How to connect with nearby nature in your neighbourhood this summer

Summer is here! With with lots of warm, sunny days (and maybe even some rainy ones!) to look forward to, it's time to think about all of the great ways you can connect with nearby nature in your neighbourhood!

For those looking to get green in their neighbourhood, consider joining a community garden where you can grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all while getting to know your neighbours! If the garden in your neighbourhood is full, yard sharing is another great alternative. Our friends at KW Urban Harvesters have created a simple yardsharing guide to help you get started. You might realize after all this gardening, you have more food than you actually need. If that's the case, KW Urban Harvesters is running a Grow-a-Row program where you can donate your produce to neighbours in need. Looking for gardening tips? Join community gardeners from across Kitchener as they share tips and tricks for growing pollinators, produce and other plants in Growing Together, LoveMyHood's all new video series. Learn more about the series on the LoveMyHood blog or visit the City of Kitchener's YouTube page to watch the videos. 

If you're looking to grow closer to home, planting a pollinator garden with native flowers and plants is a great way to beautify your backyard or balcony, while also providing for birds, bees, and other pollinators. Check out Bee City Kitchener to learn more about the importance of pollinators and what we're doing to help them! And if you don't have a green thumb but want to support those who do, look into joining the ShareWaste Project, where you can donate your kitchen scraps to neighbours who compost. It's a great way to divert waste from landfills and connect with others in your community!

Have an idea for a greening project in your neighbourhood? Connect with our team of Neighbourhood Liaisons to get started planning your project and then apply for a LoveMyHood Matching Grant to make it happen! Applications are being accepted until Thursday, August 20, 2020, with up to $30,000 in funding available.  

For those looking for fun ways to discover nearby nature, check out the all of the great suggestions on our Active at Home webpage. You might also want to see what the Kitchener Natural Areas Program (KNAP) is up to. Each week they post activities for all ages that you can do from balconies, backyards, and sidewalks like squirrel investigations, biodiversity bingo, or nature journalling! You can also become a Nature Detective and help them solve nature mysteries every Friday on Instagram, or learn about some of our amazing animal neighbours by following the Creature Feature posts on Facebook every Saturday! The more time you spend outside actively tuning into nearby nature, the more likely you are to notice some pretty cool changes that happen throughout the season. KNAP also has a great list of suggestions, ideas, and encouragements to help you notices what changes are happening.

For those looking to connect with nearby nature for wellness reasons, KNAP also provides a lot of great nature-based wellness activities you can practice to connect with yourself and the natural world around you. From mindfulness techniques to self-guided forest bathing, there's a number of routines to help you take care of your of your mind, body, and spirit. 

And, for those looking to connect with other nature lovers in the community, check out Waterloo Region Nature, a local naturalist club engaged in conservation efforts as well as fun nature-based activities including outings, meetings with guest speakers, and a nature book club.

From nature walks and scavenger hunts, to home or community gardening, to sit spots from a balcony, backyard, or nearby park, nature provides activities for diverse ages, abilities, and energy levels. But don't take our word for it, head outside and see out for yourself!

Back to Ideas and Inspiration