To my dear friends + family,

This summer, I’ll be taking part in one the Otesha Project’s cycling tours — one of five tours taking place across the country involving youth from all over Canada. From Moncton, New Brunswick, my friend Jen and I will join a group of about 20 and cycle along the red sand shores of the Bay of Fundy and across Nova Scotia to the Atlantic coast. We’ll be visiting communities along the way and giving presentations as part of a learning exchange focused on sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint.

In thinking about the fundraising that I need to do to make this trip happen, I had planned on sending out a message to family and friends asking for support to reach my fundraising goal ($1,250). Instead of just asking, I thought it might be more fun and engaging to recognize donations as an exchange, and highlight the skill and generosity some of the wonderful people that I’ve had the chance to learn from. I ran this idea by a few people and the response was great.

We thought about the things that we enjoy doing and would be interested in sharing with others and gradually over the past week came up with a list that involves various handmade items, workshops and lessons, home-cooked meals, an accordion, some juggling balls and much more. We hope that in this list is something that will tickle your fancy!

Donations can be made online through Canada Gives, by mail, or in person. Tax receipts can be issued for donations of $20 or more, and can also be issued for in-kind donations of goods.

If you have any questions at all, please ring me 902.412.3228 or send me an email (shelby.tay@gmail.com). Feel free to pass this on. If you have a skill that you’d like to contribute to the pool, let me know!

Thanks énormément for your support.

:: shelby

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Skill share FUNDRAISING DRIVE: t h e * l i s t

tour blog // facebook group

For those, in Halifax, we’ll be holding a BBQ fundraiser this Friday following the critical mass ride // rsvp on facebook

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Otesha is a charitable, youth-run organization based in Ottawa, created in 2003 to mobilize and engage youth of all ages to create local and global change toward sustainability. Otesha is a Swahili word, which is the native language of Kenya, and means “reason to dream”. This name was chosen as the project began in Kenya, and the co-founders’ experience there inspired them to start Otesha.
http://www.otesha.ca

Filed under: cycling, projects

another groovy critical mass ride…

Tail end of the March Critical Mass ride in Halifax – see more pics.

The March Critical Mass ride drew upwards of about 150 cyclists for a sunny and musical evening ride around the peninsula. Next ride Friday, April 24th. The following day, Saturday, April 25th, Bike Again will be holding a potluck auction to clear out bikes from the shop to make room for summer. Stay tuned for details! Join the Bike Again network at bikeagain.ning.com.

Typically held on the last Friday of every month, Critical Mass rides take place in over 300 cities around the world. From www.critical-mass.org comes links to other cities:

Africa (1 Ride)

Asia (23 Rides)

Australia (20 Rides)

Europe (149 Rides)

North America (230 Rides)

South America (9 Rides)

Mosey over to wiki/Critical_Mass for more…

Filed under: cycling

Community education and self-directed learning

Community-based education is at the crux of relocalization and learning about local adaptations for developing self-reliance and overall community resilience. There are many examples of “The Great Re-Skilling” that is taking place around the world, as more and more are people taking an interest in knowing how to produce the things they need themselves and as a community through activities ranging from food preservation to small-scale energy production. Projects have developed as responses to local and global food security issues, general health and environmental quality, and as a celebration of community spirit, local culture and sense of place.

Here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a couple blocks from where we live, there’s a little organic produce shop run out of the back of one of the houses called Home Grown Organic Foods and with a demonstration organic garden on-site along with a community composter, their ultimate mission is to help people to grow their own food.

Bike Again is another community-driven volunteer-run program here in Halifax that offers instruction and resources for anyone interested in taking up cycling. Participants recycle and refurbish used bicycles with the goal of reducing land-fill waste and making cycling accessible to all members of the community. Things generally quiet down once the rain and snow start to cover the city, but volunteers work through the winter fixing up the mountain of bikes for the spring.

Bike Again, Bloomfield Centre, Halifax, NS

Filed under: community, cycling, education, food systems