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Workshops celebrate World Water Day

Residents up and down the Sunshine Coast will be assembling their own rain barrels atpublic workshops to be held in Gibsons, Sechelt and Pender Harbour next Saturday, March 23.

Residents up and down the Sunshine Coast will be assembling their own rain barrels atpublic workshops to be held in Gibsons, Sechelt and Pender Harbour next Saturday, March 23.

Participants will learn about water conservation during drought, build a 55-litre barrel to take home, and get tips on collecting, storing and safely using the water for their gardens.

Following on the heels of World Water Day, these workshops were co-organized by the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden and the Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve Society as a fun and practical way for residents to learn about and partake in water conservation.

World Water Day draws global attention to the importance of fresh water resources. The organizations working together to offer the workshops are calling upon the community to do their part.

"A rain barrel is just one small piece of the water conservation puzzle," said Paddy Wales from the Botanical Garden Society. "Although we live in a rainforest, weeks or even months of summer drought can be expected most years. With a little knowledge and effort, we can learn to use significantly less water during the dry months."

Cost to participants is $20, half the value of the materials. There are a limited number of barrels, pre-registration is recommended.

Workshop locations and schedule are as follows:

Gibsons from 10 a.m. to noon at Eric Cardinall Hall, 930 Chamberlin Rd. Pre-register with Sunshine Coast Conservation Association at office@thescca.ca

Sechelt from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden, 5941 Mason Rd. Pre-register with the Garden Society at 604-740-3969 or email info@coastbotanicalgarden.org

Pender Harbour from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Iris Griffith Centre, 15386 Highway 101 in Madeira Park. Pre-register with Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve Society at 604-883-9201 or email info@lagoonsociety.com.

Thanks to local businesses Gibsons Building Supplies and Gibsons Recycling for pitching in to make the workshops possible.

- Submitted