Green Goals

Problem
People need food banks.
Problem
Some of these people are unable to get to food banks.
Solutions???

"The idea that the poor should have leisure has always been shocking to the rich. In the early nineteenth century, fifteen hours was the ordinary day's work for a man; children sometimes did as much, and very commonly did twelve hours a day. When meddlesome
busybodies suggested that perhaps these hours were rather long, they were told that work kept adults from drink and children from mischief.
When I was a child, shortly after urban
working men had acquired the vote, certain public holidays were established by law, to the great indignation of the upper classes. I remember hearing an old Duchess say: 'What do the poor want with holidays? They ought to work.' People nowadays are less frank, but the
sentiment persists, and is the source of much of our economic confusion."

~Bertrand Russell, In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays (1935)

Stay away from this junk. Consider making your own. 

Wild Parsnip has negative impacts on Ontario's agriculture, biodiversity and human health.

🌱In agriculture, Wild Parsnip reduces the quality of some agricultural forage crops. It is not valuable as a forage plant, and in fact, the chemical compounds in Wild Parsnip inhibit weight gain and fertility in livestock that feed on it.

🌱The wild and cultivated parsnip forms contain toxic compounds called furanocoumarins which cause serious rashes, burns or blisters to skin exposed to the sap and sunlight. The roots may also contain furanocoumarins.

🌱Wild Parsnip invades disturbed areas. It outcompetes native vegetation, particularly crowding out lower-growing plants. It can also have an impact on pollinators, as honeybees do not visit the plant.

TikTok · Maliha Khan Ahmed Check out Maliha Khan Ahmed’s video.

More than a billion people across the world depend on for their livelihoods from things like fishing and aquaculture, to goods like reeds and grasses. That's one in eight people on the planet!

Here are three ways you can show your love and make a difference:

🏞️ Visit your local wetland
🌴 Volunteer for a wetland restoration project
🌍 Support organisations that work to protect and restore local wetlands

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/help-swallows-nighthawks-and-flycatchers-by-creating-an-insect-buffet/?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_V-4zXZ-ZJze0dyL6zy66DLJlQCWoPcD6cs-BIFlZ9UgVyqjDxMiDGtjNA9NmUANSSoeVV4Q5guYdVViCLAWph1wDIgw&_hsmi=312726135

Help Swallows, Nighthawks, and Flycatchers by Creating an Insect Buffet Birds that swoop or dart to catch bugs in flight are called aerial insectivores—and they need your help.

Canada's first environmental justice law has passed

DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION Big news for the future of environmental justice in Canada! Bill C-226, the law to establish a national environmental racism and environmental justice strategy, was passed by the Senate and will soon be law.

| A world without wetlands is a world without freshwater. Our land is the foundation of our existence. It provides nearly 95% of our food, clothing, and shelter, sustains jobs and livelihoods, and shields us from the worsening impacts of droughts, floods, and wildfires.

Show your support for these vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in the global water cycle.

https://www.unccd.int/events/desertification-drought-day/2024

Spectacular Swifts and Swallows, and Where to Find Them Similar to Fantastic Beasts, swifts, swallows, and other aerial acrobats are closer to where you live than you may think! Birds Canada’s Ontario Aerial Insec...

This time of year, Facebook Marketplace is flooded with invasive plants for sale. A key reason people get rid of this or that plant is it is taking over their garden. But by selling or giving the plant to others, they are spreading the problem and increasing the chances of the invasive species wreaking havoc in a local natural area. Before buying or selling any plant, check to see if it's invasive (cleannorth.org/invasive-garden-plants/ or see link in our bio) in your area (FYI, we are in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario). The invasive species pictured here, with SUGGESTIONS FOR NATIVE ALTERNATIVES IN PARENTHESES, are:

Common orange daylily (native alternative: butterfly w**d)
Periwinkle/vinca (native alternative: woodland strawberry)
Lily of the valley (native alternative: bluebead lily)
Yellow flag iris (native alternative: northern blue flag iris)
Yellow archangel/lamium (native alternative: foamflower)
Creeping bellflower (native alternative: northern cranesbill)

| The water in our wetlands is one of our most vital natural resources. Wetlands sustain humanity and nature through multiple services, including:

🌧️ Capturing and storing rainwater
💧 Regulating water quantity and supply
🚰 Providing safe drinking water
🐟 Keeping us fed by supporting aquaculture

https://raog.ca/the-harmful-effects-of-fireworks/

The Harmful Effects of Fireworks On Animals & Humans - Random Acts Of Green Avoid the harmful effects of fireworks on the environment by choosing to celebrate special occasions in eco-friendly ways.

Water is the essential ecological attribute of wetlands, determining the type of cover and food these ecosystems provide. Migratory waterbirds rely on these ecological characteristics for the sustenance and shelter they provide. This year's campaign highlights the decline of insects important to many species of migratory birds.

Learn more: https://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/

This is fantastic!

Meet Hobo. Hobo was eating bugs in a person's lawn, so they decided to call an exterminator. Pesticide was sprayed on the lawn and under the house. Six weeks later he was brought to us emaciated, lacking aggression and covered in ant bites. A few days of a nutritious diet, meds, and hydration has him up on his feet. Sadly it looks as though our smelly friend has some lasting neurological damage from the chemicals sprayed, and cannot walk or run without falling over. He can no longer hunt for food and would die if released. Skunks, birds, armadillo, possum and many others are at the mercy of those who spray toxic chemicals to kill bugs. When contemplating pest control, please think of Hobo and his friends that will die alongside those grubs and grasshoppers.

Looking to dispose of invasive species while prepping your garden? 🗑️

Place uprooted invasive plants and plant parts in a black garbage bag and leave it in the sun for at least five days. This will make sure they do not spread to new areas.

Learn more: https://www.ontario.ca/page/invasive-species-action-plans/

Cleaned up some nasty garlic mustard today. Found twenty Arisaema triphyllum.
“Bog onion Brown dragon Common Jack-in-the-Pulpit Devil's ear Dragon root Indian Cradle Indian Jack in The Pulpit Indian Turnip Jack-in-the-pulpit Lady-in-a-chaise Lord-and-Lady Memory root Parson-in-the-Pulpit Pepper turnip Starch wort Three-leaved indian turnip Wake robin Wild turnip”

May’s Watch List! Be on the lookout for these invasive species that pop up in May.

Have a sighting? Take a picture, record the location and report it to help us monitor the spread of invasive species!

Here are a few ways you can report a sighting:
1. Contact the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711
2. Report online at www.eddmaps.org/Ontario
3. Report online at www.iNaturalist.ca