​Kincardine Horticultural Society learns more about KEAN

Are you KEAN to have spring arrive and the cold weather in the past? Are you KEAN to start your seeds? Are you KEAN to be out in your yards surrounded by gardens?

Are you KEAN to help us have a circular economy?

Well, that is the question that Kim Armitage helped explain to the Kincardine Horticultural Society at its first meeting, Monday night at the Davidson Centre in Kincardine.

What is KEAN, you may ask, and how can I help?

KEAN stands for the Kincardine Environmental Action Network and its members would like Kincardine to be an environmentally-sustainable community. KEAN aims to foster a community where every action, big or small, contributes to preserving the environment for current and future generations.

We should think about sharing, leasing, re-using, recycling, and repairing before throwing out. Doing this would boost the economy and help us live within the limits of our environment. There are three things needed for this to happen:
 

• A sustainable mindset
• A group effort
• Strong leadership

KEAN's mission is to feed families NOT landfills!

The organization is hoping for Kincardine to become a Blue Community in 2026. Blue communities are municipalities that adopt a water framework which recognizes clean water and sanitation as a human right and a joint responsibility as the first step of the process. The second step is to phase-out the sale of bottled water at municipal facilities and events and, ideally, restaurants and businesses in town. Banning single-use plastic water bottles also reduces plastic waste, which can end up polluting local lakes and rivers, as well as harming marine life.

This presentation, hopefully, makes us all think about how we can help in creating a more sustainable community – because we all are part of it!

The next meeting is Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m., at the Davidson Centre. Shannon Wood will be speaking on the “Mysteries and Lore about our Local Plants."

Consider attending or joining, as many speakers and topics will be covered this season. As well, the garden tour, flower show and plant sale are part of the year's activities.