The Living Prairie Museum at the City of Winnipeg has been given an award for community environmental stewardship. The environmental group Polar Bears International has recognized the museum with a Paw of Approval Award for reducing greenhouse gases emissions in Winnipeg.
Kyle Lucyk, who works at the museum, is a Local 500 member and sits on the CUPE National Environment Committee, received the award on behalf of the museum.
The award is given to organizations and businesses that demonstrate that they have made measurable reductions in the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and/or fluorinated gases used in their operations.
Workers at the Living Prairie Museum have taken several steps to reduce the carbon footprint at their workplace and throughout Winnipeg. For several years museum workers have been restoring natural prairie landscapes within Winnipeg, which helps to store carbon.
The museum building now also uses wood pellet heating, converting compressed biomass from materials that otherwise would have been landfilled into heat.
The museum was renovated using reclaimed materials and installed water conserving low-flow toilets.
Workers at the museum also starting composting culled invasive plant species, rather than bagging and sending the material to landfill, which was how the weeds were first disposed of.
Polar Bears International works primarily on habitat conservation and climate change. Visit the website at: www.polarbearsinternational.org.
Visit the Living Prairie Museum website at: www.livingprairie.ca.