Ecological gem celebrated
Birthday party held in Ecology Park to mark 25 years of Peterborough GreenUp efforts to promote environmental awareness, education
Leaves of three, let it be. That’s what four-year-old Olivia Lipscombe learned about poison ivy during her class trip to GreenUp Ecology Park.
The youngster returned to the park with her family Thursday to help GreenUp celebrate its 25th birthday.
Staff at GreenUp held an evening party at the park, complete with activities, old photos of past staffers and cake.
As soon as the Lipscombe’s walked in, Olivia darted to the kids’ area, followed by her little brother Luke.
She promptly dressed herself in a skunk costume, while her brother got a hand putting on a beaver outfit.
Amy Lipscombe and her husband Andrew take their kids to the park all year round.
“We just love this space. It’s a great space to walk around and just love that Peterborough has it here,” said Amy.
The Plunkett family wasn’t far behind the Lipscombes, with Grace Plunkett leading the way to the costume area.
The eight-year-old had also visited the park with her class.
GreenUp teaches a number of sustainable and environmentally friendly programs at the park as well as in schools, offices and in the community.
During Grace’s trip to Ecology Park, she learned about squirrel dreys.
“In the wintertime squirrels make them so they can hibernate,” Grace said.
Brianna Salmon, executive director of GreenUp, said Ecology Park is one of GreenUp’s longstanding and immersive programs.
“It’s a really special ecological gem in our community and we wanted to bring people here to celebrate with us,” Salmon said.
GreenUp was formed in 1989 after a city roundtable about the environment. It became an official entity three years later.
Throughout the last quarter of a century, GreenUp has grown, expanded and diversified – just like the landscape for environmental awareness and education, Salmon said.
“Our understanding of those issues has really deepened over time and even children now are learning about climate change at a very early age,” Salmon said.
GreenUp offers programing on cycling education, active transportation, and water-based programing, for example.
Earlier this year, GreenUp launched a major campaign to fundraise in support of upgrades and additions to Ecology Park, located off Ashburnham Road.
Its goal is to raise $500,000 over the next five years for repairs to older structures and to build a new greenhouse, among other projects.
Construction is expected to begin in 2018.
NOTE: To make a donation to GreenUp, visit its website at www. greenup.on.ca