Bonnie Doon Centre is introducing a variety of green initiatives this year!

They say: "Our goal is to increase community engagement for a greener and more sustainable environment and to reconnect people to their natural environment. We hope to achieve this through various educational signage within the Centre, workshops and interactive activities. Since this project would have a direct impact on our community, we would absolutely love to partner with Bonnie Doon Community League and get the local kids involved as much as possible."

Bonnie Doon Centre will be:
- offering butterfly raising kits to neighbourhood children
- adding 2 beehives to the roof with a professional beekeeper to tend it;
- planting pollinator-friendly plants in the planter boxes around the parking lot;
- installing 2 "tower gardens" (hydroponic indoor gardens) to one of the vacant stores to grow 80+ varieties of vegetables to donate.

Project Butterfly
 
Bonnie Doon Centre will give out caterpillar kits of butterflies (Painted Lady Butterfly Rearing Kits) to kids to adopt and nurture. Once these butterflies metamorphose into adults they can be released. Given the delicate nature of these caterpillars, they need to be ordered and picked up at Bonnie Doon Centre by the latest April 29, 2021 before the Chrysalis stage. Limited quantities available. If you’re interested in getting FREE caterpillar kits, please complete the attached Order Form and email it to Customer Service at [email protected].

Local gardener Rachel Altman-Napier wrote to us with this tip...

A little birdy told me some people in our  community were getting squirrelly over cleaning up their yards. Before you get busy as bees cleaning the memory of our Edmonton winter from your sights, remember that our little buggy friends are still asleep in our leaf piles and our mud pits. Our garden leftovers and mulch mess are nurseries for bees, ladybugs and many more. Try your hardest to resist until temperatures stabilize to an average daily temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius. This will give the little critters a chance to get out of your way. This could give you a chance at a pest-free and naturally pesticide-free garden.

Everything in its time,  there will be time for everything. So let the butterflies thank you later and your community thank you now.

If you need help with your garden, Rachel's service is listed in our local business page.

Boy, have we got a deal for you! So much fun, so much helping your neighbourhood!

Because of the pandemic, the league has not been able to host yoga classes, the playgroup, pot luck suppers, etc. But this is a good time to improve the hall's interior. We are going to repaint the lower parts of our two-colour walls.

We hope that you will volunteer a small amount of time to help us paint. We're thinking maybe 90 minutes, maybe a couple hours. We've bought the paint, masking tape, TSP, etc. Details about our work environment:

• we will cap the team at eight people
• we'll run the HVAC during the painting (to exhaust the air)
• we'll provide snacks and bevs...
• and masks & music
• and you'll be working with volunteers with big hearts & a great attitude!

We you're interested in helping out. Please write to Bill, [email protected]. We'll figure out a day and time that works for people.

(And credit to Mark Twain for his painting story!)