterborough, with GreenUP, is offering its Rain Garden Subsidy Program which provides residential property owners with educational resources and up to $1,000 toward the cost of installing a rain garden, for the third year in a row.

Photo courtesy of PTBO GreenUP.

“Rain gardens are an important part of a greener stormwater management strategy,” said Curtis Mei, the City’s stormwater systems coordinator. “Rain gardens reduce the amount of polluted runoff entering local waterways, which keeps the watershed healthy and can also reduce the risk of localized urban flooding.”

According to Peterborough GreenUP, there are many options for tailoring the size and style of a rain garden, but they all function in the same way due to their bowl shape. This bowl shape collects water from roofs and other hard surfaces. These gardens use plants and fast-draining soil to absorb and filter water that would otherwise flow straight into storm sewers.

To function properly, rain gardens must be designed and located in a particular way. That’s why this subsidy process provides support for homeowners, including educational and on-site assistance from GreenUP’s Residential Program team.

“We know folks can be intimidated by the idea of designing and building their own rain garden, but it’s doable with a bit of support,” said Hayley Goodchild, coordinator with GreenUP’s NeighbourHOOD and Residential programs. “That’s why GreenUP has partnered with the City to support this subsidy program. We help applicants through the process, step-by-step.”

This year, the maximum subsidy amount has doubled to $1,000 per garden, and GreenUP is providing up to two on-site visits to advise on design and construction.

“The number of subsidies is limited and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis,” said Goodchild. “We encourage you to reach out as soon as possible.”

Interested homeowners can begin their application process at peterborough.ca/raingarden or by calling Curtis Mei, Stormwater Systems Coordinator at 705-742-7777 ext. 1507.

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PTBOCanada Featured Post: The Amazing SaveOnEnergy Home Assistance Program

When it comes to energy bills, absolutely no one likes to pay more than they have to. Unplugging appliances, lowering or raising the temperature depending on the season, and even turning off the lights are all small tricks that can definitely help in both the short and longterm.

But when it comes to really making a change, sometimes the initial investment of buying Energy Efficient products like fridges and stoves can be quite costly. To provide MAJOR assistance with this, Peterborough Distribution Inc. (with assistance from GreenUP) is running a program funded by the Ontario Power Authority to help make a change in the way we consume energy, by helping us use less!

The SaveOnEnergy Home Assistance Program is designed to help “Income Qualified Participants” such as students, seniors and lower income families to reduce their electricity bill so that their expenses are more manageable. As much as some of these potentially eligible people would love to save money on utilities, the upgrade costs can sometimes be too much to take on. This program is here to help out bigtime with those upgrade costs.

Getting started is quite simple. Peter Goering from GreenUP is a Certified Energy Advisor and can be reached at 705.745.3238, ext. 200. He will determine whether or not you qualify and then arrange to do an initial assessment of your home providing low wattage light bulbs where possible and determine if any of four eligible appliances (refrigerator, window A/C, chest freezer and dehumidifier) exceed established thresholds and criteria. Then he will let you know if you are eligible to receive any appliance upgrades.

Peter also lets you know approximately how much electricity is being wasted with your current devices—which can be quite an education in itself. The entire audit/assessment, including eligible appliance upgrades, is completely free of charge!

Funding for the program is set to finish at the end of 2014 so time is of the essence! Ontario, as a whole, needs to reduce its electricity consumption. This is due to both aging infrastructure and increasing awareness around global warming and other environmental issues. This program is part of the Ministry of Energy's goal to create a “culture of conservation”. The Ministry estimates that with every $1 invested in energy efficiency, the province avoids paying $2 in costs to the electricity system in the end.

The benefits to taking part in the program seem quite obvious: updated, ENERGY Star appliances and reduced energy bills for starters. Another huge benefit is that energy conservation helps eliminate greenhouse gases and have a healthier environment. Best of all, the program is completely FREE to participate in!

Your only investment is time (you have to actually be there when they assess and install!). As mentioned, the program is open to “Income Qualified Participants” students, seniors, and low income families. The income cutoffs are listed on GreenUP's website, and it does depend on the number of adults living in the household. For specific details and to find out if you are eligible, click here!

For eligibility details and more info, go to Greenup.on.ca or call Peter Goering from GreenUP at 705.745.3238, ext. 200

**If your business/organization is interested in a PTBOCanada Featured Post Advertorial, email our Sales Director Aaron Elliott at aaron@ptbocanada.com for info!