The Sustainable Red Deer Society (operating as ReThink Red Deer) is dedicated to enhancing the long term quality of life in Red Deer and surrounding area. In 2017, we celebrate our tenth anniversary of building sustainable community in Red Deer!

This group searches out and shares ideas that inspire citizens to make and create sustainable consumer choices – global in awareness, local in application. Members believe that we are citizens first and consumers second; that our world is finite and borrowed from future generations; that we can live sustainably and in harmony with nature; and that inspiration is a renewable resource.

Mission: We promote citizen-driven leadership by providing learning and practical opportunities for sustainable living in Red Deer and District.

Vision: We envision a community that is living sustainably.

For more information on sustainable community development visit The Natural Step Canada – http://www.naturalstep.ca/integrated-community-sustainability-planning

ReThink Red Deer is driven by the energy of its members and coordinates its action around four key principles:

1) Smart Urban Planning

2) Waste Minimization (aka Zero Waste)

3) Protecting and Enhancing Natural Assets

4) Reinvigorating the Democratic Process

We believe in starting where we can – with our own lives, and our own community – Red Deer.

ReThink Red Deer was founded in 2007. Today it functions as a non-profit society registered in Alberta (since 2010) and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. We are volunteer-driven and have no formal employees but do provide honorariums for Project Leads.

Our organization assembles around the practices of a “for-benefit” organization; integrating social and environmental aims with business approaches. ReThink Red Deer is applying a social enterprise model, selling soil amending products (premium worm castings, compost teas and extracts, and micronutrient-rich rock dust) as well as heirloom seeds, microgreens, and vegetables grown at local urban ‘homesteads’ and demonstration gardens that are sold at local markets through “The Root Cellar: ecoStore & Apothecary”. We aim to couple environmental responsibility and community service while using funds raised for projects that responsibly inform citizens and contribute to the common good.

We are proud to collaborate with the Red Deer College Green Campus initiative and meet regularly at the College for board meetings and our special events.

Our board of directors strives to broadly represent the community of Central Alberta and we are always looking for new directors to join the organization.

From 2007 to 2015, ReThink Red Deer focused on raising awareness of the importance of community sustainability. Founder Lorne Daniel presented on the history of ReThink Red Deer at the 2011 Pathways To Sustainability Conference we hosted at the Red Deer College. Watch the video of Lorne’s presentation here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40vdZD3nKCQ

With the ongoing support of numerous volunteers, we have established four key projects that will be the focus for our strategic planning in the years ahead:

1) The EcoLiving Fair + Workshops and Garbage-Free February campaign

2) The Little Green Thumbs Program

3) The Piper Creek Restoration Agriculture Project

4) Garden City Market and The Root Cellar: ecoStore & Apothecary

Fall Harvest Supper
Community Seed Bank
Garlic City Market

If you are interested in volunteering with ReThink Red Deer please contact us and join the organization as a voting Member – [email protected]