A Look Back at Successful Earth Day Activities at the Library

A number of activities were organised at the Library on April 26 to inform young and old alike about the importance of taking care of the earth.

The day began with the installation of the insect hotel, which was built by the town's carpenters, and we'd like to thank them for their involvement. The insect hotel, which is located near the entrance to the library on Sherwood Crescent, can be seen from the street and from inside the library. This location was chosen because the surrounding vegetation attracts pollinators.

Activities for Children and Young People

Learn how to plant sunflowers

This bilingual gardening activity gave children aged 4 to 9 the chance to plant sunflower seeds in a pot they had decorated beforehand. There were two groups: the first with 15 children and 8 parents, and the second with 17 children and 12 parents. The children had a great time sharing and learning with Izabela, our youth section coordinator, accompanied by Dunnia Lopez, an arboriculture inspector with the Town of Mount Royal.

Tickets sold out quickly, and both activities were a great success with the young Townies.

Environmental microbiology – microorganisms helping the living

During this interactive workshop, our 10- to 15-year-olds were able to use a microscope to take a close look at samples of water, soil and roots to discover the microorganisms hiding in there. The 11 youngsters, accompanied by 6 parents, asked lots of questions and seemed to enjoy their discussions with Catherine Morel, a certified arboriculturist with the Town of Mount Royal.

This last activity was due to finish at 15:45, but it went on until 16:30 because the children didn't want to leave. They found the activity very interesting. This was the first time the Town offered an activity for this age group, and it was a great success.

Launch of the Cuttings Library

An ongoing activity for residents of all ages, the new Cuttings Library enabled residents to exchange rooted plant cuttings in soil. This launch event brought together plant enthusiasts and enabled them to discuss and exchange plants in a convivial setting. Come and see us if you missed it! There are still some plants available!

Activities for Adults

For adults, we hosted two speakers from the Earth Day organization, on the themes of “My eco-friendly home” and “I love my garbage but I’m leaving it”, to talk about practical tips for reducing our ecological footprint at home, and to reflect more broadly on our relationship with waste, recycling and consumption.

Participants enjoyed the two Earth Day conferences. The discussions were very rich and the participants interacted a lot with the speakers. Normally, the organizers hold a “workshop” part after the classic lecture, but there was so much enthusiasm that the exchanges lasted almost 2 hours after each lecture.

Participants had lots of questions about the right products to use, sorting in recycling bins, the best practices for composting, the best ways to reduce our waste at source, and much more. 

For more information and to learn about other free conferences on the fight against food waste organized by Jour de la Terre, please visit this site.