Do you have an old computer tower you need to get rid of? How about an old TV that just refuses to show "Hockey Night in Canada"? Maybe you just painted your house or changed the oil in your car and need to get rid of unused paint or old oil. What ever the case is, this Saturday for those residing in the Kings County Region Solid Waste Commission (KCRSWC) region, you can get rid of your household hazardous waste and electronic waste for free. All you have to do is bring it to the Sussex Waste Transfer Station on McLeod Street in Sussex from 10:00am-3:00pm on Saturday May 1, 2010.
The KCRSWC has partnered with the Westmorland/Albert Solid Waste Facility to bring its residents this great service. The staff at the transfer station will help you unload your waste materials and make sure it gets disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
"Gotta show Grammy Dad"
Fishing season is now about a week old, hard to believe, because the weather makes it seem like it should be a month old. I had my son out over the weekend and despite spending a great deal of time untangling his line and unhooking him from trees, we managed to catch 6 trout. Two of them were below 7inches and the others were between 9-10inches. The afternoon started off slow and I had a hard time keeping my son interested. It was an overcast day and there was no action at all. As the sun broke through the clouds though the fish came alive and we couldn't keep them off the line.
Seth became so excited he forgot the sunglasses he had found earlier, two holes back. Back we went, to retrieve the "dinosaur glasses" he had found and lost. He quickly found them again with his keen memory and sharp eyes. I hope in the future he can look back and appreciate the time we spend together the way I do. One thing I don't have to worry about is the way he loves to show his grammy the fish he caught. "We gotta show Grammy Dad" he enthusiastically insisted. I snickered to myself as my memory flashes back to when I was a kid. I always had to show Mom the fish I caugth. I know now that she doesn't appreciate the smell or the sight of the fish dripping in her kitchen, but she always acted excited and happy and that afternoon was no different. I smiled at her that afternoon as she faked excitement for my son's catch and I hope she realizes how much we love and appreciate her for that and so much more.
I don't keep many fish over the season but I always like to keep some on my first trip just so I can savour the taste but I'll leave that for another post. I have to take the trout home to clean them and my wife, like my mother doesn't like the smell, sight, or even the taste of trout. She too, for the sake of Seth's enjoyment fakes excitement as he comes in screaming about finding glasses, catching trout, getting wet, and seeing Grammy and Grampy. She looks at me as I tell her I was going to clean them in the sink and says "You're not serious. You better clean up the sink when your done." It is a quick task for me to clean the fish and my son still has no interest in this part of fishing but he peeps in from time to check on his fish.
Later as I tuck him into bed I thank him for a great day and then we say our prayers and thank God for fish and family.
See you on the water.
Seth became so excited he forgot the sunglasses he had found earlier, two holes back. Back we went, to retrieve the "dinosaur glasses" he had found and lost. He quickly found them again with his keen memory and sharp eyes. I hope in the future he can look back and appreciate the time we spend together the way I do. One thing I don't have to worry about is the way he loves to show his grammy the fish he caught. "We gotta show Grammy Dad" he enthusiastically insisted. I snickered to myself as my memory flashes back to when I was a kid. I always had to show Mom the fish I caugth. I know now that she doesn't appreciate the smell or the sight of the fish dripping in her kitchen, but she always acted excited and happy and that afternoon was no different. I smiled at her that afternoon as she faked excitement for my son's catch and I hope she realizes how much we love and appreciate her for that and so much more.
I don't keep many fish over the season but I always like to keep some on my first trip just so I can savour the taste but I'll leave that for another post. I have to take the trout home to clean them and my wife, like my mother doesn't like the smell, sight, or even the taste of trout. She too, for the sake of Seth's enjoyment fakes excitement as he comes in screaming about finding glasses, catching trout, getting wet, and seeing Grammy and Grampy. She looks at me as I tell her I was going to clean them in the sink and says "You're not serious. You better clean up the sink when your done." It is a quick task for me to clean the fish and my son still has no interest in this part of fishing but he peeps in from time to check on his fish.
Later as I tuck him into bed I thank him for a great day and then we say our prayers and thank God for fish and family.
See you on the water.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Whalen's Wanderings
Completing the Circle, Walking a Loop
Shaylee, my daughter, sits on my lap as I write this column. I feel that is very appropriate since this edition of my wanderings is very much oriented towards family. I consider myself very blessed to have such a great family. I took special note of this recently on a hike that I went on. My father, my son, and I took a short hike along the ridge in Foxhill.
Over the years my father and I have logged a great deal of time together in the wilderness and I can usually count on him for companionship when I need it. On this day he did not disappoint me and was eager to come along with Seth and me. Seth too was excited to go, especially since his Grampy was going. Seth must have asked 15 times between Sussex Corner and Apohaqui "Are we there yet Daddy?" When we pulled into the parking area at Jones Park he was out of the car before it was fully parked.
We took off, the three of us, across Highway 121 and up the hill on the east side of the Millstream River. Many times, on my way to church, I had looked up at these hills wondering what the view was like. Now I was about to share it with two people who have a huge influence on me and my column. The first hill was long but gradual and as we reached the top the wind picked up and chilled us all to the point where we all pulled our hoods up. I stopped at the top and took some pictures and Seth asked if he could use the camera. I handed him the camera and let him take a few pictures. It was interesting to see what he focused on. I typically take landscape photos while he focused on the hay bale sitting nearby, or the largest log in a woodpile. My father on the other hand would likely turn the camera towards the nearest person and snap photos. Three generations, with similar interests but different perspectives.
The hike continued along the south side of the Foxhill Ridge and it offered many great views up and down the Kennebecasis River from Sussex to well beyond Apohaqui. The ridge dropped quickly to the river to the south while to the north a diverse forest offered more to explore. We stopped for our first break at a large rock, that Seth thought, made an ideal seat. After a short break we carried on into a small ravine and across a small stream where ice was still clinging to the large rocks. After a series of small ups and downs, we reached a rock escarpment that offered a great resting place and view, we stopped for a few more pictures and carried on. We reached the Allaby farm and made the turn to head home. We stopped again at the escarpment for another snack but the cold wind chased us away prematurely.
As we started down the last hill to the car, completing our loop (circle), Seth was walking between my father and me holding our hands and it was then that I realized how lucky we were to have shared this experience. My father, when I was young, gave me the gift of the wilderness, and now I get to share it with my son completing the circle. It was, dare I say, an emotional moment for me and as I was about to verbalize it, my father gave me that knowing look and we thanked each other.
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Monday, March 29, 2010
Toilet Seats and Earth Hour 2010
The day started off like most Saturdays. I got out of bed and got my son his breakfast. There was nothing difficult about that, but my next decision would cause me a great deal of frustration. A few days ago our old toilet seat had broken and my wife and I had gone downtown Friday night as part of our date night to pick out a new seat. What a romantic date eh? We enjoyed strolling through the aisles at Kent Building Supply looking for other stuff we wanted but couldn't afford. We settled on a nice economical white toilet seat, and a couple of new light fixtures for the bedrooms. It was a productive trip. When I awoke the next morning I thought "Heck it'll only take me a couple of minutes to change the toilet seat. I'll do that before I have breakfast." Thus began the frustration. Have you ever changed a toilet seat where the bolts are completely rusted. I put the Phillips screwdriver into the slot and turned and the head of the bolt crumbled away. I tried lightly hammering the screwdriver into the bolt but even once I got the screwdriver to hold, I couldn't twist it because the nut was seized and there was no way to get at it. I thought about drilling it out but that made me nervous, as porcelain doesn't react well to drill bits. Finally I borrowed my father's hacksaw, and cut the bolts off. Now if I had of had the saw to start I likely would have saved a great deal of frustration but it was a lesson learned. I am almost certain now that on my next birthday my wife will buy me a hacksaw.
My frustration was quickly relieved and my day from then on went very well. After looking after my sister's two boys for the afternoon, my wife and I planned a quiet night at home. Being Earth Hour that evening we set out some candles and grabbed a book. We relaxed with our daughter in the candlelit living room and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Even after Earth Hour was over we still sat by candlelight and watched a great movie. My frustration from the morning chore was long behind me when I crawled into bed that night and in fact I felt rewarded from all that I had accomplished that day.
My frustration was quickly relieved and my day from then on went very well. After looking after my sister's two boys for the afternoon, my wife and I planned a quiet night at home. Being Earth Hour that evening we set out some candles and grabbed a book. We relaxed with our daughter in the candlelit living room and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Even after Earth Hour was over we still sat by candlelight and watched a great movie. My frustration from the morning chore was long behind me when I crawled into bed that night and in fact I felt rewarded from all that I had accomplished that day.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Forming the Future of FNP
Have you ever visited Fundy National Park? Have you ever wondered how the park is managed? Have you ever thought you might have a better way to offer a service or protect a piece of nature? If you have then you might be interested in learning that Fundy National Park is interested in hearing your perspective. This Sunday at the Alma Activity Center, 8584 Main Street, Alma, from 2-4 and 6-8, FNP staff will be hosting an open house. The objective is to inform people about the proposed 5year management plan and gather feedback to finalize the plan.
This morning I headed to Alma to provide stakeholder input in a focus workshop and found it very informative. I think that the park staff need to focus more on preserving the ecological integrity of the parks wilderness areas and the interpretive services, while leaseholders or contractors provide the recreation activities in a controlled environment. All partners need to work together to make visitors feel welcome and provide a memorable experience and how that happens really will depend on the visitor.
I encourage you, if you have the time on Sunday, March 28th to take the drive to Alma and have your say. I am almost certain your drive will be more enjoyable than mine was this morning. If you live near the Park and haven't been there recently, then I suggest you go see what it has to offer.
See you in the woods.
This morning I headed to Alma to provide stakeholder input in a focus workshop and found it very informative. I think that the park staff need to focus more on preserving the ecological integrity of the parks wilderness areas and the interpretive services, while leaseholders or contractors provide the recreation activities in a controlled environment. All partners need to work together to make visitors feel welcome and provide a memorable experience and how that happens really will depend on the visitor.
I encourage you, if you have the time on Sunday, March 28th to take the drive to Alma and have your say. I am almost certain your drive will be more enjoyable than mine was this morning. If you live near the Park and haven't been there recently, then I suggest you go see what it has to offer.
See you in the woods.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Electrofishing is a Blast
Earlier this week I was out electrofishing. I was part of a team working to collect data on slimy sculpin that would be used to model riparian or stream bank health. The weather was cold, wet, and sometimes windy but we pushed through the majority of the sites. The team was part of a Canadian Rivers Institute research project led by Master's candidate Gila Somers. I became part of the team thanks to my position as Project Manager for the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee. The research is being done within the Kennebecasis watershed and thus I get to 
take part in this cool field work.
take part in this cool field work.Electrofishing in March poses some issues, mainly water levels, glare, and cold temperatures. I had on my chest waders from Moffett's Pro Hardware to combat the highwater level, my polarized Ryders sun glasses from Outdoor Elements to battle the glare, and lots of clothes on to fend off the cold temperatures. This is one of my favorite field activities and one of the reasons I really love my job. Even when the frazzle ice is slinking around my knees, my nose is a freezing light pink, and the snow is slowly turning to freezing rain, I still have a big smile on my face. What makes this even more enjoyable is the fact that we are catching fish, a good indicator that the work the KWRC is doing, may be having a positive impact on the watershed health.
Where else can I get a headstart on fishing season? Which is just around the bend by the way. If you like fish then maybe you should consider buying a ticket to the Atlantic Community Church-Guatemala Mission Team's salmon dinner. Tickets are $20 for dinner and silent auction on April 10 from 6-9 at the Apohaqui Community Center in Jones Memorial Park. Stop by Backstage Music and pick up your ticket today and support the Mission work being done in Guatemala, where the team will build infrastructure, relationships, and hope in a small impoverished community.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A Work and Learn Afternoon
This weekend past I had the opportunity to organize a work and learn day titled "Water and Willows" as part of my job with the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee. When you organize things like this you just cross your 
fingers and hope that someone shows up. You do the needed email postings, web advertizing, poster postings, and press releases with the hope of drawing at least a handful of people. You check the weather forecasts for the entire week leading up to the event hoping the sun is shining to increase the odds of having people there.
fingers and hope that someone shows up. You do the needed email postings, web advertizing, poster postings, and press releases with the hope of drawing at least a handful of people. You check the weather forecasts for the entire week leading up to the event hoping the sun is shining to increase the odds of having people there.
Well for me, this weekend came together rather modestly, with word getting around about the event and 
the weather sunny and above seasonal temperatures. It was a great day and I shared it with my son. The point of the "Water and Willows Day" was two fold. The first was to gather willow spikes that I would be striking into "Jiffy" pots at a tree nursery so they would grow to seedlings for use this spring on our river restoration sites. The second purpose was to simply get people on the river and show them how great it easy and how easy it can be to help improve it. The willows we were harvesting whips from, the KWRC had planted about 8years ago.
the weather sunny and above seasonal temperatures. It was a great day and I shared it with my son. The point of the "Water and Willows Day" was two fold. The first was to gather willow spikes that I would be striking into "Jiffy" pots at a tree nursery so they would grow to seedlings for use this spring on our river restoration sites. The second purpose was to simply get people on the river and show them how great it easy and how easy it can be to help improve it. The willows we were harvesting whips from, the KWRC had planted about 8years ago.About 20 people met at the Millstream Rec Center and took in a brief presentation on how to harvest willow spikes for transplanting. Then it was a short walk to the banks of the Millstream River. Warm weather meant for a great day outside and people chatted and enjoyed the light work together. In all, over 3700 strikes were harvested.
I want to thank the Kennebecasis Naturalist Society, and the First Sussex Girl Guide members, who helped out, along with the individuals who showed up as well. Volunteers are an integral part of the KWRC and without them we could not carry out many of the projects that we regularly complete.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Whalen's Wanderings
A Personal Challenge with a Global Impact
About two months ago I decided, foolishly, that I wanted to challenge myself to lose weight while saving the environment. Most people would know that I am passionate about environmental sustainability but most would be shocked to hear that I need to lose a few pounds. I didn't want to diet, or change my eating habits, and I didn't just want to hit the gym, so I combined this new weight loss initiative with my passion for the environment. The result is my personal "Green Weight Loss Challenge."
The goal of my challenge is to lose 15lbs while reducing my carbon footprint. To do this I have started walking to work on a regular basis. This reduces the amount of driving I do and thus reduces the amount of carbon I release into the atmosphere. To take this endeavor one step farther I started calculating my carbon credits and comparing that to my weight loss. To be completely honest, it has been a frustrating experience to date. I have lost very little weight over the two months, but I have gained a new respect for those who have battled with their weight for a number of years. My weight issue is not a big one and I truly thought I would easily shed the 15lbs I had set as a goal. Boy was I wrong. On a typical 4day backpacking trip I can lose 5lbs, but after walking to work over 25 times in the last two months, I have only lost 4lbs. It was 6lbs but I gained 2 back somewhere.
Despite the low weight loss number I am happy that I am reducing my carbon footprint. Luckily for me I am not trying to realize any financial gain from carbon credits. I was surprised to learn how much effort I would need to make to simply create one carbon credit, and even more shocked at how little one carbon credit was worth. One carbon credit is one ton of carbon, and it has a trade value of approximately $30. My less than modest car generates approximately 0.237kgC/km (kilograms of Carbon/km) and I walk 4.8km in order to get to work. To date I have walked to work 26 times, a total of 124.8km. This keeps 29.6kgC out of the environment, providing me with a potential financial windfall of $0.89+/-. In order for me to realize 1 carbon credit ($20-$40) I will have to walk to work for about 4 more years and I don't need to tell you what that works out to per hour of walking.
For the time being I am entirely content simply walking for my good health while doing my part for the environment. Whether I lose weight or make a fortune matters very little to me. It is interesting though to bring these two topics together and realize how my personal health can also impact the environment. If you are looking to help the environment then you can start by looking after yourself. Until I started this challenge I didn't really see that connection.
Just a reminder that the Kennebecasis Watershed is hosting a presentation by Roberta Clowater from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, NB Chapter, on March 17th from 7-9pm at 1067 Main Street, Sussex Corner. The title of the presentation is "
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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Icy Attractions
Earlier today someone asked me if I knew of any icy attractions. I thought sure but I struggled to explain to them where they were located. I have been wanting to get maps onto my blog anyways so I thought why not try it with this question. The map will show locations of various types of natural ice features. If you plan on going to one of these travel smart and be prepared.
I hope this map works for ya. The picture is from a trek around the hills and streams near Walker Settlement.
http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107400991815645513482.000480e61c255ebf765dc&ll=45.501655,-65.287714&spn=0.030199,0.054846&t=h&z=14
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I hope this map works for ya. The picture is from a trek around the hills and streams near Walker Settlement.
http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107400991815645513482.000480e61c255ebf765dc&ll=45.501655,-65.287714&spn=0.030199,0.054846&t=h&z=14
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Tuesday, March 2, 2010
This is my latest column that appeared in today's Kings County Record
Whalen's Wanderings
A Morning Walk Leading to a Rant
I have been walking to work quite regularly over the last month and a half. I enjoy the early morning stroll and I find that it puts my mind in a good place before I have to start my day. Another great aspect of the walk is that I not only get a workout for my legs, I also tone my arms. I seem to always be waving to people and every now and then I laugh as I realize how truly great it is to be in this great place. Besides needing exercise, I also started walking to reduce my ecological footprint. The less I drive my car the better for the environment. I realize this isn't feasible for everyone to do but I encourage you to consider active transportation next time you're just heading around the corner. It will make you feel good on more than one level.
Friendly people, unfortunately, are not the only thing I have noticed on my walks. I also have seen a huge amount of litter along our main streets. One morning I could have easily collected $1.50 in refundable cans and bottles, and if I had a place to put them I would have picked them up and bought myself a hot chocolate from Tim Horton's. This brings me to another item of debris, coffee cups. If you stop at the bridge on
Parson's Brook does not always run, I know, but that does not mean it is a garbage ditch. When it runs, it flows into Trout Creek, which flows through Sussex, then into the Kennebecasis River, which flows by Apohaqui, Norton, Hampton, Quispamsis, and Rothesay, then empties into the Saint John River, to the Bay of Fundy, and then finally into the Atlantic Ocean. Last I checked there are no aquatic species that like coffee, so when you throw your cup into Parson's Brook, you are negatively impacting the entire eastern seaboard, because no one likes to see garbage floating by them as they walk along the river, or paddle in the Bay, or cruise on the ocean.
If you want to have your coffee on the go, buy yourself a reusable mug. I think in some instances your coffee might be cheaper if you do and Tim Horton's has a good price on great trendy mugs. If you don't have a mug then properly dispose of your cup. Rinse it and throw it in your blue bag at home and it will be recycled. That is a far cry better than having it float down the Trout Creek.
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