Page 15 - 2018annualreport

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Closer connections with
the natural world provide
universal benefits for
everyone.
The Wood Duck Bus
When we are not using the Wood Duck Bus for public education programs,
we use it to assist in transporting members of our community to various
educational and cultural events. For example, we used this bus this year to
transport Grade 9 students from Pender Harbour Elementary and Secondary
School to the BC Technology Conference held at Chatelech Secondary School.
We also used the bus to support the Pender Harbour Elementary and Secondary
School Choir, transporting them to various schools throughout the Sunshine
Coast for performances. The Wood Duck Bus has acted as a tour bus for the
Pender Harbour Garden Club as they visited local gardens, and has transported
the Harbourside Friendship Seniors group on field trips to Egmont and Powell
River. The bus is also used by local soccer teams and Pender Harbour Volunteer
Fire Fighters.
The EarthFair Store
Our charity-run bookstore is a hub of social activity, encouraging earth-friendly
living through our selection of novels, guidebooks, outdoor items, and nature
gifts for all ages. We help spread news, nature awareness, and information
about all the Lagoon Society activities.
Each year, the Society provides local guidebooks for sale at the EarthFair Store
and different festival venues, including the Annual Mushroom Festival. The
Lagoon Society helped start this original festival in 2008, which now attracts
hundreds of curious people eager to learn more about mushrooms. The
main public event culminates at the Community Hall where the public bring
hundreds of mushroom specimens to be identified by experts, including our
former Director, Dr. John Field. 2018 marked the last year that the not-for-profit
SCHROOM society will host the festival. The Lagoon Society will resume the
operation of this most popular community festival in Fall of 2019.
May Day Parade
The Ruby Lake Lagoon Society attends the Annual May Day Parade every year,
and this year we even had our own float, generously sponsored by an SCRD
Rural Grant-in-Aid. We were proud to receive the 2nd place ribbon for our
“Pirates for a Plastic-Free Pender Harbour” Float, which addressed the issue of
single-use plastics. Our booth at the parade had a saltwater touch tank, as well
as information on plastic pollution in the marine environment. With over 3,000
people in attendance this year, the May Day Parade is a consistently great way
for us to engage with a large and diverse part of our local community.
Cultural Celebrations
As a part of the Pender Harbour community, the Lagoon Society is often invited
to attend cultural celebrations throughout the year. In June, our Directors, staff,
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