INSIDE: Voluntary Travel Toll for southbound Blair Road drivers; Spaces still available for April's Conversation for Conservation on How to Grow a Pollinator Garden; Spaces available at final Braiding Sweetgrass workshop; Mark your calendars for the Spring Plant Sale and EcoMarket; Learn about Toyota's 2050 Challenges; Join Dr. Tom Woodcock for a Garden Walk and Pollinator Talk; Spaces still available for Teen ECO Camp; Did you know that rare is a Certified Living Wage Employer?; Poll results and new poll.

Photo by: Mike Weissmann

In honour of Earth Day - Pay Friday's Travel Toll at Lamb's Inn, Enjoy Free Snacks and Coffee!

Southbound drivers on Blair Road are invited to safely pull off into the parking lot at Lamb's Inn (1679 Blair Road, just past Old Mill Road) to pay the voluntary Travel Toll supporting the preservation of the natural lands at rare in general, and the lands south of the Village of Blair in particular. The toll will run tomorrow (Friday, April 21) from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Voluntary Travel Toll event began in 2010 to celebrate and support the protection of the Thompson Tract at rare and, since 2014, has been held around Earth Day. This year, look for rare staff and volunteers wearing safety vests and holding signs along Blair Road from Fountain Street to Lamb's Inn. Stanchions will be in place to allow southbound drivers to safely pull into the parking lot.

Donations can be made with cash or by tapping credit or debit cards. Every little bit helps. Just $2 can protect a whole square metre of environmentally sensitive land now and for the future, and those who donate will receive a free coffee and/or a treat before continuing on their way!

So, to ensure the protection of the natural vistas that surround you as you travel Blair Road, consider supporting their protection and preservation by paying the voluntary Travel Toll and enjoying a coffee and/or treat on us!

Not Driving Blair Road this Friday? Pay the Electronic Travel Toll!

If you are working from home this Friday, or if your regular commute doesn't take you along Blair Road, you can still help protect our natural spaces now and for the future by paying your Travel Toll online! Simply make your payment through this form here.

Curious about How to Grow a Pollinator Garden? Join our Conversation for Conservation at the Slit Barn, Wednesday, April 26!

If you've wondered how you can make your front or back yards, or even your balcony, friendlier to pollinating birds, bees and butterflies, join us as we welcome Dr. Victoria MacPhail to the Slit Barn at 768 Blair Road on Wednesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. for our Conversation for Conservation on How to Grow a Pollinator Garden.

As the coordinator at the Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at York University, Dr. MacPhail brings her expertise, along with free pamphlets and books for sale on how you can add your space to one of the 1,000 gardens acting as waystations for pollinator spaces between Waterloo and Toronto. We will also have our This is a Pollinator Garden signs available for sale as well, for those who sign up their gardens for our 1,000 Garden Project.

The event is free, but spaces are limited. so click here to register now! We look forward to seeing you at the Slit Barn next Wednesday, and helping our pollinator friends now and for the future.

April 29: Final Braiding Sweetgrass Workshop Session

The rare Charitable Research Reserve is honoured to welcome Charlotte Coates, a member of the Xws7ámesh (Samish) Indian Nation, a Coast Salish tribe, and signatory of the Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855, to share with attendees the work of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bestselling book by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer that explores scientific knowledge, Indigenous wisdom, and the teachings of plants. Participants will independently read or re-read Dr. Kimmerer’s book of nature essays over the fall, winter and spring and meet seasonally to discuss the themes and stories within.



This is the third of a three-part in-person workshop. Attendees will meet Charlotte Coates at Thompson Tract outside Ancient Woods at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. Please dress for the weather. Those who haven’t registered for the first or second workshop can still join in by purchasing a ticket can still join in by purchasing a ticket for $25 — please reach out if the cost is a barrier to your participation.

Charlotte Coates works as an environmental research scientist at the University of Guelph with Professor Emeritus, Dr. Peter Kevan; studying micrometeorology of plants, pollination biology, and agricultural pest management and sustainability. Charlotte has had the opportunity to teach Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer in the course “Philosophy of the Environment” at the University of Guelph. In her own life, she practices braiding together Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants and seeks to transform this into collective knowledge, open to all people and widely applied. She lives in Guelph, in the Dish with One Spoon territory, and spends her time gardening, skiing, hiking, sharing food with friends and family, and learning from as many different plants as she can, as much as she can!

Charlotte’s workshops are structured to follow the seasonal changes in plants native to this area, and will involve hiking, discussion and storytelling.

May 13: Celebrate the Start of Growing Season at rare's Spring Plant Sale and EcoMarket?

Staff and volunteers at rare are working hard and looking forward to Saturday, May 13, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., when the community will gather to celebrate the launch of the growing season at our annual Spring Plant Sale and EcoMarket. Thousands of herb, vegetable and pollinator plant seedlings will be on sale for $6 or less, and local vendors and community groups will be out beneath our all-weather tent to share their excitement about nature and plants! This promises to be a grand day out with food (including a visit by the Passado Brasil food truck!), fun and more! This is a great opportunity to spend time with Mom, or the motherly figure(s) in your life!

So, mark your calendars and join us, Saturday, May 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. as we celebrate spring and nature! We look forward to seeing you there!

On Wednesday, June 14, at 7 p.m., everybody is invited to join us at rare's Lamb's Inn headquarters (1679 Blair Road) as representatives from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) discuss Toyota's environmental initiatives contributing to biodiversity and a sustainable future through Toyota's 2050 Challenges. This Conversation for Conservation is a chance for the community to share coffee, tea or hot chocolate and to learn about how Toyota is reducing its carbon footprint and improving biodiversity and sustainability in our community -- including as a sponsor to rare.

This event is FREE to attend, but registration is required, so click this link to sign up, and we'll see you at Lamb's Inn on Wednesday, June 14!

June 19: Garden Walk and Pollinator Talk with Dr. Tom Woodcock

On Monday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to noon, everyone is invited to the parking lot at Springbank Farm (681 Blair Road) for a "Garden Walk and Pollinator Talk with rare's Planning Ecologist", Dr. Tom Woodcock. During this outdoor event, attendees will learn about the ecology behind the production of some of our favourite foods, and the interaction between biodiversity conservation and food production.

Again, this event will take place Monday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to noon, pending cooperation with the weather and pollinators. This event is FREE, but registration is required, so follow this link to sign up!

Consider registering your teen (aged 12-16) to participate in our rare Summer ECO Camp!

The Teen ECO Camp runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 8 to Friday August 11. Campers learn from special guests, visit Springbank Gardens, explore our habitats, conduct scientific research and monitoring, and create a journal of their time at rare.

Registration costs just $200 for the week! Extended care is also available an hour before or after each camp session for either $25/week for the morning or afternoon sessions or $50/week for both.

This camp is an excellent opportunity to spark a sense of wonder in nature and explore the educational opportunities in environmental science. For more information, and to register, please follow this link.

Photo by Michelle MacMillan

Did you know that rare is a Living Wage employer? The Living Wage differs from the minimum wage in that the living wage reflects “what people need to earn in order to cover the actual costs of living in their community”. It draws on community-specific data to determine what that level is. The current Living Wage in Waterloo Region is $19.95/hour.

Living wage employers find that paying a living wage is good for business, reducing employee turnover and the costs associated with recruitment and training. Studies have shown that it also leads to increased productivity. Living wage employers benefit their communities as well, giving families time and resources to participate in the social, cultural and civic activities in their neighbourhoods, enabling them to support local businesses and participate in community events.

All permanent roles at rare have been set within Waterloo Region’s Living Wage bracket for the past few years, but as part of our commitment to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) -- particularly #8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and #11, Sustainable Cities and Communities -- we became a Certified Living Wage Employer in 2021, bringing short-term roles in line with recommended rates.

Being a living wage employer comes at a cost to the organization, but given the benefits, particularly to the community at large, this should be the minimum that employers everywhere should be doing.

The living wage amount for the area is recalculated every two years by the Ontario Living Wage Network (www.ontariolivingwage.ca); since 2021, the living wage amount has increased by 16 per cent. As a certified Living Wage Employer, rare is committed to continuing to offer a Living Wage or above for all its roles.

Poll:

Last issue, we asked what your food preferences were at events and get-togethers, and we got a great and interesting response! Over 26% of respondents preferred the Vegan or Vegetarian option, with most favouring vegetarian (21.4% vs 4.8%). That was the same amount as those who preferred meat (26%). The most popular option was flexitarian (47.6%), which describes individuals who prefer a primarily vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat or fish. This tells us that we can and should keep our options open for everybody when it comes to serving foods at our events.

As for our next question: