Are you thinking about joining the Nith Valley EcoBoosters (NVEB) but not sure where you might be able to make a contribution? How about participating in one or more of our 5 Working Groups?  See below for some details about each of these groups and we hope to see you at one of our upcoming meetings!

1) Education Working Group 

This working group has organized and hosted 18 educational events since 2018.   These events have focused on a wide range of environmental topics including:

• Electric vehicles
• Reducing waste (including food waste)
• The problems with plastics
• Reducing home energy usage
• Sustainable/green investing
• Preparation for a changing climate (including flooding and droughts)
• Healthy trees & native plants
• Resilient & liveable communities
• Getting off gas (including switching to electric heating, induction stoves)
• Why Hope Matters (reasons to be optimistic about the environment)
• Our Water:  Challenges & Solutions (a discussion of the water capacity issue in the Region of Waterloo)

Each year, our group brainstorms ideas for new educational events and then we select a few to organize and run.  The events can be in person, online, or both (hybrid).  If you have ideas about the kinds of educational events NVEB should offer to the community, and you are willing to help make those events happen, we welcome you to join our working group.  Please contact us at:  nvecoboosters@gmail.com 

2) Communications Working Group

Members of the Communications Working Group are an integral part of the functioning of NVEB. We maintain all data for our organization including correspondence coming through the NVEB e-mail account; contact lists; and documents.  We also maintain the NVEB website and social media accounts i.e. Facebook and Instagram.

We inform our members, and those on our contact lists of important issues and activities related to Waterloo Region, ways to help and take action, and upcoming educational events.  We also distribute our newsletter electronically a few times a year to contacts who wish to get it plus local media, politicians and organizations who support us and collaborate with us.

We connect and collaborate with other local, provincial and national environmental groups (eg. Reep Green Solutions, Waterloo Region Climate Collaborative, Ontario Nature, Environmental Defense, David Suzuki foundation).  We also support these organizations by endorsing their letters and campaigns that promote environmental protections.

If you have skills in social media and/or communications and would be interested in being part of an active and engaging local environmental group that is working to protect and support a long-term healthy environment in Wilmot and Wellesley Townships, we’d love to have you join our Communications Working Group! Contact us at nvecoboosters@gmail.com

3) Youth Advocates Working Group

This working group focuses on making climate action and sustainability accessible and appealing to youth and young adults. We plan to organize educational events and activities that focus on all things climate and environment related – understanding the issues of climate change, how to live more sustainably and take action, how to cope with anxiety that may come with these uncertain times, and how to connect with nature.

Youth Advocates is open to all youth and young adults in the area. We understand the hectic schedule that comes with school and work, so your level of commitment depends on your personal schedule.  If you are interested in being a part of this working group, please contact us at: nvebyouthadvocates@gmail.com

4) 50 x 30 Working Group

The mandate of this working group is to create awareness of Waterloo Region’s, and specifically Wilmot Township’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030 (50 x 30) and 80% by 2050 (80 x 50).  We also want to continue educating the public regarding the two primary contributors to these GHG emissions, transportation (47.2% of emissions from gasoline and diesel) and buildings (45.4% of emissions, 90% coming from use of natural gas).

Our specific goals are to encourage and assist the Township to:

1. Monitor, report on and make progress in reducing municipal GHG emissions on a yearly basis. Municipal emissions are typically 1%-3% of total community GHG emissions.  (Municipal emissions are also called corporate emissions).

2. Monitor and report community natural gas consumption on a yearly basis.  Community emissions include all sectors, residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, schools, long term care.

3. Provide leadership in creating community awareness and community 50 x 30 and 80 x 50 GHG emission goals.

We are currently focused on education and outreach to Township of Wilmot Councillors, the Mayor and Township staff.  This included a successful delegation to Council to have staff report on how the Township can reduce municipal and community natural gas consumption.

The 50 x 30 working group is looking for more volunteers to help with the work of engaging with and encouraging Councillors, residents, the Board of Trade and industry in the Township to make progress in creating awareness of and implementing measures/or projects to reduce GHG emissions in the township.  Interested in joining us?  Please send an e-mail to nvecoboosters@gmail.com.

5) Repair Café Working Group

A Repair Café is a free community event run by volunteers, where people can bring in their broken items and designated ‘fixers’ will walk them through the process of repair.  The Repair Café Working Group organizes and runs these events 5 times per year on the last Saturday of January, March, May, September, and November.  Repair Cafés are held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Zion United Church, 215 Peel Street in New Hamburg. No appointment is necessary! Folks just drop in and our greeters walk them through the process and direct them to the appropriate fixer.

If this sounds like something you’d like to be involved in, we’ve got a role for you! If you have any specialized skills you’d like to share, reach out to us to talk about becoming a fixer.  In particular, we are currently looking for one or more qualified, licensed and insured electricians to volunteer their time and expertise.  If you or someone you know has the necessary qualifications and insurance and would be interested in helping to do low voltage electrical repairs, please contact us.

Even if you don’t have specialized skills, we could also use more volunteers to help with organizing, advertising, greeting, set-up and take-down, and all the other small details related to running the Repair Café.  We can work with flexible availability and would appreciate any time you have to offer!  Interested in joining this working group?  Contact us at:  nvebrepaircafe@gmail.com