/Plant sale proceeds to spring Water Festival back to life
Local environmental organization FEEL (Friends of Ecological Environmental Learning) is holding its annual native plant sale. The proceeds support programs such as the Haliburton-Muskoka-Kawartha Lakes Children’s Water Festival. /Photo by Stone Tree Studio

Plant sale proceeds to spring Water Festival back to life

 

By Stephen Petrick

If you’re a friend of the environment, you have a chance to plant the seeds for a feel-good movement.

Local environmental organization FEEL (Friends of Ecological Environmental Learning) is holding its annual native plant sale.   

The proceeds support programs such as the Haliburton-Muskoka-Kawartha Lakes Children’s Water Festival. The 2020 festival, which was scheduled for September at the Kinark Outdoor Centre, was cancelled due to COVID, but FEEL hopes to bring it back this year, hopefully in the summer.

Supporters can pre-order plants from the group’s website at ecoenvirolearn.org.

The plants come from two local nurseries and garden centres and are all native species to the Haliburton, Kawartha and Muskoka area, said sale co-ordinator Sable Robertson. The organization hopes the sale encourages more people to grow native species of plants, and discourage non-native species that can damage the environment.

The products available include shrubs, perennials and other themed bundles of plants. They are inexpensive, as most of the products are in the $5 to $10 price range.

The public has until March 31 to place an order. The plants are then available to pickup on May 14 at Haliburton Highlands Brewing.

FEEL is a non-profit organization that, in addition to the plant sale and water festival, is known for publication of The Sprite, a newsletter designed to enhance environmental and ecological education for children. It’s also involved in a Canada-wide initiative to promote the use of rain barrels.

The annual water festival, however, is one of its marquee initiatives. It typically involves 40 to 50 activities, with a focus on educating students about water in terms of conservation, related technologies, protection and science, including a conscientious attitude to ensuring the cleanliness of water.

For more information on the festival, visit www.hmwaterfestival.ca/the-festival.