Sustainability Resources

Sustainability Books, Online Resources
as well as Education & Local Societies

COMPACT FLOURESCENT LIGHT BULBS (CFL BULBS)

If every home in Canada swtiched to CFLs, the energy saved would be the equialent of taking 80,000 cars off the road per year. They may cost a bit more, but you actually save about $30/yr in energy costs when you use them, so it's a very wise investment!

RECYCLING COMPACT FLOURESCENT LIGHT BULBS

Did you know that you can recycle your Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) bulbs? Many locations across British Columbia accept the spent bulbs, which then go to a central recycling facility.

Interestingly, CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which is only released if the bulb is broken while operating. Despite this environmental impact, it is still much more environmentally friendly to use CFLs - they last much longer than "regular" light bulbs. ("Regular" light bulbs are technically called incandescent bulbs.) CFLs last about 10x longer than incandescent bulbs.

Click here for a CFKL recycling location closest to you
(British Columbia locations only)

SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION BOOKS:

1. Rock, Paper, Scissors: Building Success through Fun and Games, by Lyle Benson, Jerry Fochler, and Brad Burns, 2003 (several team building, trust building activities, games and initiative tasks for all ages)
2. Everyone Wins! by Sambhava and Josette Luvmour (Book with dozens of games and initiative tasks for children – most are short games.
3. Five Minute Field Trips: Teaching about Nature in Your Schoolyard http://www.geoec.org/lessons/5min-fieldtrips.pdf (lots of great nature appreciation/connection activities)
4. Rediscovery: Ancient Pathways, New Directions – program to review and book to order fromhttp://www.rediscovery.org/resources.html (The Rediscovery program began on the Queen Charlotte Islands as an effort to help reconnect native youth with their culture, emphasizing ancient connections to the natural world. The Rediscovery model for camps and programs has now reached all over the world where indigenous and modern kids are getting together to explore ancient traditions and build a modern life that "re-discovers" a natural harmony and balance with nature.)
5. Sharing Nature with Children, by Joseph Cornell
6. Earth Ball – the Earth ball is a blow up beach ball of the earth without political boundaries (hard to find!). They cost about $15 and are order from: Earth Source: Tools for Global Understanding, PO Box 4226 Bellingham, WA 98227 USA.
7. Green Teacher. www.greenteacher.com - Green Teacher is a magazine that helps youth educators enhance environmental and global education inside and outside of schools.

ONLINE SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES:

1. Walking the Talk - www.walkingthetalk.bc.ca - Walkingthetalk is an on-line gathering place for people from all over British Columbia with an interest in sustainability education. It's all about sharing resources, finding out what people are doing in other parts of the province, and learning from one another.
2. Population Connection: Education and Action for a Better World - http://www.populationeducation.org/index.jsp (various great activities about population, environment, consumption and pollution; they have a great video called “World Population Video” that dramatically illustrates human population growth)
3. BC Hydro - http://www.bchydro.com/education/index.html (lots of activities on energy and environment education. Some are interactive, experiential and fun.)
4. Re-Energy.ca - www.re-energy.ca (website on renewable energy with backgrounders, hands-on activities (activities are option 2 in Renewable Energy block)
5. Green Learning – www.greenlearning.ca (online activities for students and teachers; as well as various online resources such as slideshows, videos etc, primarily on climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency)
6. National Film Board  www.nfb.ca - search under “NFB kids” and “Educational Resources”; use search terms such as “environment” “sustainability” “climate change”, “social equity”
7. Global Warming 101 – www.globalwarming101.com - various lessons plans on climate change.
8. Ecofootprint calculators – www.mec.ca, www.redefiningprogress.org

9. WorldWatch Institute
   The Worldwatch Institute offers a unique blend of interdisciplinary research, global focus, and accessible writing that has made it a leading source of information on the interactions among key environmental, social, and economic trends.

10. Youth Site describing Climate Change (EPA)
    "Climate Change Kids Site" is a site by the US Environmental Protection Agency that has games, animations and easy-to-understand descriptions outlining the key concepts of Global Warming.

11. Teaching Kids about Recycling – http://www.packnboxnow.com/library/teaching_kids_about_recycling.htm
    Helping children understand the process of recycling with easy to grasp facts and figures. Great link resources too.

SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS:

1. Sea to Sky Outdoor School - www.seatosky.bc.ca  (Sea to Sky delivers sustainability education programs for students from the lower mainland region. They have several activities that could be adapted and delivered at “sustainability camp” in Tofino. See website or contact Tim Turner at [email protected]  .
2. Wild Ed - http://www.wilded.org/ Contact Nathan Bennett (educator, former Sea to Sky instructor, Wild Ed Director who is a potential facilitator/instructor for sustainability camp and has developed Safety and Risk Management policies and programs for outdoor ed camps)
3. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Education Program - www.cpawscalgary.org/education (deliver programs, have teaching kits available online, good contact for activities and programs under wilderness and wildlife themes)
4. Sierra Club BC Chapter - www.sierraclub.ca/bc/programs/education/index.html (strong education program with various workshops, activities, educators)
5. Wild BC - www.hctf.ca/wild.htm (conduct mostly train the trainer programs for teachers and educators, and have dozens of excellent resources/activities including Project Wet and Project Wild.)
6. Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development – www.pembina.org - lots of information and links on climate change.
7. David Suzuki Foundation – www.davidsuzuki.org - nature challenge, climate change, oceans, global health, sustainable economy… loads of info.

LOCAL SOCIETIES:

1. Raincoast Education Society – Raincoast Education Society is a local non-profit that offers school programs for both local and visiting elementary and secondary school groups, and operates out of the Raincoast Interpretive Centre. Marcia Moncur was hired to develop the curriculum for two full blocks on the theme of Biodiversity and Conservation. RES has several resources to draw from. (Contact Josie Osborne: Tofino Botanical Gardens; 725-1220 or [email protected])
2. Stream keepers (Contact Gary Thomas;  725-1259 or Josie Osborne: Tofino Botanical Gardens; 725-1220)
3. Friends of Clayoquot Sound (Contact 250-725-4218 or [email protected])
4. Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (Contact 250-725-2219 or [email protected])
5. Ecotrust Canada (Contact in Vancouver: 604-682-4141; often has a Clayoquot Sound employee in town)
6. others…. Make connections with local groups!

And I am sure there are tons and tons of more resources out there!! Please add accordingly.