I hope this message finds you, your loved ones and friends well and in good health and spirit.
On Friday, our rare team sent out an email to inform everyone that our event, Planet in the Square has been postponed following the advice of our health care professionals and political leaders amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to thank all of you who replied to that message with words of support and encouragement.
As the circumstances have evolved, I want to share with you rare’s approach and perhaps answer some of the questions you may have about what the next few weeks will look like at rare as we continue to do our best in the interest of public health and safety.
Following the Region of Waterloo’s advice to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have closed our offices, but our business continues with rare staff and volunteers working remotely as much as possible. All rare staff will continue to respond to emails and phone messages that we receive. Please stay in touch, we want to hear from you and look forward to connect.
I can assure you that at rare, we want to further enhance public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus to the most vulnerable in our community, so all of our events up to the end of April have been cancelled until further notice, including March Break ECO camp.
Our key priority as we live through this unforeseen challenge of a global health crisis has now become to focus on spring activities that serve our community. This includes the provision of trails, free and open to the public, but also starting thousands of seeds which will grow into the plants that will feed the most vulnerable in our community in only a few months from now.
Although our events will not be running as planned, we encourage you to practice your social distancing in nature – the eight kilometres of trails at rare are open and free to the public for your enjoyment. Nature can be a refuge at a time when so many of us are experiencing the anxiety of current circumstances and isolation, so please take the time to breathe in the fresh air! We depend so much on nature, and our efforts to enjoy and protect the land are more important now than ever, because of the many benefits it can provide to us in times of crisis. If you would like to contribute to rare’s efforts in conservation during this challenging time, please click here and help our work continue.
Please feel free to check-in with rare staff if you have any messages, questions or concerns. We will be sure to address them and we promise to keep you updated as we weather this unprecedented event.
Warmest regards to you and your family,
Stephanie Sobek-Swant
rare’s Executive Director