GBSusNet Update

High School Class part of Water Works event in Walkerton

The Grey Bruce Sustainability Network (GBSusNet) has been chugging along in the southern part of grey bruce on a couple of exciting projects and working at a board level to identify and fill gaps in the regional sustainability scene. As a not-for-profit organization GBSusNet sees itself actively going after funding to support sustainability initiatives at a regional scale but also to support projects that are happening at a local level.

GBSusNet is currently sponsoring the "Ripples of Change (ROC)" project out of Walkerton which is a youth focussed group (with older youth too!!!) dedicated to working on local and global water issues. The group hosted a very successful "Careers in Water" fair at the local high school which attracted 250 students from around grey bruce for a day long series of interactive presentations and workshops. Participating agencies and sponsors included the Municipality of Brockton; Walkerton Clean Water Centre; Bluewater School Board; Catholic School Board; Veolia Water; Ministry of Enviroment; Saugeen Conservation and the area Drinking Water Source Protection Committee.

The event was so successful the ROC group will be producing a second Career Fair in the Spring of 2011 with a focus on Energy. The program is in conjuntion with the new Specialist High Skills Major program which is happening throughout the high schools in Grey Bruce and around the province.

ROC also hosted a 2 day program called Water Works which inlcuded local high school students getting out tree planting, testing water quality, touring the Clean Water Centre and creating a presentation on their experiences of the workshop. All in all anouther successful project.

So, GBSusNet as a legal NFP corporation is hosting the admin and financial side of the project and as such is developing a track record upon which to based future applications to funding agencies for larger more regional projects like a "Grey Bruce Sustainability Report Card".

What does all this have to do with the localmotiveproject...or the transition initiatives.? of course everything. Same ideas...similar and different approaches. We're looking for ways to combine forces under one roof to ensure maximum impact.

The localmotiveproject site is a great place to share ideas and strategies for moving the sustainabilty transition forward.

The GBSusNet Board meets quarterly at which time project ideas can be brought forward for consideration. The next board meeting is Tuesday December 7th in Walkerton. info@gbsusnet.org

Looking forward to developing a collaborative strategy with localmotiveproject - TT - municipalities - and communities that addresses the huge challenges of climate change - peak oil and the health of our ecosystems.