Annie Au

Stories connect and inspire us. I will share 1 resilience stories—either from my life, my community, or from a leader or culture I admire—through conversations, social media, or the event feed to help others see resilience in action.

Sharing builds common understanding. I will share 1 definitions of resilience that resonate with me—through conversations, social media, or the event feed—to help others explore what resilience means.

Extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods can disrupt lives and upend our communities. I will take proactive steps to prepare for extreme weather by safeguarding my home and creating or updating an emergency plan and kit with essential supplies, evacuation routes, and contact information.

Each of us has a water footprint, directly linked to our daily activities as well as the water required in the production of things we use each day. Understanding our water use is important for a healthy planet. I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste, then share what I learned on the feed.

Mulching helps soil hold water and reduces runoff. I will mulch the base of trees or other plants at home, school, or in my community to improve water retention and soil health.

Book your free in-home water audit to test the flow rates of your faucets and showers, check for leaks, and recommend water-saving options.

Working together builds resilience and pride in the places we care about. I will participate in 1 community projects such as a cleanup or local beautification project that strengthens connections and shared purpose.

Swapping and sharing resources reduces waste and builds community bonds. I will participate in 1 swaps or sharing activities, like borrowing items, attending or hosting a swap meet, or giving away items I no longer need to support a sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.

Shared projects at work strengthen teams and build organizational resilience. I will host or join 1 cleanup events with colleagues, classmates, or group members to improve our environment and strengthen collaboration.

Come join your community for a tree-planting event! Join the City of Guelph, the Rotary Club of Guelph and Trees for Guelph for a special Earth Day tree planting event. Link to register can be found in the "learn more" tab

Growing food builds resilience by connecting us to the soil and reducing reliance on long supply chains. I will grow edible plants—such as herbs, vegetables, or grains—in my home, balcony, or community space, strengthening both my food security and local biodiversity.

I will use the Guelph Waste App to help sort my waste into the correct stream and make sure items like batteries, pharmaceuticals and electronic waste are disposed of properly.

Dishwashers can save water — if used wisely. I will only run the dishwasher when it’s full and skip the pre-rinse to reduce water and energy use. If I don't have a dishwasher, I will turn off the tap as often as possible while washing dishes.

I will bring a reusable drink cup with me for my beverage orders or water refill stations to reduce the amount of single-use item waste I create.

Conserving water helps protect this precious resource. I will shorten my showers to 5 minutes to save water and reduce energy use - each time saving up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water!