HomeMy WebLinkAboutEnv - 2015-01-22 - IF1 - Earth Day 2015 Organizing Committee
To:Environmental Committee Members
Subject:Earth Day Liaison
Earth Day Liaison
Volunteers complement and support the work of staff accomplishing important tasks
that would not otherwise be done, and support programs that could cease to exist
without their participation.
Volunteers bring a wide variety of skills, knowledge and experience with them, all of
which combine to strengthen the organization. Therefore, the City strives to provide
volunteers with meaningful work that suits their skills and goes beyond mere job
shadowing, as well as a rewarding and challenging community-oriented volunteer
experience for all those interested in the goal of promoting sustainable communities in
an urban environment.
In general an Environmental Committee liaison will:
Serve as a communication link between the Committee and a particular Sub-
committee, Taskforce and/or Working Group;
Provide guidance, support and advice when/where appropriate;
Assist with research, activities, report preparation and correspondence when
needed.
If required, they will attend the appropriate Standing Committee meeting to
present the Committee’s recommendation; and,
Maintain a positive working relationship with the other volunteers.
Earth Day
Each year Earth Day is held internationally on April 22. Earth Day Canada (EDC) was
created in 1991 as a national, not-for-profit environmental charity that provides
Canadians with an opportunity to make a difference where they live, work and spend
their leisure hours. It reaches out to youth, community and environmental groups,
schools, businesses, government departments and individuals across the county.
On a global basis, Earth Day’s mandate is to create and nurture a popular, highly visible
“window of awareness” in which individual awareness and actions are the primary goal.
EDC coordinates and promotes Canada’s celebration of International Earth Day and in
many communities the event has grown into Earth Week or Earth Month. EDC provides
user-friendly interactive programs, an events calendar, print resources and a website.
Earth Day is an excellent opportunity for the City to raise awareness of local
environmental initiatives and concerns and to encourage residents to take action on a
local level.
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Earth Day Liaison (Cont’d)
In general Earth Day liaison(s) will be responsible for the following:
1. Acting as the Environmental Committee’s connection / representative to the
City’s Earth Day Organizing Committee;
2. In association Step 1, participating on a Working Group responsible for one of
the following Earth Day activities put on by the City:
Community Litter Pick-up;
o
20 Minute Makeover;
o
Consulting Firm Challenge;
o
Community Clean-Up;
o
Earth Hour (occurs earlier in the spring, separate from Earth Day)
o
Living Earth Festival
o
Please note that more information on the various Earth Day activities can be found on the City of
Kitchener’s website: http://www.kitchener.ca/en/livinginkitchener/EarthDay.asp
3. Liaisons will be required to provide a status report at the March Environmental
Committee meeting.
Liaisons may ask other Committee members to volunteer for an activity on
o
Earth Day;
4. At the April Environmental Committee meeting, the liaisons will provide a further
update to the Committee confirming the list of Earth Day activities;
liaisons should provide specific details of the various Earth Day activities
o
so Committee members can attend;
5. At the May Environmental Committee meeting, the liaisons will be required to
provide a final update to the Committee on the success of the City’s Earth Day
events. This could be supplemented by the rest of the Committee describing
what they did for Earth Day.
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