The Natural Environment - A Place to Nurture

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Our vision is for Maple Ridge to be among the cleanest, greenest communities in the world. A place where trails, parks and green spaces abound. A place where environmentally sensitive areas are protected and wildlife habitat preserved. A place where green building and smart growth principles are not the exception but the norm.

What You Can Do

Protecting the environment protects our quality of life. Here are some things you can do to help ensure the environment is preserved for our children and grandchildren:

• Install water-saving devices such as low-flow toilets, taps and shower heads
• Consider water wise gardening and naturescaping
• Use a rain barrel to collect rainwater off your roof to water plants and gardens
• Avoid using plastics where possible (avoid buying bottled water)
• Buy local or grow your own produce; no yard? Join a community garden
• Be conscious of the impacts of what you consume and discard
• Consider energy efficient devices (switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, and turn off lights, computers and others devices when not in use) See BC Hydro's Fact Sheet on compact fluorescent light bulbs
• There are lots of energy-saving tips at BC Hydro
• Check out Metro Vancouver's website for video clips, TV programs and sustainability resources
• Take a look at the Recycling Council of BC for seasonal tips and other information
• Consider what you are washing down the drain or into the streams
• Work locally. The District of Maple Ridge's employment page is a good start. Check back regularly
• Consider alternative transportation (bike [PDF, 807KB], walk, take transit, carpool or ride-share). If you must drive, consider a low-emission vehicle
• Compost your waste. Take a tour to learn how
• Avoid garburator usage to reduce the load on our wastewater treatment plants
• Buy products with little or no packaging
• Swap used clothing with friends, or buy second-hand
• Consider volunteering for environmental stewardship activities or causes
• Consider giving gifts of your time, gifts to charity, or sustainable gifts
• Think before you print (save paper whenever possible)
• Recycle old computers and electronic equipment
• Learn about the Zero Waste Challenge
• You can make a difference! Lean about the many simple actions that you or your organization can take to reduce waste, save resources and prevent pollution at Environment Canada's website
• Follow the Six "R" Rule:
  • Rethink - Do I need this?
  • Refuse - No, I don't need a bag
  • Restore - Fix things instead of buying new ones
  • Reduce - Get library books instead of buying
  • Reuse - Buy second-hand
  • Recycle - Many items can be returned to the depot or use the Blue Box program if available in your area.

Take Action for Maple Ridge! Use the My Commitment Form [PDF, 130KB] to list actions you and your family can do to help make Maple Ridge one of the most sustainable communities in the world. Then post the list at your home, classroom or place of business. Encourage friends, family and co-workers to make their own commitment!

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What We're Doing

Here are some things the District is doing to preserve and protect our environment:

• Implementing a transportation plan that promotes higher density, improved transit access, and less reliance on automobiles
• Managing growth and potential sprawl through a sustainable Smart Growth on the Ground Strategy for the downtown core
• Encouraging partnerships with senior agencies and land trusts to help us protect and acquire sensitive habitat
• Creating new environmental development permit areas to help us protect significant natural features and encourage more sensitive site design, green infrastructure, and building forms that work with the natural landscape
• Carrying out various enhancement and restoration programs for watersheds, reforestation, and wildlife habitat creation
• Executing a corporate-wide green program that includes operating hybrid vehicles, using low sulphur fuel, recycling scrap metal and electronic waste
• Using light-emitting diodes (LED's) in all our traffic signals. Switching from incandescent bulbs saves over one  million kilowatt hours annually which is enough to power 60 homes for a year
• For a more comprehensive list, please see the District's Sustainability Action Plan [PDF, 1MB]

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To Learn More

To find out more about environmental initiatives in our community, contact:
Planning Department:
plan_enq@mapleridge.ca

Rod Stott, Environmental Planner
Tel: 604-467-7390
rstott@mapleridge.ca

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Web Resources

• Alouette Field Naturalists
  Tel: 604-463-8743
• Alouette River Management Society River's Heritage Centre (ARMS)
  Tel: 604-467-6401
  arms@telus.net
• CEED Centre Society
  Tel: 604-463-2229
  info@ceedcentre.ca
• City Farmer
• KEEPS
  Kanaka Education/Environmental Protection Society
  Tel: 604-462-8643
• Metro Vancouver's Sustainable Region Initiative
  Tel: 604-432-6200
• Naturescape Provincial Guide [PDF, 2.36MB]
• Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC)
  Tel: 604-RECYCLE (604-732-9253)
• Ridge Meadows Recycling Society
  Tel: 604-463-5545
  rmrecycling@telus.net

 

 

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