Our Project Enters Phase 2…with a Film Night!

We are excited to announce the beginning of the next phase of the Earth Matters Upcyclers Project. Starting on Monday, January 28 at 7 pm at the Nelson District Youth Centre. Come on out for a documentary film and discussion, free snacks, and see the Upcycling Laboratory, complete with 2 sergers and sewing machines! We will be showing The Clean Bin Project, a documentary about a Vancouver-based couple who attempt to live “waste and consumer-free” for a year.

There are some big things coming up for the Earth Matters Upcyclers Group starting in February! We will be having regular open hours for work with the sewing machines every Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5-8 pm starting in February.

Upcyclers’ Show and Tell

Bring your latest reuse/upcycling/crafting with left overs project to show.

Or bring ideas you’ve seen of things you’d like to try.

This is a chance to network, skill share and idea map creative reuse here in the Kootenays.

We will have snacks and a brief presentation about the Zero Waste Youth Project.

This event is open to anyone. No commitment necessary.

If you are curious about the Zero Waste Youth Project or want to meet other folks making new while making do, this is the perfect chance.

Access Details:
The open house will be happening in the upstairs meeting room in the youth centre, which is up one flight of stairs. Access from the rear can be arranged for folks needing to avoid the stairs. Please just let us know. The youth centre has washrooms designated male and female, including access stalls on the main floor of the centre. Other access inquiries and questions can be addressed via phone: 250-352-6011×17 or email: [email protected]

Check out our facebook event.

Exciting Momentum

This week we welcome another participant blogger Alex to share her insight on the project thus far:

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“It’s only my second week meeting with the Zero Waste Youth Project and I already feel like this project has so much momentum. Every time I come home after a meeting I’m buzzing with excitement at where we’re going. Not to be dramatic but I feel like this project is everything I’ve been wanting to do in the last few years, culminating in one powerful group. And we have so much power–I can feel it at every gathering.

This week, we started with our usual check-in and then talked about some of the progress that’s been made. Pretty quickly after that, we had a snack break and then moved down to our new space to paint.

Part of what feels so extraordinary about this project is how fast it’s moving. Every week we make a ton of progress and I know this is largely due to the incredible work of our facilitators, Sarah, Heather and Kori. It felt so good to show up, get handed a paintbrush and start painting. There were no overwhelming discussions about what colours we would paint. We just kind of decided in a simple flow of consensus and then we went for it.

Of course there were some interesting results as we amateurly attacked the walls with our brushes but it turned out pretty great. The pressure wasn’t on creating a perfectly painted wall, anyway, it was to create something, to move forward and decorate a space where so much more creating is going to happen. And we did that which felt amazing.

Starting out with a 3 tone gradient in a Lazure style.

The wall has a beach feel

The space comes together with the help of many.

I can’t put into words how psyched I am to watch and take part in this project rolling on. It feels so good to be somewhere and do things, as simple as that may sound. I eagerly await the rest of the journey.”

-Alex

Blog Begins

We welcome Dana our new project blogger with his first post about the progress of the project. Check in or subscribe to follow his posts.

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Another day, another inspiring meeting with the Zero Waste Youth Project crew!
It was a little unfortunate that billions, upon billions of people didn’t come and join us on Wednesday. However we were lucky to have the few that we did, as all of them were really excited to get their hands dirty with some exciting junk. Another good thing about the turn-out was that we got to know each other better as individuals rather than as a fellow member whose name no one really knows.

Once our group settled in their seats we began our meeting a little bit of digital media show and tell. We were all shown the wonderful ways in which we could showcase our projects, find new and inspiring ones, as well as places to just listen to others talk about the group as a whole (such as this blog). Kori even did a wonderful job of converting some of us to Pinterest.


We quickly moved into introductions where we got to know a little bit more than just a person’s name; we got to know why they came and what inspired them. It was fun hearing all the different ideas that people came with, and to think of all the ways they could be applied. The most exciting part was realising that it is all possible.
What really helped us to realise this was a very awe inspiring video about the Warriors Without Weapons, and how they turned a drug and crime infested area, down in Brazil, into a wonderful area for the community together and have fun together. They did this all without a single resource at first. Knowing that they could do this helped us to realise that WE can do this.

After a little break filled with delicious snacking we gathered back in the meeting room then grouped off into different project areas. One group was all about designing our dream space, one was about how to introduce ourselves to those around us, and the last was about how to make these projects of ours become a reality.
The dream space was looking good, with some floor layouts, shelves for storage, sewing rooms and other little doodads.

The project plans were coming together; there were written diagrams of supplies needed, ways to get them, and how to put them all together.

As for the group dedicated to introducing ourselves to the world around us, well they came up with so many names and ideas for the project that they got lost.

And that is where you come in. We will need the help of everyone involved and those who would like to become involved, in the choosing of the name for our exciting upcycler project.
Will we be the Waste Warriors, Wizards of Creation, the Junk Jammers? We will have to wait and see.
Until then, get some ideas rolling, draw them out, write some plans, and get your butt over to our meetings. Help us make this into an amazing project!
See you next time, and make sure to bring some friends, will yah?

Earth Matters Upcyclers: Zero Waste Youth Project

This project is launching into its second phase! Starting back up in February 2013, the Earth Matters Upcyclers will be meeting weekly at their new “Upcycling Laboratory” space in the Nelson and District Youth Center.

Thank you to the NDYC for hosting us in your space! This project would not be possible without our amazing funders/supporters and we would also like to thank Columbia Basin Trust, Nelson Cares Society, Nelson Credit Union, Central Kootenay Regional District, TD Canada Trust and BC Hydro.

The Lab room is now set up with two working sewing machines, two working sergers, a Fabric cutting station, donated recycled textiles, a local sewing expert (Nic) and two excited coordinators (Heather and Sarah) :) Stay tuned for the next productive and fun stage of the project where we will be upcycling old Shambhala tents into grocery bags and jackets and selling them back to the festival!

AND

Get involved educating your community on rethinking our waste.

FREE SNACKS!

GREAT PEOPLE!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

All youth ages 15-25 are encouraged to sign up. The project is free to participate in and aims to reduce as many other barriers as possible. The project aims to be a safe and fun space. This project issupported by:

Youth Centre TD Bank RDCK Credit Union BC Hydro Columbia Basin Trust

Welcome

Earth Matters is an environmental program based in Nelson, BC.  Earth Matters aims to support a socially just and environmentally sustainable community through our Recycling Service, Earth Matters Upcyclers: Zero Waste YouthProject, relevant workshops, accessible resources, knowledgeable staff, training programs, meaningful volunteer opportunities and our stewardship of two vibrant demonstration gardens.  Our mission is to inspire and support lifestyles that are environmentally responsible and beneficial to human health.

Earth Matters projects and initiatives promote the values of environmental stewardship and responsibility, social justice, community, partnership building, and economic viability.

Since 1995, we have been developing and implementing innovative, experiential education and community development programs. These programs have particularly focused on youth environmental stewardship while offering meaningful work experience and unique opportunities for youth to increase their employability, self-esteem, interpersonal effectiveness, and capacity to effect change in their own community.

In 2008, the Earth Matters Program expanded beyond Youth Initiatives to include a wider range of environmental initiatives such as sustainable social enterprises. This enterprises offer ongoing work opportunities for people experiencing barriers to employment.  Today, we successfully operate a successful social enterprise in Nelson, BC. The Earth Matters Recycling Service collects recyclables from Nelson businesses and apartments on a weekly basis. Earth Matters also collects used cell phones, print cartridges, mp3 players, iPods and digital cameras as part of a fundraising initiative.   There are drop locations in various places around town.

Earth Matters latest project is the Earth Matters Upcyclers: Zero Waste Youth Project .  Youth are rethinking waste with various upcycling projects in the Earth Matters Upcycling laboratory in the Nelson and District Youth Centre.

Earth Matters also operates a Worm Bin Library.  Classrooms, and community organizations can borrow a worm bin complete with everything needed to start composting lunch scraps, and other food items indoors with no smell and no mess.  Along with each worm bin Earth Matters also provides hands-on learning worm bin operation education in the classroom or community. Funding for this project was and is provided by Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Basin Environmental Educators Network, and the Regional District of the Central Kootenays.

Earth Matters Upcyclers: Zero Waste Youth Project

This project is launching into its second phase! Starting back up in February 2013, the Earth Matters Upcyclers will be meeting weekly at their new “Upcycling Laboratory” space in the Nelson and District Youth Center.

Thank you to the NDYC for hosting us in your space! This project would not be possible without our amazing funders/supporters and we would also like to thank Columbia Basin Trust, Nelson Cares Society, Nelson Credit Union, Central Kootenay Regional District, TD Canada Trust and BC Hydro.

The Lab room is now set up with two working sewing machines, two working sergers, a Fabric cutting station, donated recycled textiles, a local sewing expert (Nic) and two excited coordinators (Heather and Sarah) :) Stay tuned for the next productive and fun stage of the project where we will be upcycling old Shambhala tents into grocery bags and jackets and selling them back to the festival!

AND

Get involved educating your community on rethinking our waste.

FREE SNACKS!

GREAT PEOPLE!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

All youth ages 15-25 are encouraged to sign up. The project is free to participate in and aims to reduce as many other barriers as possible. The project aims to be a safe and fun space. This project issupported by:

Youth Centre TD Bank RDCK Credit Union BC Hydro Columbia Basin Trust