Environment Week encourages residents to do their part

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on June 4, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Environment Week kicked off in Lethbridge Monday with the City encouraging residents to use alternative modes of transportation such as biking, taking the bus, walking or using micro-mobility devices to reach their destinations.

Sustainability engineer with the City’s Waste and Environment department, Raene Barber, and Environment Lethbridge’s executive director Kathleen Sheppard both had messages to the public about the week that runs through Saturday.

Environment Week has several theme days with residents today being encouraged to reduce textile waste by donating their unwanted, clean and usable clothing.

On Wednesday, residents are being asked to check out the City’s water conservation plan online and look at tips for reducing water. A water information session is planned at City Hall Wednesday night from 6 until 8 p.m.

Thursday’s focus is on using green carts to reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions while on Friday residents are being encouraged to use the Lethbridge Tree Passport to get outside and connect with nature.

The week concludes Saturday with the Helen Schuler Coulee Centre hosting Nature Play Fest at Henderson Lake from noon until 4 p.m. The event gives families the chance to try a range of diverse activities.

Environment Lethbridge is in charge of the special events and residents can check a list of events at its website, environmentlethbridge.ca

Barber said outside City Hall residents are being asked “to take time to connect with, care for and enjoy the beautiful environment we have in Lethbridge.”

Environment Week has been well received but the City hopes residents think about the environment year-round.

The popularity of the week is why the City tries to bring back common events such as Play Fest and the household hazardous waste and e-waste roundup that ran on Saturday.

Sheppard said the week is “a great opportunity to really celebrate the great natural environment we have here as well as different actions and initiatives residents can get involved with.”

Environment Week has “become a mainstay of events in early June,” added Sheppard.

“And we really look at it as an opportunity to kind of celebrate a lot of the different initiatives that are going on,” Sheppard added.

In that vein, one initiative Environment Lethbridge has taken is to profile city residents who are taking steps “to walk their talk” on the environment.

Lethbridge has made strides on waste reduction, Sheppard said, and there has been an increased overall awareness on things such as climate change and water conservation.

“This is just one week a year where we get to celebrate harder but really as we all are aware, helping the environment is a year-round activity and what we really want is for people to kind of take some first steps that they can then leverage into things they can do every day all year round,” added Sheppard.

Comments are closed.