At thegreenrock, we look ahead and see a time when this province leads in sustainable living, and we’re doing stuff in 2018 that will help us get there! Our staff has grown, our Board has grown, and we are totally charged up with a roster of practical projects developed to connect people to each other, to their communities, and to our common environment.
With support from the Centre for Social Enterprise, thegreenrock has been able to welcome amazing talent for the winter and spring! Tani’s a computer scientist, Maham is working the books, and Eniola is developing content. The three join Kim as Founder and CEO and Perla as project co-ordinator – look out! thegreenrock is also thrilled to announce new board power with Meghan Keating and Gail Ryan (Treasurer).
From right to left: Founder and CEO Kim Todd, Eniola Folarin, Maham Rahim, Tanjida Akhter, and Perla Hernandez in the middle.
thegreenrock 2018 projects include new opportunities to deal with what we’re finished with (#In Its Place); how we support social enterprise in this province (#Business for Good); how students and seniors can come together to address environmental concerns (#InterGeneration); how we can help people access outdoor benefits (#PlayOutdoors); and how we can make it easy for people who want to to choose local, social and green for their purchasing and lifestyle choices (#GuidetotheGood).
#InItsPlace
The In Its Place recycling with bins and kitchen sinks for students rinse and recycle paper cups
Last fall, thegreenrock piloted #InItsPlace, a waste diversion project that recycled paper and plastic, composted organics, and gave students the opportunity to place waste through the system and keep it out of the landfill. In Its Place was supported by the Wellness Coalition Avalon East in collaboration with MacDonald Drive Junior high school and Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.
The project included an awareness campaign and the daily set-up of a waste diversion system (ok, a handful of plastic buckets, varying sizes) for the school breakfast program. It started with a schoolyard clean up with four grade 7 science classes. The plan was to sort out trash on big tarps to segregate and proceed to put them In Its Place! It kind of worked.
The waste diversion system included sinks to rinse paper cups and bowls, recycle bins for paper, plastic and compost. It all came together with InItsPlace art signage created by an MDJH student. The City of St. John’s Waste Division picked up the recyclables bi-weekly, and Island Compost took the compost weekly, and there was so much less for the landfill.
We also celebrated Waste Reduction Week in collaboration with the City of St. John’s and Clean St. John’s – trivia, an interactive display, and a lot of engagement was the result.
For the culmination of In Its Place, thegreenrock.ca launched the “Get Caught Green-handed” ticketing blitz. Students were stealth ticketed when they got caught putting waste “In Its Place”. It was a fabulous pilot and we are looking forward to expanding it as new project partners come on. Keep an eye out for a something special between thegreenrock and the Million Dollar Bus!
Business for Good
Business for Good Discussion Panel
2018 started with a jolt as thegreenrock.ca, in partnership with Memorial’s Faculty of Business Administration and with support from Memorial University’s Office of Public Engagement Accelerator Fund, launched Business for Good, a project that integrates Memorial’s faculty, Memorial’s Centre for Social Enterprise, students and Social Enterprises practitioners to help social enterprises as they do good for the community.
Business for good involves panel presentations to business students at Memorial University on topics like strategy, b-corp and social enterprises; polls with students and social enterprises to identify the challenges and opportunities for SEs in the province. In addition, Business for Good will also incorporate the public panel discussion “Business for Good” taking place next Wednesday March 21st from 12-2pm at Memorial’s Centre for Entrepreneurship (register for the event here !). Check out the article on the Gazette to find out more about Business for Good! Follow us #BusinessforGood.
InterGeneration ~ The Plastic Bag Project
Waterford Valley’s students at the Social Justice Club holding an up-cycled bag
An intergenerational and waste awareness project that brings seniors from Agnes Pratt Home and students from Waterford Valley Social Justice Club together to share strengths, and transfer skills towards a common purpose of up-cycling plastic bags into durable goods like tote bags. InterGeneration is supported by the Co-operators Group IMPACT! Youth Sustainability Leadership Fund and with support from Recycle NL and the City of St. John’s Waste Reduction Division.
InterGeneration will start in early spring. The project integrates an orientation session and three workshops with students and seniors working together at Agnes Pratt. The orientation session will cover an overview on how to make yarn and up-cycled goods and a waste awareness presentation about plastics. follow us #InterGeneration
#PlayOutdoors ~ environment is where cultures connect, and build community
playing outdoors has many health benefits for kids and adults
An environmental appreciation and community building project offering a series of outdoors adventures for adult and child/teen. This project takes a focus on a diverse demographic, to encourage connection (re-connection) with nature and each other. #PlayOutdoors is supported by the Community Healthy Living Fund and ParticipACTION and it will take place during this Spring – Fall 2018. The project will run three outings, including a geocaching and boil up in May, an Outdoor Adventure Open House with Junior Forest Wardens in July and a hike and Blueberry picking session when the berries are ready.
#PlayOutdoors also involve the participation of a wide range of organizations like the Association for New Canadians, Junior Forest Wardens Newfoundland and Labrador, Eastern Seals, MacMorran and more! The main idea of #PlayOutdoors is to reduce the barriers to outdoors recreation and to make it accessible for families of diverse socio-cultural backgrounds to appreciate and connect with nature, get outdoors and make friends.
And of course….. Social Enterprise Guide to the Good !
guide to the good social enterprise
A social enterprise that makes it easy for people to buy local and green in the Northeast Avalon. Guide to the Good promotes local businesses and organizations in the Northeast Avalon that are doing good things for the community.
If you want to learn more about the work that thegreenrock.ca check out the latest annual report
