DEN Enews

2025 is gone with its myriad of accomplishments and disappointments. Without doubt, some of the year was gladly kicked out the door. 2026 invites us to live our baptismal covenant with a renewed determination : “to strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth.”

Notice I wrote ’live” instead of “live out”? Let us LIVE this covenant as a part of our very nature. Let it be where we reside in our hearts, our souls, our every behavior.

As the weather spins our heads with its ever-changing patterns of cold to mild and back again and global politics simply spin our heads, this issue is one to read with a hot cup of whatever is your pleasure and dream of spring. Grandma will be kicking off a brand new section for the Enews called Seed Share with lots of gardening input to share with us. Talk about Restorative Action!

While we are thinking of spring, I want to share this Seed Starting page with you from Halifax Seed: www.halifaxseed.ca/tips/seed-starting-dates I was surprised to see Calendula should be started soon but please do not rush to purchase seeds as DEN has plenty to offer you. Just send us an email. Also, if you need Swamp Milkweed seeds, give us a shout.

[email protected]

While you are enjoying that hot cuppa, maybe relax for 30 minutes with this video on caterpillars as nature’s unsung heroes:

Let’s get Going

Alright folks, it’s time to get our ducks in a row.

The holidays were wonderful. There were so many new memories tucked in alongside the old ones. This time of the year is what Grandma calls her bare, clean, and time-to-learn season. The tree is down, the glitter has settled, and the house takes a long, quiet breath.

You remember Grandma’s little gift rhyme, don’t you?

Something you want,
Something you need,
Something to wear,
And something to read.

Well, Grandma wanted something just as short and snappy to fit this calm winter rhythm of life. Just a little poem. A tiny ditty. Surely that wouldn’t be hard… right?

Ahhh…

Let’s just say Grandma has developed a whole new and heartfelt respect for poetry.

You see, Grandma has always thought of herself as a bit of a wordsmith. Poetry, after all, is just words that rhyme, or so I believed. I even consulted Google (because that’s what we do now). Turns out there are many kinds of poetry. Far too many. I found rhyme sites, poetry forms, and something called “free verse,” which sounded more forgiving and maybe even friendly.

So, I figured I’d toss together a few words about cleaning the slate at New Years, make them rhyme—or not—and be done with it. Easy peasy.

Two days later… after muttering several words that have different context inside a church, (Forgive me Lord) I finally came up with this…

For the New Year, Give Yourself:

Something to Clean
A drawer, a shelf, a corner of the room.
Not the whole house, just one small space
that feels lighter when you’re done.

Something to Read
A book that waits by the chair or kettle.
A chapter a day is plenty.
Stories feed us in quiet ways.

Something to Eat (or Share)
A pot of soup, fresh bread, or a favourite.
Food made with care, eaten slowly,
or shared with someone who needs it.

Something to Mend or Make
Fix a button. Patch a tear.
Start a small project that uses your hands
and leaves something useful behind.

Something to Dream
Nothing grand or heavy.
Just a hope tucked in your pocket,
for spring, for healing, for growth,
for something good yet to come.

Well, there is no way anyone would remember that ramble. It simply had to be shorter.

Luckily, Grandma gives herself permission to play a little more during the holidays. We’re doing well if the dishes get washed twice a day, so there’s room for some creative wandering. With that freedom, I took another stab at it. This time, something finally settled.

Here’s what came out:

Something to clean, a drawer or a space,
Something to read at a slow, lazy pace.
Something to cook, or warmly to share,
Something to dream, tucked quietly in prayer.

And then, because Grandma can’t help herself, one more gentle nudge:

Challenge yourself to try something new.

If I can coax a little poem into place, just imagine what you can do.

(Oh, Goodness, I did not mean for that to rhyme.)

……………………………………………

Pollinator Seed Sharing

With permission from Mo Marian and Carole, I’m adding a small new corner to my weekly ramblings.

You may remember Seed Share, our wayside pollinator seed-sharing project. I’m delighted to say we are far from alone in wanting to help the pollinators. The Town of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia’s first Bee City, has reached out to stay connected. A generous gardener in PEI has sent rudbeckia seeds and knows far more about native plants than I ever will. On the Eastern Shore, folks are learning how to grow flower gardens specifically for seed saving, with local plants front and centre. Even Rev. Marian is in touch with the Sierra Club of Canada.

And then there are the quiet seed savers among us, those who snip daisy heads, gather nasturtium seeds, and tuck little envelopes away without ever thinking of themselves as “pollinator helpers.” But we are.

I mentioned to Mo Marian that, just as she helped grow our environmental network back in 2012, perhaps we could gently grow a small side circle of pollinator seed enthusiasts. Nothing big. Nothing fancy.

I’ll simply tuck bits of news into my weekly chat when there’s something to share: maybe a tip about drying long lupin seed heads in paper bags, or a playful idea like making flower bombs for a bit of good-natured guerrilla gardening. Some weeks there may be nothing at all. Other weeks, a little gem will appear. In the background, I’ll quietly keep a simple list of who is doing what, just to help us connect.

Grandma is more than happy not to be the only one doing pollinator work. There’s plenty of room in the garden for all of us.

Now tell me—what do you do for the pollinators? I’d truly love to hear. [email protected]

Giving

Nana and I keep saying we have too much stuff in our house. Much of it is perfectly good, just not needed anymore. After Christmas, I slip into what I call my cleaning mode, when things either find a new home or get neatly stacked to go at the right time.

Here’s a repeat idea, because it’s a good one: consider making a shelter quilt.

Start by cleaning out your linen cupboard. Is there a sheet you never use? There’s your quilt back. An old blanket, any size, makes a fine middle layer. For the top, you can piece scraps together or simply use another sheet. Nothing fancy required.

Next, find a good space to work, usually the living room floor, unless you’re lucky enough to have a big dining table. Layer the three pieces, pin them together, and then baste. This is the time for square knots. Thread a darning needle with yarn, push it down and back up through all the layers, and tie a sturdy square knot. Move horizontally or vertically and repeat till secure.

Last comes the hem. Now, where I live, the way you fold a quilt hem says where you learned your craft. If the back folds up and over the front to make a border, you learned in Blandford. If the front folds to the back, that’s Bayswater. Either way, the blanket will be warm and loved.

People are sleeping in cars and shelters. Others are in homes with very little heat. Maybe a youth group could make a “Quilt for Grandmas,” or your own version of a “Quilt of Valour” for a veteran. Warmth is a powerful gift.

There are other small ways to help too. Is your sock drawer bulging? Even thin socks are useful when doubled up. Clean out the coat closet. How many hoodies does one person really need? If you’re thinking, I wish there was someone who would take this, there usually is. We just need to find them.

Grandma will admit she edges toward hoarder territory at certain times of year. My saving grace is that most things are saved with a purpose and a pass-along date. The shed (full of cardboard , egg shells and big bottles for drip gardening, empties when new gardens are built. The recreation group takes bottles and cans twice a year. Small appliances and tech head to Access in the spring.

After Christmas, when I clean the rough room in the basement, I let go of the good boxes I saved for wrapping gifts. I sort bottle caps for spring mobiles. Everything finds its place or gets lined up to leave.

In our village, we have a Facebook page where people post what they need or what they’re giving away. A pallet appears and disappears. Tupperware no one wanted finds a happy home down the road. It’s a quiet kind of sharing.

All of this helps the environment. We grew up in a buy–use–throw-away world. A few of us choosing to reuse, just may not feel like a lot, but it is. We don’t all have to march in parades. One small thing here and there adds up. Together, we take one big, hopeful step for the planet. And yes, sometimes that is enough.

Now Grandma is giving out homework this week: clean one tiny spot and then plan the next one for another day. Clean, it feels good. I even think DEN should start a little e-book about cleaning, things like washing windows with vinegar.

I’ll make you a deal. If I can get ten different cleaning remedies, I’ll make the e-book and ask Carole to email it to our list. (Please, Carole. Pretty please. I probably should have asked first.) Let’s start projects that help everyone.

That’s enough of my ramblings for one week. We have a whole new year ahead of us, and that may be the best gift of all. Now, what shall we play at first? Everyone has permission to declutter and plan small house improvements.

Grandma has two tiny hallways with worn-out oilcloth. Instead of replacing the flooring, I’m buying a quart of floor paint and giving them a fresh coat. It’s less expensive, and we don’t have a floor person around here anymore. Besides, I like a good story about my projects.

One year, my mother couldn’t afford new kitchen oilcloth (or was simply being extra frugal). She waited until we were in bed and painted the floor with leftover paint of many colours, dot by dot, in every colour she had. Come morning we had a polka-dot kitchen floor. It was the prettiest floor I ever saw.

Happy New Year, everyone.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS - HERE ARE SOME WINS FOR 2025

Many groups have worked hard to defend the life, beauty, and future of our blue planet - and challenge the industries and governments who stand in the way. And that work is paying off - below are just a few:

In 2025, the Global Ocean Treaty - an agreement that will finally allow protection of the High Seas areas from destructive industries - crossed the finish line as 60 countries ratified.

 BC Ferries made a decision to exclude LNG from its new vessels and move toward fully electric ships—an important win for climate and coastal health that builds on years of advocacy from many groups.

 In Ontario, the Shuniah city council rejected a gas plant proposal and another company withdrew a proposal for a gas plant in Thunder Bay. Pressure is being maintained on Toronto City Council to reject a provincial electricity plan for the city that locks in reliance on polluting gas-fired power and nuclear expansion, undermining Toronto’s climate plan. 

CAPE New Brunswick celebrated a win when Tantramar City Council came out against a proposed gas/diesel plant within its town limits.

 Bold Visions Gathering in Nova Scotia brought together Mi’kmaq and Wolastoquey water protectors, settler activists, doctors and scholars from across QC, NB, NS, NL and PEI to share knowledge and devise strategy in the face of renewed pressure for growing fossil extractivism in Eastern Canada.

Still don’t think your one voice matters?

Here are areas here you can make a difference

This is a joint petition to the federal government from Sacred Earth and 350.org in the light of threats from the US, a climate emergency and a cost-of-living crisis. It's a call for an East-West Grid that would provide affordable, reliable, renewable electricity to Canadians from coast to coast. It would help decolonize and democratize our energy systems while employing hundreds of thousands of workers. It would prioritize interprovincial and territorial connections over dependence on the USA.

The Arctic is warming four times faster than other parts of the planet, shrinking summer sea ice, setting off cascading changes to Arctic wildlife, creating great uncertainty for people living in the Arctic, and increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme weather events further south. At this moment of greatest risk, the Central Arctic Ocean faces additional challenges from new industrial activities. These include transpolar shipping, which would bring large vessels through these waters to connect non-Arctic manufactured goods and bulk materials to distant markets, as well as deep sea mining. Almost no consideration has taken place regarding how such activities could be done safely and without damaging the Central Arctic Ocean. The Central Arctic Ocean is a global treasure requiring international protection. Its sea ice-dominated ecosystems regulate global temperatures, stabilize the jet stream, and create remarkable marine productivity from plankton blooms and ice algae to fish, birds and marine mammals. Its connections to Arctic coastal seas means it is relied upon by Arctic Indigenous peoples and coastal communities for food, cultural continuity, and economic opportunity.

This is a letter to the federal government asking them to maintain our strong anti-greenwashing laws (finally attained in 2024). A recent global review found that nearly 40% of green claims online are misleading, and 72% of North American executives admit to greenwashing. People in Canada overwhelmingly support strong protections — 93% believe companies should face penalties for environmental claims they cannot prove. However, buried in the federal government’s budget and MOU with Alberta was a promise that threatens the health of people across Canada: a rollback of these hard-won anti-greenwashing rules. You will need to email this to the prime minister's office at [email protected] and to the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry at [email protected]. To your own MP would also be good.

The last word goes to Jane Goodall