Sunday, December 1, 2019

December: Caring for the Environment this Holiday Season

The holidays are around the corner! School will be out soon, friends and family will be getting together, and there will be more food around then anyone can eat.

Indulging this time of year isn't a bad thing, but if we don't think about what we're doing it can add up to a lot of trash, food waste, carbon emissions, and overall a negative impact on the environment. There are ways we can reduce waste and still have a magical holiday.
  • Make homemade presents or shop at second had stores, reusing items is always a lower impact option!
  • Wrap presents in newspaper or brown wrapping paper that can be recycled. Most available wrapping paper has too much plastic to be recycled. 
  • Better yet, wrap presents in reusable cloth bags! 
    Homemade reusable gift bags. Also available in stores.
  • Replace scotch tape for wrapping presents with string or rope, helping reduce plastic waste. It can also be reused many times. 
  • Save and reuse all types of gift bags for future gift giving.
  • Since we visit a lot of family and friends over the holidays, carpooling or walking whenever possible can be a great way to keep our carbon footprints small as well as spend more time with your loved ones!
  • Be sure to eat, freeze, or donate holiday food leftovers to reduce food waste. Food waste makes up 1/3 of our landfills and produces a greenhouse gas called methane. It’s a good thing holiday leftovers are so delicious.
Thank you for thinking of the environment this holiday season!
Warm wishes for a great holiday and Happy New Year!

Friday, November 1, 2019

November: Time for a Nature Hike

Things are starting to get a little chilly and our plant and animal neighbors are preparing for winter.

Ruby throated Hummingbird - Ted Krug
Turtles make their beds at the bottom of lakes and beavers get cozied up in their dams. Other animals like the ruby throated humming bird and several bat species head south to warmer climates.

BUT that doesn't mean we should hibernate or migrate!

There are soooo many fun things to do outside even thought you can’t wear shorts and a T-shirt. Taking a nature walk is a great place to start. While you walk through the woods see how many falling leaves you can catch in mid-air! Notice the smells, how is it different? And the sounds... or lack of sounds...

How many different leave colours can you collect now? There are so many cool art projects to make with them!

Along your walk keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, since the leaves are falling off the trees you can get a better look through the forest. There are many animals that stay active all winter, such as  moose, deer, beavers, chickadees, blue jays, squirrels, lynx and grey wolves. Many other plants and animals are now tucked away for winter or will be very shortly.
  • Many birds have now migrated, common loons are one of the last to head south. Other birds such as snowy owls will begin to arrive shortly from their migration even further north.
  • The Monarch butterflies we saw in early September will be arriving to their overwinter sites in Mexico about this time.
  • Deer are extremely active this time of year as they look for mates. Stay safe while on the roads!
  • Snowshoe hares will begin to turn white to match the coming snow. Their ears and feet often change first.

You may get to see some unique wildlife during a time of year you’d least expect. If there is already snow on the ground, look for animal tracks in the snow and see if you can identify which animal they belong to.

Happy outdoor exploring! 

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

October is National Vegetarian Month


There are many reasons why people choose to eat a vegetarian diet. Reasons might include animal welfare concerns, human health considerations, being conscious of the carbon footprint of meat, and many more. A lesser known reason is the amount of water used to produce meat actually exceeds the amount of water used to grow the same weight of vegetables.

For example, it takes nearly 15,415L of water to produce a kilogram of beef. That’s enough water to last you a little more than 21 years if you drank the recommended 2L a day! On the other hand, producing a kilogram of chicken roughly requires 4325 litres of water. That’s enough water to last you almost 6 years if you drank the recommended 2L a day!

You can also get the nutrients that meat provides through plant-based alternatives. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are all examples of foods that are high in protein, and actually often more affordable than meat options. On top of that, producing a kilogram of lentils only requires 50L of water – a lot less than is used for meat.

We challenge you to eat at least 1 vegetarian meal a week and to let us know your favourite recipes!

Here’s one of the Biosphere’s favourites that you can try to help you get started!
LENTIL SLOPPY JOE’S
What you’ll need:
LENTILS
  • 2 cups water (half water, half vegetable broth)
  • 1 cup green lentils, well rinsed
SLOPPY JOES
  • 2 Tbsp olive or grape seed oil
  • 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, minced (plus more for serving)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~1 Tbsp)
  • 1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, diced
  • Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (plus more to taste)
  • 1-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1-2 tsp chili powder (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin (plus more to taste)
  • 1 pinch smoked or regular paprika (optional)
Instructions:
  1. To a small saucepan, add liquid (I used 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable broth for added flavor // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and rinsed lentils and heat over medium-high heat.
  2. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 18 minutes, or until tender. The water should have a constant simmer (not boil). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
  3. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  4. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the peppers and onions are tender and slightly browned.
  5. Next add tomato sauce, coconut sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika (optional). Stir to combine.
  6. Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the skillet as well, and stir to combine.
  7. Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally - about 5-10 minutes.
  8. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili powder and/or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or worcestershire for depth of flavor.
  9. Serve the mixture on toasted buns with sliced onion. Best when fresh, though leftover sloppy joe mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop, adding water or vegetable broth if the mixture has dried out.

Follow these links for even more recipes!

Baked Summer Tacos 

Black Bean Enchiladas 


Friday, August 30, 2019

Back to School Tips, Stay Eco Conscious

It’s that time of year again when many of us head back to school. Even though you may be exploring the outdoors in a different way or a little less, lets keep nature in mind!

Here are four quick ideas to start:

1. Back to School Clothes. Go to a second hand store to look for clothes. The 'Fast Fashion' which fills many retail stores is a huge cost to the environment. Take on the Reuse principle instead with second hand stores!

2. Consider the school supplies you have. Do they actually need to be replaced? Do they still work? Is there a non plastic alternative? For example, many plastic school supplies contain chemicals like PVC. Look for bamboo, hemp, wood, and other alternatives.

3. Think about litter-free lunches. When you pack your lunch for school think about what’s going inside it.
  • Are there individually wrapped snacks?
  • Do you have a sandwich in a plastic bag?
  • Are you using a reusable water bottle?
4. Visit the bulk food store as part of back to school shopping. Buy in bulk with your family, instead of having many individual wrapped snacks. You and your family can make (and even freeze!) your own granola bars and other snacks. y gummies from bulk food stores, buy juice in larger cartons and put it in reusable cups.

Have a happy and eco conscious school year!

Monday, August 26, 2019

Alien Invaders


Stop!
Look
What do you see?
Maybe a plant that should not be?
We call them invasive, now we’ll be persuasive, on why you should stop them from being pervasive.


Invasive species don’t live in an ecosystem naturally but were brought in through human activity. These species are essentially bullies – they push out native species (ones that live there naturally) from the ecosystem by taking over their habitat and food!
Here are a few examples of invasive species that can be found in the biosphere – have you seen any of them!?
Japanese Knotweed
Japanese knotweed came to the biosphere from eastern Asia and is often mistaken for bamboo. Japanese knotweed has a tall, hollow stem, its leaves are shaped like a shovel or heart, and will have creamy white flowers on it in the summer. Its roots can even break through concrete and asphalt!



London Japanese Knotweed Removal
Round Goby
The round goby came from Europe’s Caspian and Black Sea. They are a concern for many reasons: they can spawn (produce more fish) multiple times a year, eat the food that native species rely on to survive, and will even eat the eggs of native fish!


Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program
Zebra Mussels
Zebra Mussels also came from Europe’s Caspian and Black Sea. They are triangular and are black or brown with a white to yellow zig-zag pattern. These invaders consume a lot of the algae and zooplankton (a microscopic water animal) found in Georgian Bay, stealing it from young fish and other native species. Beware, their sharp shells can even cut swimmers feet!


Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program
If you think you have found an invasive species you can report it to the invasive species hotline at 1-800-563-7711 and learn more online: www.invadingspecies.com/invading-species-reporting

Three cheers for the plants and animals who call the biosphere home!