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Fundraising efforts by Lakeland College's Enviro Club have supported four conservation initiatives

The club donated $250 each to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance and Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative. This is one of the most substantial donations in the club's history.

“Students researched and brought forward their choices for donation. Each student discussed their choice, why it was important and then they voted on which to donate. We agreed on splitting $1,000 four ways as there were so many charities to support,” says Robin Lagroix-Mclean, an instructor in Lakeland's School of Environmental Sciences Enviro Club members encouraged students, staff and community members to build ecobricks out of single-use plasticsand staff advisor to the Enviro Club.

The Enviro Club has monetarily supported various causes in the past but in smaller amounts including the windmill construction at Trout Pond and the Vermilion campus' living roof. In addition to supporting an annual $400 scholarship and an endowment award called the Green Living Award, they currently buy plants for the Native Garden.

The club also supports organizations that promote bee and bat habitats, and have donated several bat and bee houses to Dillberry Lake Provincial Park, and local events and silent auctions.

These donations are possible through student-run fundraising events and projects like the annual Greenspiel Curling Event, and the selling of bat and bee houses, and bee wax wrap. 

The student members cook up a tasty treat for local birds. The suet was made for the campus bird feeders with a nutritional recipe. Their latest campaign is the Ecobrick challenge to combat single-use plastics. The club, with support from the college community, is turning plastic jars and drink containers into bricks by stuffing them with clean, dry plastics to make a piece of furniture within the next year.

Starting in the fall of 2019, the club will promote winter bird feeding by selling premade bird suet, and educate the public on how to make their own and the importance of feeding birds over the cold season.

Photos: (Top) The club put the finishing touches on their bees wax wraps just in time for the holiday season. (Middle) Enviro Club members encouraged students, staff and community members to build ecobricks out of single-use plastics. (Bottom) The student members cook up a tasty treat for local birds. The suet was made for the campus bird feeders with a nutritional recipe.