The Best Kind of Adventure is at The Green Venture!

bike smoothie

Ever since moving to Hamilton, I have been discovering a lot of amazing organizations here in the city. There are so many people that really care about the community and it is great to see! One organization I found out about was Green Venture. Their mission is simple but so important and to see Green Venture work hard to get their message out there is quite inspiring. Their mission “is to connect ideas and people to facilitate sustainable living and realize a cleaner, healthier community.”

They have built many programs to achieve their goals including everything from gardening, water usage, composting and so many more! Green Venture has a rich history in Hamilton and here is a little tidbit about them!

The organization began in 1994 with the goal to connect small environmental organizations in the area. Not only did they build a strong environmental network, but they also became Hamilton’s lead agency to promote sustainable living!

Do you remember when EVERYTHING went in the garbage?
Between the 1990’s – 2000’s, Green Venture helped begin the use of Blue Boxes and Green Carts. Today, these colorful bins remind Hamilton citizens how to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste.

How would you like to save water, energy, money AND help the environment? With rain barrels and Energy Auditing, Green Venture made it possible for Hamilton homeowners to receive these benefits. 

Do you have questions or concerns about our changing environment?
Green Venture is passionate about educating and engaging citizens on climate change and other environmental issues. Our environmental programs discuss how small, practical changes to your home or lifestyle can have a HUGE impact on the environment! Most of our programs are brought to the local schools in Hamilton.  

The organization’s current office is called the EcoHouse. It is an 1850s stone building that was transformed (2002-2003) to be an environmental  demonstration site and include green initiatives.For example, the outside of the EcoHouse includes a green roof, rain gardens, and a community garden! Green Venture’s community garden was a prototype and assisted in the creation of community gardens all over Hamilton. 

I recently stopped by the Green Venture EcoHouse in Hamilton to learn more about what they are all about and to spread the word about this amazing organization. I had the pleasure of touring the facility with Giuliana, the executive director of Green Venture.

Every room of the house was well thought out to become a teaching moment for both kids and adults. The kitchen has a jaw dropping display of the impact of using plastic bottles, straws and tetra packs. When schools and families visit the Eco House, they have the opportunity to not only learn from hearing about the impact they are making, but also seeing it visually too!

Some highlights on the tour:

  • making smoothies on a bike with no electricity
  • seeing vermicomposting in action (red wiggler worm composting)
  • learning about their Lumago Aquaponics (indoor, sustainable farming system)

How can Green Venture Help You Lead a Greener Life?

  • they can actually help you do an energy audit and make recommendations on how to make your home more efficient (there are also rebates in place you can take advantage of)
  • Home Winterproofing incentives for qualified Enbridge customers
  • RAIN and Green Infrastructure Programs, including Catch the Rain, which is helping Dundas homeowners, build beautiful front yard rain gardens

If you are looking for a place to educate your family on how to live a greener life, Green Venture is the place to be! You can check out their website to see all the services they provide plus also their upcoming events here.

Thank you again to the amazing team at Green Venture for showing me around!