Green Calgary's Blog

It's another Earth Week and while it's not a great time for many to celebrate, there are still some things that we are doing to mark the occasion. We wanted to share some of what Green Calgary's been working on for this Earth Week. Rain Barrel Sales - Green Calgary's annual rain barrel sale fundraiser has moved online and we're still selling rain barrels and delivering them to your door. We're pleased that for Earth Month we've dropped the cost of the barrel by $10, plus for the whole season, we're paying half the shipping! You can order yours HERE . Online Activities for Kids - Green Calgary's educators have adapted our programs into online activities to help parents and teachers deliver environmental education at home! Each week has a different theme and different activities to try - check the activity guides to find which part of the curriculum they fit into. You can find those HERE . For this Earth Week, we're also premiering our ...

Green Calgary’s annual rain barrel sales have been a major fundraiser and community event for over 20 years, a legacy which we intend to honour this year.  While the current public health crisis has kept many of us separate from one another, the possibility of holding rain barrel sales in a physical location has become an impossibility.  So, Green Calgary is taking the sales online instead! What you can expect: · The same great Green Calgary rain barrels in blue or white · Rain barrels at a special, bargain price of $75 barrel until May 1st when they go up to $85 · The same excellent rain barrel support through our help desk · Green Calgary pays half the delivery fee! A new, reduced price of $10 delivery for your first two barrels, $10 per barrel after that (in the same order) · Delivery to every quadrant of the city on select days (pick up from our offices might become available at a later date) We’re hoping this change will be a welcom...

Green Calgary is going to the Calgary Home + Garden Show this weekend to talk to folks about rain barrels, but the show also acts as a reminder that gardening season is just around the corner, if not now. Many gardeners, some in Green Calgary included, garden throughout the winter with things like sprouts, microgreens, and container plants that winter well. However, now tends to be when people planting their gardens from seed start planning their gardens and even starting their seeds. One of the advantages to starting this early is that you can design your garden to take advantage of the whole growing season, with things that bloom early, others that bloom late, and plants that protect your garden from pests while attracting pollinators. The City of Calgary's YardSmart program has some handy tools to get you started . Another reason to get ready early is to make sure you have your water usage laid out. Plants have various water needs, plus watering in shade and in sun is di...

When undertaking a renovation, there are a few things you can do to make your renovation more environmentally friendly! The best thing you can do is make conscious decisions – plan out the renovation and look for alternatives where they exist. Often, there are eco-friendly options out there, but we just don’t see them! Here are some more tips: Do research. Look into the products you’re getting and what kind of environmental programs the business has in place. You can check various certifications, too, such as Forest Stewardship Council for wood and Canada’s EcoLogo program for eco-friendly products. Paint. Painting is an easy way to brighten up a home and the biggest issue are the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in many paints. Look at labels and ask in the paint department for low-VOC paint, recycled latex paint, or natural paint. Repurpose & Reuse. Find new spots for old furniture, such as turning an old dresser into a new shelving unit. Check in thrift stores and onl...

It's that time of year again! If the snow last weekend was any indication, our water collection period is coming to an end and it's about time to winterize your rain barrel to avoid damage to the barrel. Here's how: If you have a Rain Barrel with an overflow hose: 1. Remove the overflow hose & store it for next spring. 2. Turn your barrel upside down & drain completely. 3. Store & secure your barrel for the winter. Ideally, move the barrel into a garage/shed if you can, but if you are leaving it outdoors, store it upside down and secure it to prevent damage & water accumulating. 4. Reconnect your downspout to allow melting snow to drain away from your foundation.   If you have a Rain Barrel with a diverter kit: 1. Turn your barrel upside down & drain completely. 2. Store & secure your barrel for the winter. Ideally, move the barrel into a garage/shed, but if you are leaving it outdoors, store it upside down & secure it to prevent damage ...

It's rain barrel season for Green Calgary again, and we have so much going on at the rain barrel sites other than just rain barrels! So what can you expect from the sales dates? Bag Share: The Bag Share is back! With such a huge success of the program last year, we're repeating it this year. We'll be collecting your extra reusable bags on site at each Rain Barrel Sale and redistributing them to others! We thank everyone for their donations! Activities: At each of our Rain Barrel Sales we will have activities on site for children and youth to get involved and learn about sustainability. They can participate in Environmental Jeopardy, Spin the Enviro Wheel, and much more! Rain Barrel Repair: We will have Dirk Struck, the Barrelman himself, onsite to repair your rain barrels. Bring old barrels down with you to get repaired. It's $15 per outlet repaired and Dirk takes cash. Thanks! Partners: Each site will have some of our community partners on-hand to provid...

Happy Earth Month everyone! We're all getting a bit of spring fever here at Green Calgary as we prepare for our busiest month of the year! Here are a few things we're up to throughout the month, as well as some Earth Month actions for you to take! For us it starts (and ends) with Rain Barrels! Our annual rain barrel sales are back and we start selling online right now! Our rain barrels are a great deal at $65 per kit, and our composters are on sale, too, at $45! You can preorder yours today or come to one of the four sales locations across Calgary in the coming months (more info on these below). Then, later this month we'll be celebrating Earth Week and Earth Day by participating in environmental awareness events across Calgary! You can even book us to come to your business or community association throughout Earth Month as our Lunch and Learn series is on special for $250 per session or 5 for $1000! You can find more info about those on our website . As Earth Mo...

It's 2019 and another World Water Day is upon us. Water is such a vital part of our lives. We drink it, eat it , wear it, use it, bathe in it, and more every day. It seems odd that we only celebrate water on a few days every year! Each year, the UN declares a theme for World Water Day. This year's theme is clean water for everyone. Surprisingly, there are many communities - even in Canada - that don't have access to clean water. It goes to show that we still have a ways to go in terms of managing this precious resource. Here are other reasons we should all respect our waters! Calgary gets floods. We all remember the big flood of 2013, but there's flooding fairly regularly. The City has plans extending far into the future to help lessen the impacts of floods. Learn about how to mitigate flood risks for you and your neighbours on The City of Calgary's website . It takes a lot to manage our water. The City of Calgary has its job cut out for it! Betwee...