Peel environmental youth alliance's14TH ECOBUZZ CONFERENCE guide

LOUISE ARBOUR SECONDARY SCHOOLNovember 9th 2016

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The Peel Environmental Youth Alliance (PEYA) and Ecosource would like to extend our warmest welcome to all of you attending the 14th Annual EcoBuzz Conference. This year’s EcoBuzz Conference, like the past ones, is carefully planned and filled with engaging and educational workshops that will surely inspire you at the end of the day. We are very hon-oured to be joined by keynote speaker Steve Lee, Executive Director of Foundation for Envi-ronmental Stewardship, to talk about how youth can be the key solution to climate change.

We have organized a collection of workshops that include themes such as stewardship, sus-tainability, sustainable transportation, as well as healthy and active living. Our presenters include distinguished community environmental organizations who have prepared these ex-citing and informational workshops for you. By attending this conference, you are already taking the first step to achieving a greener community.

We appreciate your time and participation at the 2016 EcoBuzz Conference and would like to thank Louise Arbour Secondary School for hosting the event. We hope you enjoy the workshops and get an opportunity to gain new knowledge, make new friends and most im-portantly, become inspired to make a positive change to your environment. Please continue to support PEYA and green initiatives by joining us at our monthly general meetings and connecting with us through social media.

Sincerely,

The 2016 – 2017 PEYA Executive Team and Coordinator

welcome

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OUR SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVESSustainable Initiatives to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

Communications and Marketing

Reduced Paper Usage

• All registration for presenters, exhibitors, teachers and students was conducted online • Used social media platforms (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) as well as electronic advertising and promotion strategies to minimize printing and to save paper• Promoted paperless meetings by encouraging the PEYA executive team to bring and use their laptops, tablets or other mobile devices

Green Procurement

• Used 100% Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) paper for conference print material

Re-use

• All badge holders will be collected to reuse at future events • When making event signs and promotional material we attempted to make them reusable by not indicating specific information (i.e. dates) so that they can be used in following years• All paper collected will be reused as Good On One Side paper

Food and Beverage

Menu

• All food served is either vegetarian or vegan• All leftover food will be donated to other school clubs or Knights Table

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OUR SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVESSustainable Initiatives to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

Re-use

• All food and beverage is served using tableware, avoiding the use of disposable cutlery and plastic bottles

Waste Reduction

• All three streams of waste disposal (organic, recycling and garbage) are available in the cafeteria to improve waste diversion rates (reduce content sent to landfills) • All condiments (e.g. ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, etc.) are served in bulk rather than individual packages

Local

• Attempted to create menus using local, in-season products wherever possible Transportation

• All participants are encouraged to adhere to the idle free zones • Schools are encouraged to bus-pool with each other to and from the conference • Presenters/exhibitors are encouraged to carpool with each other to and from the conference

Procurement

• All PEYA t-shirts provided to students and teachers are 100% certified organic cotton • All purchases were made from companies that showed a strong level of environmental commitment

Venue Selection

• Louise Arbour Secondary School is a Certified Eco-School

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Steve Lee is a climate change activist, a policy advocate to the United Nations, a global speaker,and a feminist.

He is the Executive Director of Foundation for Environmental Stewardship and its 3% project (www.3percentproject.com). He is going on five national tours across 400 towns in two years to educate and empower 1,000,000 young Canadians (3% of Canadians) to solve climate change issues in their local communities. The result will be a nation-wide conviction that climate change is happening right now, that it is mainly caused by human activities, and that we are the final generation with the opportunity to solve climate change issues.

www.steveleesj.com

KEYNOTE

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TIME ACTIVITY8:00-9:00 am Volunteers Sign In9:00-10:00am Schools, Presenters and VIP Sign in/ Seating/ Exhibit Setup

10:00-11:00am Opening by keynote speaker followed by PEYA presentation (breakfast)11:10-12:20pm Workshop 112:20-12:40pm Feedback Session 1 (in Workshop 1 Room)12:45-1:20pm Lunch 1 / Exhibitor display visit 11:20-1:55pm Lunch 2 / Exhibitor display visit 22:00-3:00pm Workshop 23:05-4:05pm Workshop 34:05-4:20pm Feedback Session 2 (in Workshop 3 Room)4:20-4:35pm Closing with PEYA Executive, Staff, giving out thanks and prizes!

4:35pm School departure

ROOM WORKSHOP 1 WORKSHOP 2 WORKSHOP 3

101 Aliens Invade - Invasive Species Aliens Invade - Invasive Species Aliens Invade - Invasive Species

103 Go Trees Go! Go Trees Go! Go Trees Go!

104 Your Pane Is Their Pain -Preventing Bird Collisions With

Windows

Your Pane Is Their Pain -Preventing Bird Collisions With

Windows

Your Pane Is Their Pain -Preventing Bird Collisions With

Windows

105 Gone Fishin’ Gone Fishin’ Gone Fishin’

111 Love My Tap Water Love My Tap Water Love My Tap Water

112 Pollinator Party Pollinator Party Pollinator Party

113 Sustainable & ActiveTransportation in Peel

Sustainable & ActiveTransportation in Peel

Sustainable & ActiveTransportation in Peel

116 Wild Water Wild Water Wild Water

120 Careers in the Environment Careers in the Environment Careers in the Environment

LibraryIndoor Food Growing: Shoots,

sprouts, herbs and more!Indoor Food Growing: Shoots,

sprouts, herbs and more!Indoor Food Growing: Shoots,

sprouts, herbs and more!

Libraryseminar room

CSI: Special Waste Unit CSI: Special Waste Unit CSI: Special Waste Unit

135The 10 Step Handbook for High School Bike Projects

The 10 Step Handbook for High School Bike Projects

The 10 Step Handbook for High School Bike Projects

LOCATIONS

SCHEDULE

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SCHOOL LAYOUT

RM135

RM 103

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RM 111RM 112RM 113

RM 116

RM 120

LIBRARY

EXHIBITORS DISPLAY

REGISTRATIO

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CAFETERIA

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OPENIN

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CEREMONY/

LUNCH

MAIN OFFICE

GUIDANCEOFFICE

LIBRARY

SEM

INAR

ROOM

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INDOOR FOOD GROWING: SHOOTS, SPROUTS, HERBS AND MORE!

Fresh, healthy, local food is good for you and good for our communities. In this workshop, we will learn how to respond to food insecurity in our communi-ties by growing food - all winter long! Pea shoots, jar sprouts, and growing and drying herbs are just some of the indoor growing techniques that will allow you to stay connected to fresh, local, and healthy produce even in the colder months. Come learn about our #growninmississauga initia-tive and how to take food growing into your own hands!

WILD WATER

Water is essential for life, but in cities we often forget that water is a limiting resource. In this workshop we will explore how the urban water cy-cle compares to the natural water cycle, and how people impact water quality locally and globally. Through a variety of hands-on activities and ex-periments, we will explore topics such as stormwa-ter management, water conservation, and access to clean drinking water. We will also brainstorm ways schools and individuals can reduce water consumption and make something to take home to continue monitoring the urban water cycle.

SUSTAINABLE & ACTIVETRANSPORTATION IN PEEL

What is sustainable transportation? Why is it im-portant? In this workshop, participants will explore issues surrounding this increasingly important en-vironmental issue. Participants will get a chance to discuss the challenges and solutions to promoting sustainable transportation at their school.

CSI: SPECIAL WASTE UNIT:LEARN HOW TO SOLVE WASTE REDUCTION CASES IN YOUR SCHOOL!

You realize that you have a major dilemma on your hands. You’ve uncovered that your school or com-munity has an unsolved waste reduction case and you want to do something about it! How do you start? What do you need? In this workshop, partici-pants get to the bottom of cases and uncover the tools needed to put together a successful waste reduction campaign, and ensure its impacts will be felt long after justice is served.

WORKSHOPS

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POLLINATOR PARTY

Pollinators are an integral part of a healthy eco-system and a critical component in food growing. A threat to our pollinators is a threat to our food supplies! In this workshop we’ll explore the challenges pollinators face through group discussion and a hands-on game. We’ll also brainstorm actions that we can take to help protect pollinators and make something to take home to extend our commitment to these essential creatures!

LOVE MY TAP WATER

Thirsty? Learn about the benefits of choosing tap water and how this action is good for the environ-ment. The session will also provide information and guidance to empowering students to host a tap water challenge “Great Gulp” at their own schools.

ALIENS INVADE: INVASIVE SPECIES

Aliens are invading or parks!

Invasive species are creating a black hole in Brampton’s parks. They are killing our native spe-cies and must be stopped. But how?

Students will learn how to sustain native species in their parks and investigate invasive species that are changing our current ecosystem. They will propose new methods to stop the spread of invasive species.

THE 10 STEP HANDBOOK FORHIGH SCHOOL BIKE PROJECTS

Too many people in our community drive short distances to get places that could be reached by walking or biking. All these unnecessary car trips are hurting the environment and our health. We need to take action. Based on extensive research on changing people’s behavior, this handbook provides detailed ideas, steps and descriptions to get more people biking at your school in 10 easy steps.

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GO TREES GO!

Learn how to identify, maintain, and measure the trees on your school yard. We will discuss the many benefits of trees and create a DIY device for measuring the diameter of a tree trunk. Using this measurement we will learn how to calculate the carbon stored in a tree.

YOUR PANE IS THEIR PAIN - PREVENTING BIRD COLLISIONS WITH WINDOWS.

The presentation will highlight the challenges that migratory birds face and how the built landscape has changed in such a way to significantly impact birds. It will focus on the issues concerning light pol-lution, for both day time and night time, and what steps/methods are in place to reduce the threat of birds colliding with windows.

CAREERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

With global interest in the environment expanding so rapidly, the market demand for professionals in the environmental sector continues to grow every year. Exploring your interests, skills, and strengths through interactive, hands-on activities, discover the many, diverse career opportunities within the environment and how you can begin to discover your perfect career.

GONE FISHIN’

Fish are indicators of ecosystem health. They can be monitored and collected using a sampling method called electrofishing. Fish are collected and then sorted by species, counted and weighed. Credit Valley Conservation uses this technique to monitor the health of the Credit River.

During the “Gone Fishin” workshop, you will be challenged in a hands-on, interactive activity where you will take on the role of a “Watershed Monitoring Technologist.” You will learn about local fish and minnows, how to ID them, determine water quality of the Credit River, and how this type of data can help improve the Credit River.

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PEEL ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH ALLIANCE WWW.PEYALLIANCE.CA

PEYA is a regional network of over 1,200 action oriented students in Peel concerned about envi-ronmental issues and determined to make positive change! PEYA is a youth-initiated organization, guided by a student Executive Committee and supported by Ecosource. PEYA unites students across Peel working to improve the environment in their schools and neighbourhoods through monthly networking meetings, and an online community. We provide a forum for students to learn from one another and form relationships with local environ-mental organizations.

PEYA is a project of Ecosource.

Contact:info@peyalliance.cawww.peyalliance.ca905.274.6222

ECOSOURCEWWW.ECOSOURCE.CA

Ecosource is all about changing the world, right in our own backyard! We are leaders in grass-roots environmental education in the Region of Peel. Our staff works in schools and throughout the community, delivering interactive learning experiences that inspire youth and adults to take actions that make a huge difference to the health of the planet. We are proud to work with over 30,000 students and teachers in our waste ed-ucation programs, over 1,200 students with the Peel Environmental Youth Alliance as well as over 3,000 youth and adults in our community-based organic gardening and stewardship programs each year!

Contact:info@ecosource.cawww.ecosource.ca905.274.6222

EXHIBITORS

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CITY OF MISSISSAUGA - FORESTRYWWW.MISSISSAUGA.CA/PORTAL/RESIDENTS/URBANFORESTRY

The City of Mississauga’s Forestry department runs the One Million Trees program which engag-es volunteers in tree planting and environmental stewardship. Schools, community groups, busi-nesses and individuals can get involved in tree planting projects in their communities to help increase natural areas and tree canopy cover of the urban forest. We run events throughout Mississauga on City owned parkland and natural areas. For more information students can visit www.onemilliontrees.ca to find event listings or for contact info to plan an event for a group.

MIWAY TRANSIT WWW.MIWAY.CA

As Ontario’s third largest municipal transit service provider, MiWay serves a growing population of 752,000 across 179 square kilometres in Mississauga. MiWay routes create economical and efficient transportation connections between popular destinations throughout the city and our services connect with neighbouring transit systems including GO Transit, TTC, Brampton Transit and Oakville Transit.

ASSOCIATION FOR CANADIAN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (ACER)WWW.ACRE-ACRE.CA

ACER is a charitable organization founded in 1987 to develop and facilitate the development of educational materials for life long learning. Current focus is to provide resources and scien-tifically-sound, environmentally-based long-term programs monitoring environmental change for participating teachers and students, community leaders, volunteers and members. Students can get involved by helping a teacher spearhead a Planting for Change project at their school or by monitoring the existing trees on their schoolyard.

THE RIVERWOOD CONSERVANCY WWW.THERIVERWOODCONSERVANCY.ORG

The Riverwood Conservancy is a volunteer and member-based charity that provides programs and services to the community in nature and environmental education, stewardship of River-wood, and gardening and horticulture. Students volunteer in our stewardship programs and, with their teachers, participate in the LEADS program, learning about science in a beautiful outdoor set-ting in Mississauga.

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YORK UNIVERSITY - FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESWWW.FES.YORKU.CA

Since 1968, the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) at York University has been at the forefront of cutting edge research, teaching and learning. As the first Environmental Studies program in Canada, we explore the theoretical and practical relationships between the natural, social, artistic and built environments. Offering three innovative programs – Bachelor in Environmental Studies (BES), Master in Environmental Studies (MES) and Doctorate in Environmental Studies (PhD) – our mandate is to provide unsurpassed opportunities for our students.

REGION OF PEELWWW.WALKANDROLLPEEL.CA

Walk+Roll Peel promotes Peel’s bicycle and pedestrian initiatives and infrastructure as well as the benefits of active transportation. We are committed to getting more people walking and cycling- instead of driving- for everyday trips.

REGION OF PEELWWW.PEELREGION.CA

The Region of Peel serves 1.4 million residents and approximately 143,000 businesses in Bramp-ton, Caledon and Mississauga. Our goal it to inform and educate residents in Peel about envi-ronmental regional programs, specifically waste and water and to garner their feedback to reflect their collective priorities.

Our vision is Community for Life - this means that Peel is a community where people choose to live and work for their entire lives because the quality of life is second to none.

Hundreds of university and college students are hired each year at the Region of Peel and there is always lots of opportunity to volunteer in different areas of the organization as well (www.peelre-gion.ca/volunteers/)

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CREDIT VALLEY CONSERVATION (CVC)WWW.CREDITVALLEYCA.CA/

Established in 1964, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) works to protect, restore, and manage the natural areas in the Credit River watershed through partnership with municipalities, schools, local businesses, and community organizations.

High school students can volunteer with CVC’s Conservation Youth Corps program (CYC) to earn 35 volunteer hours. Youth restore terrestrial hab-itats by planting native trees and shrubs, restore aquatic habitats such as streams, assist in wildlife and ecosystem monitoring like electro-fishing, removing invasive species, assisting in maintaining local community gardens, and cleaning up gar-bage from public parks.

High school classes can also participate in the Branch Out program to plant native plants. Stu-dents learn about climate change, biodiversity, habitat loss, storm water pollution, and stream degradation through an interactive classroom workshop. At local planting sites, students learn how to properly plant native trees and shrubs, cal-culate how much carbon trees sequester, and how their actions positively impact the ecosystem.

SIERRA CLUB OF CANADA - PEEL GROUPWWW.SIERRACLUB.CA/EN/PEEL

Sierra Peel is a non profit organization of volun-teers actively involved in engaging and enabling citizens in our community to work together for a sustainable future. Our campaigns include sus-tainable transportation, natural heritage protec-tion, healthy watersheds, growing the greenbelt through our urban river valleys, reducing and diverting waste, taking steps to address climate change action.

We collaborate with local partners such as Credit Valley CA and Toronto and Region CA, municipal and regional levels of government, citizen groups, and other non profits. Activities include collabo-ration with the city and region on sustainability initiatives, delegations to Council, attendance at stakeholder meetings, environmental outreach and education at local events, biking, tree plant-ing, natural capital hikes, invasive species pulls, and shoreline clean ups.

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DADS AGAINST DIRTY AIR (DADA)WWW.DADACANADA.COM/

We are a parent and student powered NGO advocating for clean air at schools for health and safety of students. We help students and teachers reach out to school bus and parents who drive to school to BE IDLE FREE FOR THE KIDS. Breathing clean air is a human right and schools should be a safe and healthy place to learn. IDLE FREE SCHOOL kits and resources and coaching is provided to any school that wants to educate drivers and the community about a TURN KEY SOLUTION TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE that will save money, protect our health and show common courtesy to others. Ask how you can BE THE POLLUTION SOLUTION!

FATAL LIGHT AWARENESS PROGRAM (FLAP) CANADAWWW.FLAP.ORG

Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada was the first organization in the world to address the issue of birds collisions with buildings and to find solutions to prevent this from continuing. We have developed a number of initiatives and out-reach programs aimed at creating awareness of what steps you can take to create a safe passage for migratory birds.

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Get involved, be active, make a difference. Join us!REGION-WIDE STEWARDSHIP DAY: APRIL 26, 2017A DAY TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY AND IMPROVE LOCAL HABITATS

• Intermediate and secondary students learn about their local environment• Planting native trees and managing invasive species• Free, healthy snacks provided

Learn more at peyalliance.ca/stewardship-day/

MONTHLY GATHERINGS: SATURDAYS 1:00PM-4:00PMLEADERSHIP TRAINING, RESOURCES, NETWORKING, AND VOLUNTEER HOURS!

Meetings will be held in Mississauga and Brampton on the following upcoming dates:

December 17February 18March 18April 15May 20June 25

TO SIGN UP, VISIT WWW.PEYALLIANCE.CA OR EMAIL INFO@PEYALLIANCE.CA.

SEARCH peyalliance.ca FOLLOW @PEYAllianceCONNECT PeelEnvironmentalYouthAllianceSHARE @peyallianceCONTACT 905.274.6222 info@peyalliance.ca

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Ecobuzz is presented by:

generously supported by:&