Nurture the Natural

It seems that spring may finally be here (knock on wood). And even those of us who don’t know our Douglas firs from our hemlocks are feeling the urge to commune with nature.

We’ve always been a green city, but with eco-consciousness soaring and locally grown food all the rage, there are even more ways to get yourself and your family involved in the great outdoors—even if your lifestyle is generally more spa than spade. Here are our tips to get you going:

If you are looking for local produce, look no further than your own backyard. Vancouver is encouraging residents to get on board with the Every Lawn a Garden campaign, whose mission is to see every household in B.C. with a food-producing garden (whether that’s a windowsill basil bush, backyard raspberry canes or a full-fledged veggie plot). There are lots of resources for beginning gardeners recommended on Vancouver City’s Get Active in the Garden site. Schools can even get a free DVD with instructions on how to create an ‘edible schoolyard’.

Other resources for growing at home can be found in Farm Folk/City Folk’s ‘knowledge pantry’, where you’ll also find a wealth of other local food info.

If you want to spread the green word a bit (locally or globally), we have a wonderful resource for you with a name we couldn’t resist, called Love Trees.

Bowen Island resident Andrea Koehle Jones is the founder of Love Trees and the ‘Tree for Every Child’ campaign, which promotes environmental education by distributing seedlings to children in North America and Kenya. People can support the cause by funding trees that are planted by children in most-needed areas (such as post-hurricane Louisiana). We particularly like the idea of ordering the seedling kits locally and using them as ‘green’ party favours for birthday party guests.

Whether you like to dig in the dirt, hike in the hills, or just snooze in the sun, the time is now. Slap on the sunblock, and enjoy!

Love Trees
www.lovetrees.ca

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