Environment Week offers plenty to do
A flurry of activities will mark Environment Week in Lethbridge.
More than a dozen events will be open to the public — free or by donation — from June 4 to 10.
“Our goal is to give people the opportunity to learn about the environment, find ways to take action and hopefully have some fun,” says Kathleen Sheppard, executive director at Environment Lethbridge.
Many events are being presented by community partners, she points out.
On Sunday, the organization will spearhead a coulee cleanup, starting at 1 p.m. from the parking lot near the entrance to the Softball Valley access road from Scenic Drive North. Prizes will be awarded for the most unusual items turned in, and for the “best collector.”
On Monday, the Lethbridge Sustainable Living Association will host a presentation on compost tea, at the Earthly Matters site in Coaldale. It’s set for 7 p.m., at a cost of $20.
Two events on Tuesday include a “Green Trivia, Green Drinks” session at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, 4 to 6 p.m., and then an introduction to permaculture — location to be determined — with a $20 fee. And a “Getting Started with Solar” session will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Theoretically Brewing.
June 7 will see include another session at Theoretically Brewing, with cyclist Alex Singbiek describing his recent tour of Cuba — on a tandem — starting at 7 p.m. There will also be a sustainable gardening “basics” session at 6:30 p.m. in Monarch.
Next day, the Lethbridge Interfaith Food Bank will present a solar cooking demonstration, as well as a tour of its “learning garden,” starting at 5 p.m. Participants are asked to bring cash or a nonperishable food item.
June 8 will also include a screening of the film “Planetary,” exploring the Earth’s cosmic beginnings and its possible future, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Crossings Branch Library.
On June 9, the university’s downtown Penny Building will be the venue for a talk on “beefriendly” gardening, featuring horticulturalist Lyndon Penner. Tickets for the 7 p.m. presentation, priced at $10, are available from Eventbrite.
No fewer than five events are scheduled for June 10. A recycling round-up is set for the London Drugs parking lot, offering an opportunity for surplus furniture, working electronics, bicycles and such to be used by someone else.
Two events will start at 1 p.m., sponsored by the Helen Schuler Nature Centre: a free Nature Play Day for children at Henderson Lake Park; and a tour of the centre’s native Prairies plant garden at the centre.
That will be followed at 2 p.m. by a botanical art exhibition, an opportunity to purchase native plants, and free gardening advice from members of the Lethbridge Horticultural Society.
Closing the week, owners of a xeriscape garden on the city’s southside, emphasizing water conservation and native plantings, will run from 7 to 9 p.m. It’s located at 625 18 St. S.
“We have a number of opportunities for everyone to come out and learn about environmental action in Lethbridge,” Sheppard says.