On May 10, 2014, Rotarian Sandra introduced our guest speaker Mrs. Joan Routledge, Chairperson of the Sussex Communities in Bloom.
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program, with a focus on enhancing green spaces in communities. “People, plants and pride… growing together” is their slogan, and it captures the essence of the program. It is a national organization where communities of comparable size compete against one another to showcase their people, plants and civic pride...
Evaluation categories:
– Tidiness
– Environmental Action
– Heritage Conservation
– Urban Forestry – Landscapes
– Floral Designs, Community involvement
– Tidiness
– Environmental Action
– Heritage Conservation
– Urban Forestry
– Landscapes
– Floral Designs
– Community involvement
Details specific to the Sussex Communities in Bloom:
– It started in October 2010 with five dedicated committee people.
– May 2011, 6 people, three projects, two judges, resulting in 4 Blooms.
– May 2012, 12 people, ten projects, many volunteers, judging achieved 5 Blooms.
– May 2013, 8 people, 17 projects, an army of volunteers, judging 5 Blooms and a National Champion!
Extensive efforts to get the youth involved were undertaken by the Committee, and many landowners were engaged to start a civic movement of landscape and floral display/pride in Sussex.
The Committee has scheduled a 2014 project to improve the floral display of the Rotary Wheel in O’Connell Park.
Rotarian Scott thanked Joan for her interesting discussion on the Sussex Communities in Bloom.