sustainability

July 2011

Backyard Biodiversity at Mount Pleasant Elementary School

By |2017-07-13T17:43:56-04:00July 26th, 2011|Connecting To Nature, Education, Community and Leadership|

Hands on Eco-learning, school-wide collaboration and creative expression all wrapped into one fun project! This past month, the children of Mount Pleasant Elementary School participated in a unique and interactive learning project lead by Christopher Buddle, a professor at McGill University, who works in the field of Biodiversity Science and is a parent of three children at the school. This “Backyard Biodiversity” project was part of the school’s Earth Day celebrations and its Green Team program, which promotes environmental literacy and leadership. According to Buddle, “The project’s aim was to help define the concept in an accessible manner, and illustrate why biodiversity is important to all of us, and to the well-being of the planet”. The project started with a presentation from Buddle, which included a beautiful and gripping photographic journey about biodiversity, from the rainforests of Panama to the high Arctic tundra. The students marveled as they watched the diversity of life presented on the screen. Buddle explained to the kids why biodiversity is so important. “It gives us food. It helps [...]

December 2010

Helping Small Business Go Green

By |2017-07-13T17:43:58-04:00December 8th, 2010|Career and Business, Connecting To Nature|

Most small and medium-sized business owners indicate an interest in improving their environmental practices but many do not have the knowledge or resources to begin the process. While there might be a will to become a better steward of the environment, there is a common misperception that it takes substantial green to become green. In fact, businesses can significantly save money by reducing their energy consumption.

September 2010

Transforming Design

By |2017-07-13T17:43:59-04:00September 2nd, 2010|Education, Community and Leadership, Guest Blogggers & Interviews|

Artists and designers are creatively using others’ castoffs in this economy to create chic, reusable and recycled works of art, including bridal gowns. Transforming dresses, paintings, furniture, homes, trash, or all manner of items into something new, something creative, something else is similar to our own growth and changes in life—using the raw material of our experiences to make new ones is what we do.

May 2010

Successful practices of mindful organizations

By |2017-07-13T17:44:01-04:00May 14th, 2010|Career and Business|

Where two or more gather…let them do so with consciousness Version Français I have spent over 25 years working and consulting for all types of organizations – big, small, public, private, for profit and not. One thing I have found to be consistent is a general malaise in these organizations. The unbridled pursuit of profit at any cost has left them with products that are commoditized, employees at the brink of exhaustion and environments and communities close to depletion. Why is this happening? To understand, I removed myself totally from corporate life and gained a new perspective. I left my consulting practice and immersed myself into the mindfulness community. I went inwards using today’s contemplative practices to gain insight.  I have been researching the most successful leaders in consciousness and sustainability looking for the best wisdom teachings. What I found surprised me and gave me hope. […]

April 2010

Save the “Central Park” of St. Lazare, Quebec

By |2017-07-13T17:44:02-04:00April 8th, 2010|Connecting To Nature, Education, Community and Leadership|

Come join us! WALK FOR DUNES LAKE WOODS The Friends of Dunes Lake invite you to join them for a walk through the bog, woods and trails surrounding Dunes Lake to raise awareness of the ecological, recreational and quality-of-life value of this area. A road and housing development is being planned between the Bordelais Bog and Dunes Lake.  This is home to many bird and animal species as well as old growth forest.  It’s not too late to save this place, but we need your help!  Let’s show the developers and Town Council that St. Lazare residents don’t need another road here - we want this ecologically sensitive area preserved for future generations! WALK INFORMATION Nature Interpreter Ryan Young will be our guide as we explore the bog, adjacent woods, and Dunes Lake.  Come see some of the flora and fauna that make this area so special. Date/Time: April 11, 2010, 1-2 pm Start: Bordelais Bog parking lot (rue Yearling/Bordelais) Bring your children, your friends and your dogs for the Walk, Easter Egg [...]

March 2010

Searching for the genesis of deadly pathogens

By |2017-07-13T17:44:05-04:00March 31st, 2010|Mind, Body & Spirit, Shifting Perspectives|

Nathan Wolfe's Jungle Search What will you say when your children and grand-children ask you how we let our closest living relatives, some of the most valuable and endangered species on this planet, become extinct because we were not able to deal with the issues of poverty around the world? In regions of profound instability throughout the world, where we have intense poverty and growing populations without sustainable resources, there is serious food insecurity. The consumption of bush meat, which is linked to the cross-species transfer of the vast majority of deadly pathogens like HIV, is one of the central crisis occurring in our population and on our planet right now. The responsibility for solving this issue can not rest on the poorest and most vulnerable. There is no easy solutions, but if we neglect this problem, we do so at our own peril.

February 2010

An unforgettable journey of service

By |2017-07-13T17:44:05-04:00February 8th, 2010|Education, Community and Leadership|

Air Canada swaps paid seats for much-needed relief for Haitians As I was pursuing my friends' updates on Facebook this past weekend, I learned that one of my friends, Sue, had been down to Haiti and back on a volunteer mission with her employer, Air Canada. When I mentioned to her that this was an awesome thing for her to do, she humbly replied, "I truly felt honoured to be able to go".  In fact this was an awesome thing for Air Canada to do. The benefit to the hundreds, if not thousands of earthquake victims are enormous. Of course, it doesn't hurt their brand image either. But, this relief mission will profoundly impact the lives of the volunteers, their valued employees; something that could never have been done with a mere pay cheque. This type of win-win-win thinking is necessary for today's organizations to be successful and sustainable in the future. Way to go Air Canada and way to go Sue! This is her incredible story: This weekend I was privileged to be a member of the Air Canada volunteer [...]

Standing up for what you believe in

By |2017-07-13T17:44:05-04:00February 6th, 2010|Connecting To Nature, Education, Community and Leadership|

A fitting legacy Last Monday night, the town of Hudson ratified a recommendation to name a new nature trail after my husband, the late councilor Robert Parkinson. Our family is very grateful that the town saw fit to honour Bob’s service in this way (Gazette article). I couldn’t have thought of a more fitting tribute. We are also so grateful to the dedication and passion of a small but mighty local organization that helped create this new trail: Sentiers Vaudreuil Soulanges (SVS). Almost four and a half years ago, Bob was drawn to local politics by his passion to protect the local beauty of the nature parks and trail system. He saw this as a unique asset of Hudson that required support. His campaign platform was based on this concept. Once elected, he quickly got involved in green space preservation issues, which he continued to do until the end of his tenure as councilor. Early on, Bob worked with the town and residents to protect and rebuild the Apple Glenn dam, which was a pivotal element in protecting the wetland and [...]

Go to Top