Late May 2023 Issue

INSIDE: Thank you for a successful Spring Plant Sale & EcoMarket; volunteers needed at Springbank Farm and rare's trails; Events & Development Coordinator; June events at rare; our biweekly poll.


Photo by: Mike Weissmann

Thank you for a successful Spring Plant Sale & EcoMarket!

People shopping in the Slit Barn during the 2023 Spring Plant Sale

We were delighted to see so many people of all ages come out to the Spring Plant Sale & EcoMarket this past Saturday! There was a line-up of people waiting for us to open at eight, and the rest of the day kept us busy as individuals, couples and families at the Slit Barn, hauling away many of the 5,000 seedlings we had on sale. Terroir Artisan Bakery sold out of its stock within three hours, and the other vendors also reported that it was a good day.


In total, almost 700 people came out to this event, and over $15,000 was raised for programs at Springbank Farm! None of this would have been possible without the help of our staff, our volunteers, our tremendous vendors, and everyone who turned out on a lovely day for our celebration of spring! We're already looking forward to seeing you at next year's event!


For more photos from the day, please check out this Instagram post.

Volunteer Season Opens at Springbank Farm

Volunteer at Springbank Farm

Volunteer season has begun at rare! Starting next Wednesday, May 24, people wishing to help at Springbank Farm's organic food bank garden are encouraged to come to Springbank Farm at 681 Blair Road, from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Staff and volunteers will meet them in the parking lot with tools, tasks and instructions on how you can help Springbank Farm's gardens grow.


This is an excellent opportunity to practice your gardening skills, learn about organic regenerative farming, and help build food security in Waterloo Region. There's no need to register; just show up! We look forward to seeing you there!

Fight Back Against Invasive Species!

Garlic mustard, an invasive.

This flower may look pretty, but make no mistake: it's a killer! Garlic mustard is an aggressive invasive plant that spreads rapidly across the ground, robbing native plants such as trilliums of sunlight and nutrients, and disturbing the ecological balance of our forests. Fortunately, garlic mustard is easy to remove, and many hands can make light work of the project.


Our land management team is calling for volunteers to help pull garlic mustard from rare's lands and trails. If you want to help fight back against this invasive species, four garlic mustard pull sessions are happening over the next two weeks, one on the morning of Thursday, May 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., one on the afternoon of Thursday, May 25, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., one on the morning of Thursday, June 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and one on the afternoon of Thursday, June 1, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. We ask that volunteers register their attendance, so select your preferred session or sessions above and fill out the registration form.


Businesses looking to organize team volunteer days for their employees should contact Christine Thompson by e-mail or by phone at 519-650-9336 x118.

Check the Events Calendar for these and other volunteer days

We are looking for an Events and Development Coordinator!

Do you have excellent people skills, the ability to plan and direct, and experience in fundraising and organizing events? If so, rare is looking for you! We are searching for candidates to fill the position of Events & Development Coordinator. Reporting to the Major Gifts Manager, the Events & Development Coordinator works collegially as part of the fundraising and communications team, and with program advisors, staff, volunteers to interpret rare and its needs to the broader community in order to build support -- both political and financial -- for rare's mission and programs. This position requires flexibility, sensitivity and creativity to help rare meet major campaign goals while building a health, ongoing annual fund.


If this sounds interesting to you, please follow this link for more information, and to send your resume and cover letter.

Upcoming Events: Succession Planning with KPMG; Conversation with TMMC; Garden Walk

On Thursday, June 8, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., everyone is invited to the Slit Barn at 768 Blair Road to hear representatives from KPMG, a sponsor of rare, present a free seminar on family succession and estate planning. If you have a family-owned/run business and are curious to learn how to plan for the next generation to take over, or if you've wondered how to prepare your will,m support your loved ones after your passing, and leave a lasting legacy, and aren't sure where to start, KPMG will offer expert tips and advice. The seminar is FREE, but registration is required, so click here to sign up.


On Wednesday, June 14, at 7 p.m., representatives from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC)'s TERRA Group will be on hand at rare's Lamb's Inn Headquarters at 1679 Blair Road to talk about Toyota's environmental initiatives to increase biodiversity and build towards a sustainable future. Toyota's 2050 Challenges is our latest Conversation for Conservation, and everyone is invited to share coffee, tea and/or hot chocolate while we learn how Toyota, a sponsor of rare, is reducing its carbon footprint. This event is FREE to attend, but registration is required, so click this link to sign up, and we'll see you at Lamb's Inn on Wednesday, June 14!

Want to learn more about how native pollinators contribute to our favourite foods? Come out to Springbank Farm (681 Blair Road) on Monday, June 19 from 11:00 a.m. to noon for Dr. Tom Woodcock's Garden Walk and Pollinator Talk. Tom will lead attendees on a walk around Springbank garden, talking about the ecology behind the production of our favourite foods, and the importance of conserving biodiversity. This event is FREE, but registration is required, so follow this link to sign up!

Click to view more events as they are announced

Our Bi-Weekly Poll:

Thanks to everybody who participated in last issue's poll; you really love your pickle-ball! An overwhelming 92.5% of you chose this sport over virtual golf when asked what you would rather participate in at a sports tournament at rare. We will definitely keep this in mind as we organize such an event.



As for our next question:

If you are vacationing domestically this year are you...
RVing
Driving
Flying
Other (train, bus, etc)
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