(Originally posted on the Red Goes Green blog)

Have you been thinking about leaving your car at home? Not sure what to do without it? Let the 2012 Commuter Challenge be the time to give it a try!

RRC is taking the Challenge and we encourage you to join in! During Environment Week, June 3rd to 9th, join the more than 7,000 Manitobans who will cycle, walk, run, skate, bus, carpool or telecommute their way to work!

The Commuter Challenge is a friendly, national competition that encourages daily commuters to choose greener modes of transportation. Whether you ride Transit on a regular basis, or cycle to work for the first time ever, you qualify as a Commuter Challenge participant. So register for the Challenge and be counted – the more of us that participate, the better our chances of winning!

By registering on the website you will have a chance to win some exciting prizes, two of the largest being a $500 travel voucher from VIA Rail and a night at the Fairmont Winnipeg. You will also be eligible for the the RRC employee prizes which include a $700 gift certificate for either a new bike or an Extreme Bike Makeover at Natural Cycle. You will also help our workplace win as we strive for the highest participation rates in our population category!

On Tuesday June 5th President Stephanie Forsyth will participate in the Commute Challenge by cycling in to the NDC with Sustainability Manager Sara MacArthur. RRC has a history of high participation rates in the Commuter Challenge. In 2010 College participation won a silver placement for our staff population category. In 2009 College participation won a gold placement. Let’s bring our participation back up to gold in 2012!

Here are a few resources to help you get started…

Cycling – Manitoba Cycling Association; Bike to the Future; “The Commuter Cyclist: Tips and resources to make cycling to work as easy as riding a bike”; Winnipeg Cycling Maps are available from a number of locations, including in C409, and in the Environmental Issues display across from the bookstore at the NDC; City of Winnipeg Active Transportation; City Cycling courses being offered, see p. 82 of the Leisure Guide for details.

Walking – Prairie Pathfinders’, Winnipeg Trails Association 

Transit – Navigo, BUStxt

Carpool – www.carpool.ca

Here’s a very interesting talk by mycologist Paul Stammets, which came to me via my mushroom hunting father (Steve) and his colleague Alex.  Now that mushrooms have begun popping up, it seems timely to look at some of the farther reaching applications for mushrooms in bio-technology – inlcuding a possible solution for cleaning up oil spills.  It’s a fascinating chat.

Here’s the author’s bio from the TED talks site.

Entrepreneurial mycologist Paul Stamets seeks to rescue the study of mushrooms from forest gourmets and psychedelic warlords. The focus of Stamets’ research is the Northwest’s native fungal genome, mycelium, but along the way he has filed 22 patents for mushroom-related technologies, including pesticidal fungi that trick insects into eating them, and mushrooms that can break down the neurotoxins used in nerve gas.

There are cosmic implications as well. Stamets believes we could terraform other worlds in our galaxy by sowing a mix of fungal spores and other seeds to create an ecological footprint on a new planet.

A pink and white lady-slipper

If you’re an avid outdoorsy-person or someone who is looking to learn more and do more in the great outdoors, a great resource is Nature Manitoba. Nature Manitoba  is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1920 as the Natural History Society of Manitoba (later known as the Manitoba Naturalists Society), “for the popular and scientific study of nature”.  The goal of the organization is to promote an appreciation and understanding of nature, and to preserve and enjoy it.

Nature Manitoba offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor programs year-round, and advocates for the protection of our natural environment. You can check here for a full range of outdoor activities – that include both physical activities such as canoeing, hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, camping, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor recreational pursuits – as well as bird-watching and other educational workshops.

The birding link is pretty cool, as it features a slide show that includes a turkey vulture (which is a vulture, not a turkey, or a vulture-turkey hybrid). These birds are great to see in the wild, as they are so huge that they are still visible when flying high in the sky.

Two other great aspects of Nature Manitoba is the bi-monthly newsletter that always has interesting stories and profiles and the garden tour – which is especially good for urban gardeners who are looking for some ideas for their own backyards. Memberships are relatively inexpensive, and funds go towards a good cause. Find out more by exploring their website, and perhaps signing yourself up.

If you’re into gardening, check out my previous post on Where to Go for Prairie Plants.

With an early start to the growing season, it’s not too early to consider what you might plant in your backyard or garden. 

There are many advantages to planting native plants – including their ability to adapt and survive our temperamental weather changes, and their benefits for attracting wildlife – like birds and butterflies. Check out the book Naturescape Manitoba for some great ideas of what to plant if creating habitat is one of your goals.

My favourite place to shop for native prairie plants is at Prairie Originals located in the Lockport area.  Unfortunately, it isn’t open for business until May 11th, but it’s worth checking out the website to see what’s offered.  If you’re not familiar with prairie plants, you should check out the reading list that’s on their site.  Some personal favourites of mine are Wild Bergamont, Purple Coneflower, and Giant Hyssop.  There are also a variety of fruit bearing shrubs – like Saskatoons and Wild Plums.  Sweet Flag (Calamus) is also a great aquatic plant with interesting medicinal properties. Most greenhouses in and around the city also carry some native plants, so drop in to one in your neighborhood to see what’s there.

Another great place to visit for plants or to learn more about prairie habitat is the Living Prairie Museum – located just south-west of the NDC campus.  They also have a plant sale in May, plus seeds for many native species available inside the centre.  In addition to regular tours and workshops, they are offering planting workshop in May to coincide with their plant sale.  They also have a lending library on site, so you can pick up a wide range of interesting books for free.

If May seems too far away – don’t worry.  In a few short weeks the Greenspace Management program is having its annual Plant Sale and BBQ –  April 19th from 11:30 – 1:00 – in the new greenhouse complex at the NDC campus. There will be trees, shrubs, perennials, prairies, interiors and a new feature – water garden plants. A slight word of caution though (as noted in the Staff News):

The trees, shrubs, perennials, and prairie plants have been forced into leaf / bloom in the Red River College greenhouse in the fall and winter of 2011-12. The plant material was used to teach plant identification to the Greenspace Management and Landscape Technician students. Experience has shown that this plant material, when planted outside in the spring, will spend the growing season “readjusting” (may have less leaves, vigour, etc.) and then grow  normally the following growing season. Because of the “out of season” forcing of the plants there is no warranty on the plant material, and the price has been significantly reduced.

So come visit Ruth, Gord, and the rest of the Greenspace Management instructional staff and students to support this event and get some great plants for yourself.

Happy Gardening!

Submitted by Mike Krywy, Research and Planning