Cool minds and hearts come together for a bite of ice-cream and a look at neighbourhood impact on climate this weekend.
Oak Bay launched the Coolkit program, a joint initiative with the Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning at the University of British Columbia and its forestry department in April. The goal is to engage and educate residents of all ages about reducing their carbon footprint with a focus on impacting climate change in an active way.
Jane Evans was among the participants of the spring Coolkit workshops. “I feel so much better actually trying to do something rather than just listening to the doom and gloom.”
The sessions offered participants a do-it-yourself toolkit for getting neighbours involved in the conversation about climate change.
So a group got together, including the the Friends of Bowker Creek Society, to craft an ice cream social to take a look at elements in their neighbourhood that cause and create impacts on climate change.
READ ALSO: Online tool challenges Oak Bay residents to become climate champions
“Let’s start the conversation,” Evans said. “As the toolkit talks about, we can educate each other and find out if there are small things we can do … to mitigate and adapt to climate change that would help in any small way.”
That can range from individual efforts on private property, to even supporting local council endeavours in change, she noted.
“They need to know residents want them to spend money on climate change mitigation. They can’t do it unless they have our support.”
The Bee and Bowker neighbourhood invites residents interested in taking action on climate change to join them Saturday, July 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Oak Bay Recreation Centre parking lot adjacent to the creek.
Learn more about the program at connect.oakbay.ca/coolkit.
Do you have a story tip? Email: c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.