Does this situation sound familiar? You own the perfect tool in your shed. It’s exactly what you need when you need it and you regularly need it. But it’s broken. And you are loathe to shell out the money for a new one. You could take it to the mainland to have it fixed there, but you never seem to get around to it. And so it sits.
Well, despair no longer. The Repair & Reuse section of the online Bowen Green Resource Guide might help you find Mr. or Mrs. Fix-It, right here on the island. It’s just one of the places to look for help and advice provided locally and aimed at addressing islanders’ needs.
Launched by Bowen in Transition (BIT), and created by volunteers, the resource guide is as an entirely-free, easily-accessible cornucopia of information and resources that are relevant to Bowen Island. It includes listings of local service providers, businesses, organizations and activities, plus tips and advice that will help each of us live in a manner that is less taxing on the planet and its limited resources.
If you’ve picked up a recently published Bowen Phone Book, in the feature on Farming on Bowen, you’ll see the list BIT compiled of Local Food Sources, Related Organizations and Businesses. That’s a great example of what you might expect to find at www.bowenresourceguide.com.
But the intent is certainly not to attempt to replace or duplicate Bowen’s valuable phone book. Instead, it is to present an array of information “with a green slant” on topics from home heating to pet care. Most of the articles and lists are organized under headings including: Economy, Food Resiliency, Gardening & Landscaping, Green Consumerism, House & Home, Resilient Communities, Transportation and Waste.
The Bowen Green Resource Guide is very much a work-in-progress and far from being comprehensive or exhaustive. That’s where the community comes in. Dozens of people have already contributed articles and content to the directory. We are truly grateful for their support of this initiative.
But the plan is for islanders and others to use it and improve it so it can become an effective and relevant source of up-to-date information. Just consider the vast knowledge and collective wisdom of our island friends and neighbours. Let’s build this together!
We welcome submissions regarding green products, resources, services, information, events, etc. The site includes a section: Do you have the answer? as a place to share expertise and experience. But you can also post your own queries regarding problems you are facing, or services you need.
The plan is to update the guide continuously. But we do ask you to be patient because, as we have already mentioned, we are relying on volunteers to update and maintain the community resource. Check it out at www.bowengreenguide.com. For more information about Bowen in Transition, a local grassroots group and part of the global transition movement focusing on building resilient and sustainable communities, visit our website at bowenintransition.com. Contact us via email at [email protected].
