Environment Week is going virtual for 2020.
The Town of Okotoks is offering its usual host of events to honour Canadian Environment Week, which includes Canada Clean Air Day on June 3 and UN World Environment Day on June 5.
Typically a series of public presentations and activities dominate the week in Okotoks, and while physical distancing means in-person events won’t be happening, environment and sustainability specialist Jinny Toffelmire has worked up a schedule of online events and resources to celebrate the week.
“It’s just included a lot more writing and procedures to get everything in place so it’s working well – webinars, setting those up with our speakers, and also with the Repair Café, just making sure everyone through the whole process will be safe,” said Toffelmire.
The Repair Café was the most difficult event to turn virtual, she said. Usually people visit the Okotoks Recreation Centre with household items that need to be fixed and connect with volunteers who diagnose and repair the issues.
COVID-19 has that looking a little different this year.
Those with items to be repaired can submit an online participation form until May 28 and the information is passed on to the volunteers. On May 31, Toffelmire will collect those items and prepare them for the café.
“The items are going to sit in quarantine, they’re going to be wiped down, then next week we’re going to bring them to our fixers to fix,” she said.
While they do repairs, they’ll contact owners by telephone or videoconference to walk through the diagnosis and repair process, she said. Once the items are repaired, Toffelmire will pick them up, sanitize and quarantine them again, and they will be returned to owners on June 10.
“It’s a bit of a process to keep everyone safe,” said Toffelmire. “But I think it’s going to protect everyone in the long run and still get items fixed.”
The Town’s annual photo contest launches May 31, but will look a little different in 2020. Rather than sending in photos of their own eco-friendly initiatives, residents will nominate friends, family and neighbours to highlight environmentally-friendly projects or activities they recognize in the community.
“Then we can share these great things so people can emulate them and to congratulate them for doing something that’s so great for the environment,” said Toffelmire.
Winners of the contest will be chosen and announced on June 5, World Environment Day.
Also on May 31, a webinar about species like skunks, bats, porcupines and magpies will teach registrants about how these animals contribute to the local ecosystem, and a webinar about bees is set for 7 p.m. on June 4, Pollinator Day.
A Facebook and Instagram Live event is scheduled for June 2, Critters of the Watershed Day, with a former conservation educator and wildlife biologist talking about local animals and the species that inhabit the Sheep River valley.
Other events include ReThink Clothing Day on June 1, Dirty Air Day on June 3 and Repair Day on June 6.
“These days are more just online resources,” said Toffelmire. “Everything does have a component that you can do at home, so for example the ReThink Clothing day, there are things you can do at home, like make a mask, and we’ve provided research on the best materials to make masks out of as well.”
For more information, or for the full schedule of events, visit www.okotoks.ca/EnvironmentalEvents
Krista Conrad, OkotoksToday.ca
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