“To make Cochrane and area a more environmentally aware and active community”. That’s the mission of the Cochrane Environmental Action Committee (CEAC), a longstanding group of dedicated individuals that has been quietly improving the wellbeing of our community and the natural world that supports us for years. Maybe you’re familiar with CEAC, maybe you’re not, but almost certainly you’ve benefitted from one or more of their many initiatives.

Among their achievements is the establishment of Cochrane’s first recycling facility, hosting numerous talks, conferences, and screenings, and the funding of schoolyard naturalization projects. CEAC was instrumental in the brownfield committee that achieved remediation of contaminated lands in the centre of town, and provided critical funding to the Cochrane High Sustainable Energy Project. They continue to organize weed pulls of invasive species and have overseen 23 years of the Branches & Banks event that sees hundreds of native trees and shrubs planted and the Big Hill creek cleaned up.

Oh, and the Cochrane Farmers’ Market? CEAC runs that, too. Not only is the market a huge draw to visitors and a social hub for locals, it’s a crucial platform that brings growers and other makers of food together with eaters to build a viable local food system. That’s something Cultivate Cochrane can really get behind! We are thrilled to have them as partners who share our vision of building a resilient and connected community and who have thrown their support behind our planned greenhouse hub. CEAC is a key sponsor of our upcoming Cold Climate Backyard Greenhouses Talk & Tour.

2019 marks CEAC’s 30th anniversary of working behind the scenes towards an environmentally sustainable future for Cochrane and beyond. Let’s raise a glass to all they have done and continue to do for our community!