• Registration Reminder
• Important 2012 CiB Alberta Dates
• Community Profile Book
• A Wainwright Celebration
• Introducing the Alberta Invasive Plants Council
• Meet a CiB Judge: Linda Tomlinson
• Tuning into Pruning: The Basics
• Psst... Pass it On
• Save the Date: 2012 Communities in Bloom National Symposium and Awards Ceremony
• Wanted: CiB Alberta Judges

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 A WAINWRIGHT CELEBRATION

 

The Wainwright Communities in Bloom team is celebrating ten years of tidying, planting, and beautifying the green spaces around town, CFB Wainwright and the Municipal District.  This means that it's time to plan a big party!

 

On Monday August 20th, we are planning "A Celebration in Wallace Park" culminated by an outdoor big-screen movie at dusk, complete with a canteen.  Evening festivities will also include a barbeque, family games and challenges, sporting events, tree and perennial plantings, musical performers, busking, water events, educational displays, lots of decorations and much, much more.

 

Although our party is still very much in the planning stage, the purpose of the event is to engage the citizens of Wainwright and area in some safe family fun while celebrating our 10th anniversary.  After winning our Communities in Bloom population category (2,001 - 6,000) for the first time in 2011, it gives us a chance to say thank you to both those who helped to put our best foot forward as well as to all of the citizens who volunteer so much of their time to make Wainwright a great place to live.

This is a rain or shine event, in case Mother Nature throws us a curve ball we will organize the revelry indoors at the Green Rink in the Peace Memorial Multiplex.

 

We are encouraging other regional Communities in Bloom members to join us in the celebration.  For more information or to get involved in the fun please contact Melba Clemmer, Communities in Bloom Chairperson at 789-842-2032 or via e-mail mclemmer@telus.net.  Hope to see you there.  Bring a lawn chair and some bug spray.

 

 

Article courtesy of Melba Clemmer, CiB Chairperson, Wainwright, Alberta

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INTRODUCING THE ALBERTA INVASIVE 

PLANTS COUNCIL

 

The vision of the Alberta Invasive Plants Council (AIPC) is to inspire and empower Albertans to work together to protect the integrity of Alberta's landscapes from invasive plants. This non-profit society has been doing that since its incorporation in 2006. It has touched municipalities across Alberta and is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in education and advocacy on the impacts of invasive plants.

 

The work of the AIPC has focused on providing high quality resource materials on invasive plants, serving the gardening and horticulture sector of Alberta with relevant information concerning invasive ornamentals now regulated under the Alberta Weed Control Act (2010), and facilitating local area stakeholder meetings across Alberta.

AIPC has developed a series of high quality plant information fact sheets that are freely accessible from its website. For the gardening and horticulture sector, the flagship brochure of AIPC, "Weed Wise Gardening in Alberta" has passed 130,000 in print. The Council provides displays and presentations on invasive plants to any organization on request.

 

AIPC has been fostering regional collaboration in areas around the province at which municipalities, local area organizations, businesses and other interested parties can meet, share information and concerns, and look for ways to cooperate on the issue of invasive plants. The Council has facilitated 12 new such "cooperative weed management areas" in the last two years.

 

An exciting new development to be publicly launched by AIPC in April 2012 is EDDMapS Alberta. Developed in partnership with the University of Georgia's highly acclaimed EDDMapS early detection mapping system, it allows both public entities and private Albertans alike to enter their findings of key new invasive plants. Using a simple Google based interface, EDDMapS Alberta will offer an easy to use opportunity for anyone to help in protecting Alberta's natural heritage. Any findings will be verified by experts and become part of a map accessible to Alberta and available to all of North America.

 

For more information on these initiatives and the work of the Alberta Invasive Plants Council visit our website at www.invasiveplants.ab.ca and plan to join us at our 2012 Conference and AGM in Red Deer, April 19 "New Invasive Threats to Alberta - Meeting the Challenge".

 

Article courtesy of Don Battiste,  Program Director of Alberta Invasive Plants Council.  He can be contacted at:  aipc.programdirector@gmail.com

 

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Linda first got involved in Communities in Bloom in 2001 with her local program in Rocky Mountain House, and has served as a volunteer provincial judge for CiB Alberta since 2006.  She has watched communities grow and improve because of their involvement with Communities and Bloom and says she would judge even if it wasn't so much fun.

Linda is a graduate of the Olds College Horticultural Program where she specialized in Landscape Design. She has worked in many different areas of Horticulture and now keeps in touch with the business as a freelance Horticultural writer. Linda writes weekly gardening columns for The Red Deer Advocate, Central Alberta Life and The Mountaineer.

 

Linda has been an active volunteer within the community of Rocky Mountain House in the following areas:  Girl Guide Leader, Library Board, Parks and Recreation Board and Low Cost Housing.  Linda's own garden covers a number of acres. It is a place where native plants mingle with exotic and heritage varieties.

 

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Article courtesy of Brendan Casement, CiB Alberta Judge

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Do you know a neighboring community that may be interested in participating in the CiB Alberta program?   If so, pass the contact information on to Dan Chambers, CiB Alberta Provincial Coordinator at dchambers@arpaonline.ca.  We would love to have them grow with us!