RETIRED TEACHERS HELP CLIMATE ACTION MUSKOKA EDUCATE KIDS AND PUBLIC

BRACEBRIDGE — Who better than teachers to help educate kids and the public to take more action on the climate crisis in Muskoka?

At noon today a new initiative was launched at the weekly Friday Climate Strike in Memorial Park.

The Muskoka Chapter of the Retired Teachers of Ontario (RTO/ERO) is supporting Climate Action Muskoka (CAM) with a financial donation to be used to promote the CAM 50% by 2030 Community Carbon Challenge.

The challenge calls on all Muskoka households, businesses and groups to assume the same greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goal — 50% by 2030 — as the District of Muskoka and the area municipalities.

You can sign up to take the challenge at climateactionmuskoka.org.

RTO-ERO’s goal is to significantly increase the number of households in Muskoka who pledge to take action to make a difference in sustaining the Muskoka environment.

In a release this afternoon, they say they also want to promote the use of the carbon calculator on the CAM website and encourage changes in behaviour by individuals and households.

RTO-ERO is looking at three different steps to achieve its goal and, to that end, has printed bookmarks to invite participation by both permanent and seasonal residents and to provide lots of simple ideas for GHG reductions.

The group will be providing posters and bookmarks to Muskoka businesses that are frequented by seasonal residents to provide information on the Community Carbon Challenge and how to access it.

Watch for posters and bookmarks coming soon to local businesses and bulletin boards across Muskoka.

They will also be providing bookmarks to all municipalities in Muskoka, and distributing bookmarks to all junior level classrooms in Muskoka, along with some curriculum ideas for teachers to encourage students and their parents to take up the Community Carbon Challenge.

The Retired Teachers of Ontario, District 46, Muskoka (RTOERO) endorsed the efforts of CAM almost a year and a half ago and CAM can now report that the District of Muskoka, the Township of Lake of Bays, and the Town Councils of Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Huntsville have joined the Township of Georgian Bay in declaring a climate emergency.

For more information contact Joanne Garvey at president46@districts.rtoero.ca or CAM at climateactionmuskoka@gmail.com

Climate Action Muskoka got re-inforcements today from retired teachers in Muskoka who have donated money for an educational campaign aimed at the public and schools. (Tamsen Tilson photos CAM)
Retired Teachers of Ontario members of District 46 rallied around climate change today. They’ve been on board with CAM’s initiatives for 18 months.