Seven ways Peterborough “Greened Up” in 2015

And a taste of what the environmental organization has planned for 2016

By GreenUP -
Published
Peterborough Pulse, Downtown Peterborough's first open streets event in July 2015, was a huge success and plans are underway for a bigger and better event in 2016 (photo: Linda McIllwain / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough Pulse, Downtown Peterborough's first open streets event in July 2015, was a huge success and plans are underway for a bigger and better event in 2016 (photo: Linda McIllwain / kawarthaNOW)

GreenUP staff are always grateful this time of year. Our roles allow us the opportunity to work with the incredible citizens of Peterborough, with the goal in mind of making our city the best it can possibly be. Working with you in the past year has been a privilege.

Here are seven ways you helped us “GreenUP” the community in 2015.

1. Peterborough Pulse

Peterborough Pulse created a vibrant, playful, and active car-free corridor between Peterborough City Hall and the Saturday Farmers' Market (photo: Linda McIllwain / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough Pulse created a vibrant, playful, and active car-free corridor between Peterborough City Hall and the Saturday Farmers’ Market (photo: Linda McIllwain / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough’s first Open Streets event brought more than 4,000 people into the downtown to engage with public space in an exciting new way!

Pulse created a vibrant, playful, and active car-free corridor between the City Hall and the Saturday Farmers’ Market, and filled the usually trafficked roadway with art installations, pop-up cycling tracks, miniature parks, live music, and more.

Coming up in 2016: the Pulse Organizing Team (including the City of Peterborough, the DBIA, GreenUP, B!KE, the Peterborough County-City Health Unit, and the Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee) is working to bring a bigger, better, longer Pulse to Peterborough in 2016!

2. Neighbourhood planning

A new playground structure is one feature of a revitalized Stewart Street Park in Peterborough (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
A new playground structure is one feature of a revitalized Stewart Street Park in Peterborough (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
The amazing residents in the Stewart Street neighbourhood partnered with GreenUP, the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation, the City of Peterborough, Trent University, the Peterborough Community Garden Network, and other enthusiastic community organizations to become one of the first neighbourhoods to participate in a national participatory planning project, Active Neighbourhoods Canada (ANC).

The ANC project looks to build active citizenship and to support residents in developing the tools necessary to re-imagine public spaces in their neighbourhood and to advocate for healthy and sustainable development.

3. Pedal Power

Pedal Power was one of Ontario's first in-school cycling education programs (photo: Community Cycling Hub)
Pedal Power was one of Ontario’s first in-school cycling education programs (photo: Community Cycling Hub)

We just love to see kids on bikes! To increase the overall number of young cyclists and improve their safety while cycling, GreenUP and B!KE: the Community Cycling Hub created Pedal Power, one of Ontario’s first in-school cycling education programs.

By the end of its pilot run in 2015, over 500 Grade 5 students had completed the program, and over 2000 local youth had taken part in associated activities, like Pedal Power’s Bike Playground.

Coming up in 2016: watch for bike playgrounds and more to pop-up in a schoolyard or park near you.

4. DePave Paradise

Nearly 100 community volunteers transformed a parking lot into a rain garden at Wireless Solutions in Peterborough (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
Nearly 100 community volunteers transformed a parking lot into a rain garden at Wireless Solutions in Peterborough (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)

Nearly 100 community volunteers helped remove over 250 square metres of asphalt and planted over 700 native plants and trees to create a rain garden at Wireless Solutions (corner of Brealey Dr. and Ashburnham St W.).

The rain garden will divert 178,000 litres of rain water annually from entering our storm water drainage system, allowing it to naturally filter into the ground and restore the natural water cycle!

Coming up in 2016: sites are being selected for projects in the new year.

5. Saving water and money with rain barrels

015, the GreenUP Store sold 125 rain barrels with a subsidy from Peterborough Utilities Group (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
015, the GreenUP Store sold 125 rain barrels with a subsidy from Peterborough Utilities Group (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)

The GreenUP Store sold 125 rain barrels with a subsidy from Peterborough Utilities Group.

The rain barrels helped residents to reduce their water bill, keep runoff away from their home, save water for a dry spell, and water their plants.

Coming up in 2016: watch for new ways to align your purchase with conservation.

6. Monarch Butterfly Stewardship

Monarch butterflies were tagged and released at Ecology Park, to be tracked during their migration to Mexico (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
Monarch butterflies were tagged and released at Ecology Park, to be tracked during their migration to Mexico (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
Did You Know?

  • Snapping turtles returned to Ecology Park last spring to lay their eggs in the mulch pile
  • Monarch butterflies migrate nearly 4,500 km from Peterborough to Mexico
  • Ecology Park honeybees produced over 25 kg of wildflower honey
  • 12 large-stature native trees were planted at Ecology Park
  • 1 mature native tree has the cooling capacity of 10 air conditioners

GreenUP Ecology Park reared, tagged and released 13 Monarch butterflies this fall in partnership with Monarch Watch.

Like many pollinator species, this majestic insect is facing large population decline throughout North America.

GreenUP encouraged the community to participate in our Monarch Butterfly workshop, where individuals learned about the butterfly’s lifecycle and collected caterpillars to raise.

GreenUP Ecology Park sold various types of milkweed to encourage community members to plant this host Monarch plant in their gardens.

A tagging event was held in September, where the Monarchs were released and wished well on their migration to Mexico.

Coming up in 2016: watch for more opportunities to get involved with pollinator stewardship and citizen science Monarch Butterfly projects with GreenUP and our partner, Kawartha Land Trust.

7. Community Beekeeping Program

GreenUP Ecology Park became home to two honeybee hives in 2015, provided pollination services to plants in the park as well as surrounding fruit trees and community gardens (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
GreenUP Ecology Park became home to two honeybee hives in 2015, provided pollination services to plants in the park as well as surrounding fruit trees and community gardens (photo: Peterborough GreenUP)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Danica Jarvis, Environmental Education Coordinator at GreenUP.

In 2015, GreenUP Ecology Park became home to two honeybee hives. These educational hives provided pollination services to all the plants in the park, as well as surrounding fruit trees and community gardens.

The positive public response and the need for more education around bees inspired the beginnings of our new Community Beekeeping Program.

Coming up in 2016: GreenUP will continue to facilitate the stewardship of urban beekeepers and local pollinator species throughout 2016.

For more information about the programs at GreenUP, or for opportunities to get involved, go to our website greenup.on.ca or give us a call at 705-745-3238.

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