 The Living Centre's Green Policy Our Commitment
Becoming more ecologically sustainable in our practices is important to us, and we greatly appreciate every action you can take to assist us. We welcome your comments and suggestions on our feedback form. If you are interested in supporting one of our "Green Dream" projects, contact us here>
The Living Centre is committed to ecological practices that maintain and restore the health of natural ecosystems, local economies and the well being of our apprentices, students and guests. We strive to ensure that we step lightly on the earth and that our operations are ecologically sustainable. We are committed to reducing the burdens we place on living systems and are making continual progress towards ecological sustainability (a "closed loop system" of cyclical material flow) and are committed to achieve this goal within a generation.
Using our power as consumers to buy ecologically responsible products, we hope to support other progressive businesses and help create markets for alternative, green products. We hope that by embodying the principles of sustainability we can encourage creative dialogue on how to reduce human impact on the natural environment as well as develop and demonstrate model systems. We also endeavor to expand the community of people who understand the functioning of natural systems and our impact on them by being a living example and through educational programming.
The Living Centre is committed to ensuring the well being of our apprentices, students and guests as well as teaching and promoting wholistic living and personal well being as key elements of sustainability. Â
As Part of our plan to ensure ecological sustainability The Living Centre is committed to:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Reducing and making continual progress toward eliminating the consumption of and/or release of any substance that may cause environmental damage to the air, water, and the earth or its inhabitants. As such we use natural materials wherever possible with priority given to products that are made from reused or recycled materials.          Â
Reducing and working toward the elimination of waste through source reduction and recycling. As part of this commitment we compost all of our organic food wastes on site. We support the local Recycling Centre in its efforts and guidelines for commercial users, while working to prepare all materials coming off our property for proper recycling, or when absolutely necessary, for other disposal means. We re-use numerous items and work to have items we are no longer using become available for inexpensive purchase or give-away to apprentices and students or local community.          Â
Providing our apprentices, students and guests with healthy food, locally and organically-grown whenever possible. Our menus are from local produce using organic vegan live-food incorporating Ayurvedic principles. We also do a great amount wild edible foraging of delicious plants that flourish here on this fertile land. The Living Centre strives to ensure that none of our purchases support industrial food production: factory farming, genetic engineering, and the use of synthetic chemicals. We are making continual progress to growing and purchasing organic food. We do not use synthetic or chemical fertilizers in our gardens. We use organic edible forest gardening practices, companion planting, mulches and hand weeding, green manure cropping, drip irrigation, compost and natural soil amendments, and avoid growing crops which simply can't thrive in our gardens naturally.      Â
The Forest Gardens are an integral part of our education programs. Our Forest Garden Apprenticeship program provides an residential internship opportunity that trains aspiring gardeners As well, the forest garden serves as an educational focal point for school and workshop and training groups.          Â
Water Conservation and ensuring that we do not pollute any water source or water body.    Â
Protecting biodiversity and ensuring that we maintain or restore old growth characteristics, structure and function of our wild forest on site.          Â
Phasing Out the purchase of wood or paper products that come from old growth forests and will endeavor to purchase products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and /or come from ecologically responsible logging that supports local and indigenous communities. Whenever possible, The Living Centre uses local wood, harvested from sustainability managed woodlots. We also seek out recycled products with high post-consumer content and paper products made from ecologically responsible alternative fibres such as agricultural waste paper or organic hemp.          Â
Conserving Energy and making every effort to increase energy efficiency. We endeavor to introduce renewable energy sources wherever possible.          Â
Reducing use of fossil fuels as much as possible through promotion of our on-line rideshare board and through encouraging our guests to participate in carbon emissions off-setting programs.  Â
Auditing and Evaluating our progress toward sustainability. We are dedicated to creating an atmosphere that encourages staff, apprentices, students and friends to question the status quo, be creative, take risks and find value and joy in exploring new paths toward sustainability.
