John Farrow introduced today's speaker Jacquie Rushlow, co-owner of the Keep Refillery in Kingston. Jacquie and her husband opened their first store in Creemore in March 2020, then another location in Meaford, and then a location in Kingston December 2021. The concept is using your containers to refill your shampoo, hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap etc. from bulk containers and reducing plastic waste.John Farrow introduced today's speaker Jacquie Rushlow, co-owner of the Keep Refillery in Kingston. Jacquie and her husband opened their first store in Creemore in March 2020, then another location in Meaford, and then a location in Kingston December 2021. The concept is using your containers to refill your shampoo, hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap etc. from bulk containers and reducing plastic waste.
IMAGINE…
…a classroom without walls, no chalk board, no bulletins boards, no desks, and no chairs, but a place in the forest, with trees, and wild flowers, and filtered sunlight, and rocks with moss, and squirrels running about! THIS is the classroom of Mother Nature where 120 young schoolchildren from Loughborough Public School will spend a total of five days during the next school year, experiencing the wonders that surround them in Frontenac Provincial Park. It is here that they will engage with the elements of a forest and make a connection with the land through observation, touch, sound, and smell, as well as some experimentation, all under the tutelage of their teachers and experts in geology, botany, and local history. In addition, local Indigenous Knowledge Keepers will teach the children about their Indigenous culture and land stewardship.
CK Rotary is proud to announce that this Classroom Without Walls Project was awarded one of our Community Service Project Grants in this year’s Spring Competition. The grant will cover all admission fees to Frontenac Provincial Park as well as the fees of professional experts. We congratulate Loughborough Public School on their successful grant application and wish all the students and teachers a meaningful and joyful educational program in their outdoor classroom. Ms. Andrea Woogh, Grade 3 teacher, happily accepted a cheque from CK Rotarians, Ana Sutherland, President (Left) and Heather Nogrady, Co-chair, Community Service Committee.
IMAGINE…
…that at our first meeting of the NEW ROTARY YEAR, we welcomed our newest member of CK Rotary, MARILYN GOODYEAR WHITELEY! Marilyn was inducted by Past-President, Ana Sutherland, and received her Rotary Pin from new President, Sean Goodall. Congratulations to Marilyn were expressed by all Rotarians in attendance, including her Sponsor, Rotarian Elizabeth Cohoe.
It is no secret that our planet is in the midst of both a climate AND a biodiversity crisis due to climate change. Even our Kingston Municipal Council has declared a climate crisis in our city. While we alone cannot solve the global problem, we can make a difference by doing our part to increase climate resilience in our city! How, you might ask? Well, read on…
We are pleased to announce that CK Rotary has formed a strategic partnership with Little Forests Kingston (see also Facebook), an organization led by Joyce Hostyn, a local community leader and committed “rewilder.” Joyce’s vision is to vastly increase the forest canopy in all our Kingston neighbourhoods by planting “tiny forests” throughout the city in an effort to increase climate resilience.
The importance of forests in our natural world is undeniable. Forests not only play a vital role in the Earth’s climate system by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but also, and equally important, they are also home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. However, due to climate change and the loss of roughly 18 million acres of forest each year, global temperatures continue to rise and biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. Clearly, we need more forests, and we need them sooner, not later!
But growing a forest can take 150 to 200 years! However, a “little forest” can grow to maturity in only 15 to 20 years with the benefit of attaining the biodiversity of the 150-year-old forest in that timeframe! Growing little forests in this very short time span has been made possible through a revolutionary forest management method developed in Japan some 50 years ago. It involves densely planting 300 to 600 native trees and shrubs in an area about the size of a tennis court! While the method has been applied successfully in Japan and and some European countries, it is relatively new to Canada. But thanks to Little Forests Kingston, we now have some of the first Little Forests in Canada, and more are being planned!
But growing a forest can take 150 to 200 years! However, a “little forest” can grow to maturity in only 15 to 20 years with the benefit of attaining the biodiversity of the 150-year-old forest in that timeframe! Growing little forests in this very short time span has been made possible through a revolutionary forest management method developed in Japan some 50 years ago. It involves densely planting 300 to 600 native trees and shrubs in an area about the size of a tennis court! While the method has been applied successfully in Japan and and some European countries, it is relatively new to Canada. But thanks to Little Forests Kingston, we now have some of the first Little Forests in Canada, and more are being planned!
In addition to collaborating with the City of Kingston and Queen’s University, Little Forests Kingston has invited our Cataraqui-Kingston Rotary Club to assume the role of Forest Stewards, allowing us a unique opportunity to embrace and actualize this innovative environmental initiative within Rotary International’s newest Area of Focus, Protecting the Environment!
Within the domain of Forest Stewards, there will be several levels of engagement, from “hands on” activities to teaching volunteers (including children and students!), and organizational tasks, all of which offer flexibility in choosing the kind of participation and comfort that suits each volunteer as we work together to create a “City in a Forest.” There will be countless opportunities to learn new skills, to be of service to our community, and to develop a deeper appreciation of our environment, all seen through the lens of having a personal impact on climate change. We have an opportunity and responsibility to TAKE ACTION to improve climate resilience, so JOIN US so that
YOU
CAN BE PART OF THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT
And create an environmental legacy for your children and grandchildren!
CAN BE PART OF THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT
And create an environmental legacy for your children and grandchildren!
For information on becoming a volunteer Forest Steward or to just participate as needed, go to:
www.littleforests.org/volunteer
www.littleforests.org/volunteer
A GOOD PROJECT IS THE CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE (Tusu Tusubira)
Joyce's presentation to Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston on April 5, 2022
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John Farrow introduced today's speaker Jacquie Rushlow, co-owner of the Keep Refillery in Kingston. Jacquie and her husband opened their first store in Creemore in March 2020, then another location in Meaford, and then a location in Kingston December 2021. The concept is using your containers to refill your shampoo, hand soap, dish soap, laundry soap etc. from bulk containers and reducing plastic waste.By Gundula Miethke, Specialist, Regional Content and Communication • Europe/Africa at RI Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA
“Imagine Rotary” is the 2022-23 presidential theme that RI President-elect Jennifer Jones revealed on 20 January. She is asking Rotary members to dream big and take action: “We all have dreams but acting on them is a choice. Imagine a world that deserves our best, where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.”
The logo for the theme was designed by Riki Salam, an Australian artist and graphic designer specializing in contemporary Indigenous art, design, and communications. He also created the 2023 Rotary International Convention logo which will be held in Melbourne, Australia, thus connecting the two by a shared visual language.
Meaning of the design elements
There is, of course, a deeper meaning behind each element of the design. The circle in aboriginal culture for instance, signifies our connections to one another. The dots around it represent people and there are seven because of Rotary´s areas of focus.
The circle and the dots together become a navigation star – our guiding light. The solid line underneath is what is referred to as a digging stick and it is used when doing hard work. And since Rotary members are people of action – it represents a tool for getting things done.
The colors
The colors green, purple, and white are not necessarily connected to aboriginal culture. President-elect Jennifer Jones asked the new crew of Governors to use one, two, or all three when dressing for official events instead of using a theme jacket. “As we celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion, I wanted all of us to be able to express ourselves differently in what we wear, but still have connection”, Jones explained.
There are several ways to interpret the colors: Purple for example stands for polio eradication, green for the environment, the newest addition to our areas of focus, and white for peace, our core mission. Together, they are the colors of the women’s movement, the Suffragette – a subtle nod to this history as Jones pointed out, since she will be the first female RI president.
Guest Speaker Introduction by Elizabeth Cohoe.
“Several years ago, at a District Assembly, I had the privilege of hearing a presentation about EarlyAct at Vanier Public School in Brockville. It’s been in the back of my mind ever since, as a worthwhile club for elementary school students. Over the last few years, our Rotary Club has been developing a strong relationship with Loughborough School in Sydenham, most recently through our assistance with their greenhouse and teaching kitchen. They have representatives here today to hear about the experiences at Vanier School. Needless to say, I’m very excited about hearing from our speakers today.
Marilyn Powers and Michelle Peters are Rotarians at The Rotary Club of Brockville. Jeanette Gaffney is a grade 3 – 4 teacher at Vanier School. It was Michelle who was inspired to get EarlyAct started at the school, when she was teaching there. On her retirement, Jeanette took over the leadership of the program. Marilyn is the current Rotary Club liaison for EarlyAct at the school.
When I contacted them to see about a presentation at our club, I was inspired by their enthusiasm for EarlyAct and the impact it has had on their school.”
Marilyn, Michelle and Jeanette’s complete presentation and video is available on our website. Alan MacDonald and his class from Loughborough Public School also joined us this morning to hear their presentation. Greg Mumford thanked our guests with the traditional loaf of bread which will be donated to Lunch by George.
To see more about Vanier Public School's Earlyact Club, see https://vanier.ucdsb.on.ca/for_students/get_involved/early_act_club
Our guest speaker this morning is a fellow Rotarian. She has been a member of the RC of Belleville since 2009, was on their board from 2013 to 2017 and has been the chair of their Indigenous Peoples Partnerships Committee, which is the equivalent of our National Committee since 2012. In 2017 she established the IPP cluster bringing together like-minded Rotary Clubs from Belleville, Trenton, Wellington and Palgrave…and most recently the RC of Cataraqui-Kingston, realizing the importance and the impact of working together to support more indigenous communities.
She also looks after the KIVA micro loans for the Belleville club.
Aside from Rotary, she has a diploma as a Chemical Laboratory Technician, worked 10 years for Du Pont and became manager of the laboratory for non asbestos products at Akzo Nobel and was the first female in the company with a Forklift Driver License.
For the last ten years her company Wartenberg Business Consulting has been working with different Indigenous communities, providing workshops for start-ups and existing businesses, and helping with business and marketing plans.
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ACTIVITIES:
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Service Above Self
Kingston, ON K7L 5J7
Canada