[greenon-l] Collaborations for Conservation

[Conservation Council of Ontario]

Green On.
The Online Newsletter of the Conservation Council of Ontario
see www.greenontario.org for the online version and to subscribe or unsubscribe

Editor:  Chris Winter, Executive Director

Note:  The Green On. listserve is currently being used to promote our We 
Conserve Initiative
Please see www.weconserve.ca for details.


[]

September 19, 2005


In this issue...
Conservation Collaborations -- the Next Step in Building the Movement
Health and the Environment :
   -- a Health and Sprawl seminar
   -- a primer on Child Health and the Environment.
Post your ideas for collaborations

Conservation Collaborations -- the Next Step
We’re building the conservation movement one step at a time.

This summer, we tested the waters with the Doors Closed Ontario! campaign 
which demonstrated the amazing potential for cooperative outreach 
campaigns, especially when Ontario's businesses and business associations, 
municipalities, community groups and volunteers, and provincial 
organizations all work together towards a common goal.

Next on the agenda is the development of new collaborations.  And once we 
have a track record with the collaborations, we will be able to introduce 
some of the high-level programs for the conservation movement, including a 
provincial Conservation Fund and a conservation rewards program in support 
of a conserver economy.

Here are some of the innovative ideas we've been involved with over the 
summer months.  These are all fledgling concepts and programs in the 
making, but they give a good idea of our potential


1. Student Power:  a co-marketing initiative for environmental education 
and school-based programs.  A key innovation is to include a renewable 
power program to help schools set up windmills as a learning experience 
(see PURE’s trailblazing pilot project 
<http://www.powerupenergy.ca/press.html>www.powerupenergy.ca/press.html). 
Just as Evergreen helps schools to naturalize their playgrounds, the 
Ontario Sustainable Energy Association in partnership with environmental 
education groups will give students practical learning experiences in 
renewable energy.  The real bonus comes with a new generation that is 
willing to invest in renewable power and conservation.

2.  Selling Energy Conservation: a number of groups in the energy 
conservation sector are looking at how to combine forces in social 
marketing, and in packaging our services for municipalities with respect to 
energy conservation.

3.  Natural Yards: very much in the pre-planning stage, but with many 
municipalities considering pesticide by-laws there is a strong need for 
community-based programs to help people switch to natural pest control and 
to create wildlife habitat in their yards.  Maybe we’ll even need a new 
category in the annual “Communities in Bloom” competition 
<http://www.communitiesinbloom.ca/>www.communitiesinbloom.ca

4.  Cultural Connections: an exciting collaboration is forming between 
cultural agencies in the Greater Toronto Area and the conservation 
community.  We are pulling together an initial proposal to scope out the 
pressing conservation issues, the best practices, and the opportunities for 
engaging Ontario’s new immigrants and cultures in the conservation movement.

These collaborations and more will be fleshed out for our Annual Meeting on 
November 15.  Details to follow.

Are you working on any other solutions-oriented collaborations.  Let us 
know!  There are so many other conservation issues and opportunities out 
there: such as local and organic food, transportation alternatives, 
pollution prevention, waste reduction, and natural areas stewardship.

Please post your comments and ideas at http://weconserve.ca/articles/?p=8



Health and the Environment:  News from the our Networks
Here’s a couple of items from two of the networks we are working with


  Health and Urban Sprawl Seminar
<http://www.greenontario.org/osgn/fall05.html>http://www.greenontario.org/osgn/fall05.html 

The Ontario Smart Growth Network is hosting a one-day seminar on the links 
between urban sprawl and health.  Speakers include Dr. Sheela Basrur, Chief 
Medical Officer of Health; Dr Riina Bray, Ontario College of Family 
Physicians; and Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga.

Child Health and the Environment
<http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/>http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca 

Two years in the making, the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and 
the Environment has released an excellent primer on the links between 
exposures to toxic chemicals and other hazards and prenatal and child 
health.  It’s available on the CPCHE website.  (Can a social marketing 
campaign be far behind?)

  Your Comments
Here’s two questions for you:
1.  What can we hope to achieve through collaborations?  Measurable 
results? Cultural shift?  Synergy?
2.  Where else can we build partnerships and collaborations?

Please post your comments at http://weconserve.ca/articles/?p=8


Chris Winter
Executive Director
The Conservation Council of Ontario


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