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!

Eco-Friendly Home Staging

The art of home selling is very much predicated upon home staging and making your home attractive to prospective buyers. Eco-friendly home improvement is all the rage right now and staying above the trend makes your home even more appealing to the next generation of house hunters, especially first-time home buyers. There are various eco-friendly home improvements that anyone can do to get your home ready for showing on the market. Here are three eco-friendly lighting renovations that will exponentially increase the appeal of your home.

Energy Star Lighting:

By using energy efficient fixtures and light bulbs, you can help cut down on the monthly electric bill while also helping preserve the environment. Many potential buyers will appreciate the fact that the home they are considering has their environmental concerns in mind. Plus who doesn’t like saving a little money on their utility bills? Environmentally conscious consumers are now looking for the Energy Star logo when purchasing their lighting. According to ENERGY STAR, in 2008, Americans were able to save $19 billion on their utility bills by using ENERGY STAR compliant products. ENERGY STAR estimates that "families can save about a third on their energy bill without sacrificing style or comfort." ENERGY STAR compliant fluorescent fixtures use 75% less energy than incandescent fixtures. They are also cooler and last on average, about 9 years. This doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice style; many Energy Star compliant lighting fixtures are incredible modern and chic looking. However, it’s the concept behind these fixtures that is entirely futuristic.

Eco-Friendly Outdoor Lighting:

Showing your home at night is much more common than it seems considering that many prospective buyers have to work during the day and are only available at night. Because of this, exterior lighting is a nice touch that will increase a prospective buyer's sense of security, while simultaneously adding aesthetic value to the house. As far as eco-friendly options go, look for Energy Star qualified fixtures and save big. Offering everything from fluorescent wall lanterns, post lanterns and illuminating address lights, to solar LED path lighting and deck lighting - your eco-friendly outdoor lighting options are endless. Solar spot lighting is probably the most eco-friendly method to adding nice light to your walkway or garden. Lighting that highlights a flower-lined walkway definitely induces that quaint, welcoming sense that you will want to instill in your prospective buyer. Be sure to let your client know about the eco-friendly additions to your curbside décor.

LED Pendant Lights:

A new home décor trend that we are seeing is the new-found popularity of LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lights. Truly, they are extremely energy efficient, especially when compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. In fact, LED lights can last anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 hours vs. incandescents which are good for about 10,000 hours on average. Additionally, LEDs burn very cool, unlike incandescent bulbs, which emit about 98 percent of their energy as heat. The addition of a few nice LED Pendant Lights can work wonders for your house. Surprisingly, they work best in a kitchen setting, usually above a kitchen island to add a nice centerpiece to one of the most important areas of the home.

Submitted by: CSN Lighting visit their website at http://www.csnlighting.com/

Coats Marsh Regional Park to officially open on May 22

Clyde Coats' former family property will officially open to the public as Coats Marsh Regional Park on May 22nd. The ceremony begins at 11:15 am on May 22, at the Aiden Road entrance to the park located off of Coats Road. The new Regional Park is a 45.7 hectare parcel of wetlands and forest and is protected in a partnership between The Nature Trust of British Columbia, the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the BC Trust for Public Lands.

"Conservation is of great importance to residents of the Regional District of Nanaimo," said Larry McNabb, Chair of the Regional Parks and Trails Advisory Committee. "We are looking forward to the opening ceremony, and we are tremendously grateful to Mr. Coats for the opportunity to care for this property and manage it as a Regional Park."

Coats Marsh Regional Park features a wetland and stands of rare coastal Douglas fir. Two creeks run through the property and eventually connect to Hoggan Lake. The land also kitty corners the 707 Acre Community Park, owned and managed by the Regional District of Nanaimo.

"By protecting this unique property we have taken a tremendous step in establishing a large protected area on Gabriola Island that contains rare plant species and provides habitat for numerous wildlife," said Doug Walker, Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Trust of B.C. "At the same time, this acquisition will provide the people of the Regional District of Nanaimo, in particular Gabriola Islanders, with the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of this ecological gem in their community." With the acquisition of the former Coats lands, the RDN now has 2016 hectares (1,769 acres) of regional parkland, including two campgrounds, nine day-use parks, and seven trails. The RDN manages more than 160 community parks, including the 707 Acre Community Park adjoining the former Coats property.

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is a leader in protecting BC's natural diversity of plants and animals through the acquisition and conservation of critical habitats and other areas of ecological significance. Through partnerships like the Coats Land Acquisition, The Nature Trust has invested more than $63 million to secure more than 61,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of critical habitat throughout British Columbia. (www.naturetrust.bc.ca)

Ever considered living next door to a conservation area... There is a gorgeous 5 acre property located at 1040 Coats Drive, which is currently listed for sale, additional details can be found at: http://www.discovergabriola.com/index.php?page=2&id=49 .

“March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”

This is what my daughter has been telling me this month as she decides if it’s a lamb or lion day, it seems like most days this month have been a mixture and would be closer to resembling a zoo.

Today is my daughters sharing day in her kindergarten class at the Gabriola Elementary School and this month’s theme is seeds, the perfect topic for her, and the girl who asked for a garden for Christmas when she was three.

It’s a great time to begin planting seeds; we’ve just put our peas in her garden and are starting our onions indoors. It’s great to see that a number of the beds at the school have also started to be planted. We feel very fortunate to live in a community that embraces gardening in the kids’ curriculum… Submitted by Tina LYNCH

Greening your Title

Kate Emmings of the Islands Trust Fund was on Gabriola this weekend, to provide information on, “The Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program,” which offers an incentive for island landowners to protect natural & geological features of your property while reducing taxes.

Through the program NAPTEP, an island landowner can receive up to 65% property tax exemption on the portion of land of their property which is protected through covenants.

Properties that are eligible may include; relatively undisturbed natural area that is a good example of an important ecosystem, important natural area that provides key habitat to rare native plant or animal species, or naturally occurring special geological features.

A conservation covenant is an agreement between the landowner and conservancy group, in this case the Islands Trust Fund, which sets out specific restrictions or requirements that the landowner will uphold to ensure conservation of the covenanted portion of the land forever. Because these covenants are registered on title, they will be passed along to future homeowners in perpetuity, so once you’re in the program, there is no turning back.

On the Islands Trust Fund website at: http://www.islandstrustfund.bc.ca/, one can obtain information on the program, along with an application guide to calculating some of the costs & benefits of the program. The application deadline is 1 April 2009, in order to see possible property tax relief in 2010.

***There may be legal & potential tax implications – so each applicant is advised to seek independent legal & accounting advice.

GIRO

If money is tight or even if it’s not, one of our island’s favorite pastimes is visiting the GIRO (Gabriola Island Recycling Organization) at the end of Tin Can Alley (700 Tin Can Alley).

They have something for everyone, large clothing & shoe selection, seasonal items, bikes, sports equipment, lighting & building materials, kitchen supplies, craft items, kid’s toys and a great selection of books. If you find yourself sorting through & organizing yourself (with your New Years goal), with too much cardboard, glass or paper or items that you no longer need, then this is the place to go!

The hours are from 9:30-4 on Wed & Sat, it’s amazing the amount of pre-loved items you can purchase for just a few dollars.

Free Range Eggs

These eggs come from a charming hobby farm in the south end of Gabriola, located at the corner of Islands South Road & Islands View. They make great omelets, waffles and most of the baking. One of the great things about them is they didn’t have to travel far, about 75 feet from the chicken coop to the stand.

I notice that they have a light on in the stand now, a great way to take advantage of the shorter day light hours and extend the shopping hours for neighbors & tourists alike. You’ll find a variety of road side stands on Gabriola, giving you lots of choices & opportunities to support the people in the community and appreciating local food.

A Green Solutions Demonstration Home

Today we visited the Green Solutions demonstration show home in Fairwinds. It was amazing to to see the developers team with local contractors and designers to showcase products & design; that respect the natural environment, incorporate “smart” technologies, conserve water & energy, and allow for the opportunity of aging in place.

The home is absolutely stunning and featured an array of energy efficient products, including energy star appliances, solar tubes allowing the natural light to filter into the home, West Coast Design windows with low E glass & so much more…

Among the most popular features in the homes was the engineered hardwood flooring, which I have been recently seeing more of in homes. It is an environmentally conscious alternative to solid hardwood flooring, it is very durable & conserves natural resources.

If you have been thinking of building or renovating, it is well worth the trip up to this show home, where it is easy to view the many practical & easy ways to incorporate greener building practices.