A successful eco-focused Jane’s Walk 2023

Are you getting uneasy about climate change? Do you wonder if there is something you could do to help mitigate your contribution to climate change? Twenty people participated in an eco-focused Jane’s Walk sponsored by OSEAN to 4 different sites where the actions residents have taken towards sustainability could be viewed and discussed.

Dave and Ruth Wilkins invited people to see their ground source heat pump and EV and generously answered many questions about the benefits of and how their equipment works.

Lynne Patenaude from OSEAN explained the rationale and process of building a pollinator garden from scratch in an area with very poor and compacted soil. She spoke of the importance of providing food and shelter to pollinators and the difficulty of working with the City to access City owned land.

The Conte family demonstrated how their permeable driveway wicks away water and reminded us that it is not always straightforward when working with contractors.

Heather Dunlop provided an overview of her solar system, air source heat pump, heat pump water heater and EV. None of the leaders are technical experts but they are knowledgeable in the operation and benefits of each system and many questions were asked and answered. Each, through their own journey towards sustainability, is doing what they can and what is meaningful to them.

The overriding lesson from this day’s event was that although no one has a completely carbon free lifestyle, there are a wide range of actions we can take to reduce our carbon emissions. We hope that their actions provide inspiration to others.