As part of another SWIGS Outreach initiative, we entered an exhibit in the inaugural nuit blanche style event, Night\Shift. This overnight festival of arts and culture was hosted by the Alternatives Journal and was a huge success! It was so amazing to be part of such a cool community initiative.
Our exhibit was inspired by the UW Ban the Bottle Coalition, who are attempting to stop the sale of plastic water bottles on campus. This effort will move UWaterloo one step closer to achieving a sustainable mandate. Our awesome team constructed a fish out of salvaged water bottled from around campus and lit it with lights. Our exhibit was flanked by screens displaying the consequences of the bottles water industry, as well as environmentally conscious and convenient solutions to many of the problems. For example, Waterloo has been very proactive with their Water Wagon initiative for public events. What solutions do you have in your area?
SWIGGY, our enlightened fish, is now on display by the Regional Municipality of Waterloo’s Recycle Centre education program. As a result of our exhibit, we were also given the opportunity to speak to a group of young environmentalist who call themselves the Ecomaniacs. Thank you to Lester B. Pearson Public School for welcoming us!
SWIGS has been invited to ramp up the scale for 2014’s Night\Shift celebration, so stay tuned for updates about this project as they develop. If you are involved with an environmental, water-focused, or sustainability group in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and would like to be involved with our project, let me know!
Cailin Hillier 