Newsletter 44 - Eastbridge.info

6 AU TU M N E D I TI O N | S E P TE M B E R 2010 | I S S U E 4 4
Envirotips
By: Janice & Bob Shaw, Environment Directors,
Eastbridge Neighbourhood Association
Eastbridge - A Garden of Eden
Computer
Corner
Eastbridge is looking very good and you have yourselves to thank. Keep up
the beautiful work!
We do live in a “Garden of Eden” when we respect the balance of nature.
Nature abhors monoculture and vacuums. It wants variety and areas filled in.
Our lawns are a lot happier now and so are its ecosystems. Are they perfect?
It depends on our definition. Are they green…yes.
I’ve noticed a number of things happening in my yard, and wondered what
you have noticed in your Eden?
Perhaps you have tried different things this summer with your families and
your newer healthier environment. We encourage you to share them with our
other readers…..a new garden, new flower or vegetables, or new surprises
and observations.
We’d love to hear from you and print some of your challenges, successes,
humerous experiences or pictures.
In our backyard I’ve noticed:
• the air is better
• the rabbits prefer to eat the weeds rather than my flowers
• spiders protect the garden and eat the bugs
• birds eat the spiders
• squirrels and chipmunks clean my porch of any crumbs I’ve dropped (and
I’ve learned not to feed them anything else close to the house)
• the squirrels will pick my daisies and eat the petals but leave plenty of
flowers for me to enjoy
• our chrysanthemums actually grew back in the 3 pots I had left on the
porch and are turning into beautiful plants. (I usually buy them every year)
• all kinds of bees are focused on their flowers, not us because we allow
them to do their job
• ants carrying off dead insects and decompose debris while aerating the
lawn
• flocks of robins eat the berries off my shrubs and then bully each other off
the bird bath
• grey birds with peaked caps, hummingbirds, cardinals, and finches all come
and go
• all the animals and insects seem to know how much to eat and when to
stop ( I wish I did!)
Back to School Backpacks
Backpack Tips For Kids
School is starting again as fall
approaches. Having all of the right
items helps students settle in and
be prepared for a great start to the
new school year.
Some things to consider when
shopping for a backpack are the
number of straps the
backpack has - two straps
distribute the weight of the
bag evenly and place less
stress on the shoulders and
upper back.
Backpacks with wheels place
very little stress on the back
and are actually preferable to
standard backpacks especially
with heavier loads, but check
with your school to make sure
these type are allowed. You still
need to make sure you are lifting
®
this type of backpack properly when
getting on and off the bus or lifting
it from floor to desk using straight
back and bending the knees rather
than placing the full load on the
back by just bending over to pick
up the bag.
Backpacks come in
all shapes, sizes and
brands including Nike
SB backpacks, Hurley
backpacks and even
Gucci backpacks. For
example you can get a
Nike SB Buzz Lightyear
backpack for younger
kids, but avoide
the Nike SB leather
backpack as it is
heavier than the bags
that use lighter materials.
Music for Young Children®
is the only child-centered music
learning system that integrates
keyboard, creative movement,
rhythm, ear training, sight reading,
music theory and composition.
Quality music education since 198 .
Ann Smith 519.725.5818
Janice Long 519.885.8851
Carolyn McIlwraith 519.884.8858
The reason I’ve noticed all these wonderful things is because I’ve been
forced to slow down due to a stubborn knee injury. Perhaps we all need
to see things anew and realize how amazing and precious our world is and
share it with our children. When things go askew all around the world with
oil spills, storms, flooding, we have our oasis: one back yard at a time, one
neighborhood at a time. Welcome to Eastbridge; our Eden if we let it be.
55 Northfield Drive @ Davenport
519-885-3230
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