Jim
introduced today’s guest
speaker, Monica Moore,
with Communities in
Bloom. Monica
highlighted the 8
categories that
communities are judged
on.
Communities in Bloom
is a non profit
organization committed
to fostering civic
pride, environmental
respect, and
beautification. It is
an all volunteer
committee with exception
to Monica who is
municipal.
Chatham-Kent has been a
5 bloom community since
2005 and has won the
Best Community of
Gardens (2006) and the
Tidiness Criteria (2009)
awards.
Communities are judged
on the following 8
categories:
1.
Tidiness
a.
includes flags,
graffiti, vacant lots,
street and sidewalk
cleanliness, signage,
etc
2.
Environmental
Awareness
a.
Includes
landfills, hazardous
waste collection
efforts, recycling
initiatives, sustainable
development, nutrient
management, wetland
restoration projects,
green energy projects,
etc
3.
Community
Involvement
a.
Service clubs,
volunteer horticulture
societies, schools,
community gardens– an
involved community is a
winning community!
4.
Natural &
Cultural Heritage
Conservation
a.
Includes museums,
archives, churches,
native heritage,
veterans memorials,
Heritage Chatham-Kent
Mayor’s awards,
preservation and
restoration of
buildings, homes, and
churches
5.
Tree & Urban
Forestry
a.
Includes written
policies, by-laws,
distribution of trees,
new plantings,
preservation of heritage
trees, etc
6.
Landscaped Areas
a.
Balance of plant
materials and
constructed elements,
integration of hard
surfaces (art) into
landscapes
7.
Floral Displays
a.
The program does
not strictly focus on
flowers, they look at
diversity and use of
colour, quality and
maintenance of beds, use
of annuals and
perennials,
8.
Turf & Ground
Cover
a.
Includes crop
rotations, turf
management, church
grounds, irrigation and
water restrictions,
naturalization of wild
flowers, etc.
We
can all help by:
