Work together and plant tomatoes
1 / Work together Pool your efforts with like-minded volunteers in hands-on projects around the globe. Need inspiration? Check out Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program (habitat.ca) and planeterra.org. (See also our piece Trips to save the world.)
2 / Get rid of your bike Whether it’s a spare set of dusty wheels or a guilt-inducing reminder of an exercise plan unfulfilled, you can give a neglected bike — or helmet, shoes, bike parts, tires or tubes — a second life by donating it to Bicycles-For-Humanity.org (hey, it will take new bikes too!). Local chapters across Canada gather the bikes, which are then shipped to African communities where they provide vital transportation — some even as bicycle ambulances.
3 / Trade time for art It’s a charity art auction with a difference: You bid volunteer hours, not cash. Check out timeraiser.ca for auction dates and pieces of art for sale in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa.
4 / Skip the car wash Planning a group fundraiser? Take a pass on the parking lot car wash — they’re mini enviro disasters. Even if you use “green” cleansers, you’ll waste thousands of litres of water and flush oil, grease and other contaminants into your local sewer system, potentially contaminating lakes and rivers. Find out more at riversides.org/riversafe. Want an alternative? Raise funds by selling
“I paid to keep my car dirty” window decals, or strike a bargain to sell car wash coupons from a commercial car wash (which are more efficient water users and more likely to be regulated to dispose of dirty water properly).
5 / Enjoy a juicy Canadian tomato Grow a tomato and help preserve Canada’s biodiversity. Since 1890, more than 100 tomato varieties have been developed for the Canadian climate and growing conditions, but today few are available commercially — and if they aren’t grown, they disappear. Seeds of Diversity (seeds.ca) offers seeds and instructions on how you can help preserve our unique genetic heritage by growing, then sharing the seeds with others. Best of all: Homegrown heritage tomatoes are terrifically tasty. (Or buy from local agri-types like artisanal honey-makers.)
