Shake your cans, Gabriola !

The Gabriola Art Council has been working hard to change the way you see Garbage day. Up until now, it was a time to take out your trash, but after the "Shake Your Can Event", it will become the day where you sit your art piece by the curb .Non-profit groups are invited to participate in this fundraiser by painting a trash can—and the public is invited to donate! The decorated trash cans will be on display (and collecting donations!) throughout the Trashformation Show at ArtWorks. On Saturday, May 1st, the Arts Council will host a special Shake Your Can drive in the village. Community groups will quite literally shake their cans to encourage shoppers to toss money into their cans. Then at the Mother’s Day Brunch, all involved non-profits can display promotional material while the trash cans are sold in a live auction at the Surf Lodge. All proceeds from the auction of each can will go to the organization that painted it. $25 registration fee. Info gabriolaartscouncil@shaw.ca. Let's make the roads of Gabriola full of art on recycling/garbage pick-up days!

350.org

Gabriola Elementary School took part today for 350.org, an international day of climate action. Students of all ages had been preparing with letters, power point presentations, a song, & coming up with ways that each of us can reduce our carbon footprint, which they presented in a very powerful assembly that the community was invited to.

The teachers, students, parents & volunteers did an amazing job in pulling this together… It provoked thinking about our environment and the effects of climate change.

The 350.org website shows 4457 actions taken in over 172 countries to take a stand for a safe climate future. It’s also a great resource to help fascilitate conversations with kids, with activities that they can do. We chose to do a project on “Icelandic Butterflies” which we created with the kids and submitted on the 350.org website. The Butterflies created will be in the display gallery as of October 24, 2009 – the International Day of Climate Action. Mor-more, kept busy this week painting 3 kids shirt with the 350 logo - they looked fabulous...

The embracing of 350.org in our community, and especially by the school just shows that there is hope!

Earth Day 2008

Earth Day has spread all over the world since it’s inception in 1970, as people made promises to help the environment. It’s amazing how everyone stops to recognize that there are problems we need to work on & look at the planet and identify those things that need to be changed.

On Gabriola, today in the grocery stores they were encouraging the use of paper bags decorated by school aged children of the island, these bags were pieces of art, each with a colourful and vibrant message. What a great way to educate kids by having them participate in one way to help the environment by using less plastic bags.

We are fortunate to have many businesses on the island that focus on a greener lifestyle choices and living with a lighter foot print. Many of these businesses are home based, or web based I’ll be featuring them in future blogs – so make sure to stay tuned for some exceptional island offerings.

It is truly amazing to think that this day was started by one person who had an idea & kept working on it as it became an international event of people working together - it’s amazing what happens when people care about our world!