Rotary Club of St. Marys hosts 99th annual Rural Urban Night featuring gardening expert Mark Cullen

Guest speaker and gardening expert Mark Cullen discusses his career and environmental activism in front those in attendance at the Rotary Club of St. Marys’ 99th annual Rural Urban Night at the Pyramid Recreation Centre April 24. Photo courtesy of Rotary Club of St. Marys.

By Rotary Club of St. Marys

The Rotary Club of St. Marys held it’s 99th annual Rural Urban Night on Thursday evening, April 24.

Over 320 people attended this community event held at the Pyramid Recreation Centre. Rural Urban Night celebrates the bond between our rural and urban communities. This bond is not one of dependency but of interdependence.

Attendees enjoyed fellowship and an exceptional meal provided by Huron Shores Catering Services.

The guest speaker for the evening was expert gardener, Mark Cullen. Cullen has been broadcasting and writing about the gardening experience since the early 1980s. He has written 23 books, including two biographies. From 2004-2020, Cullen was the national spokesperson for Home Hardware Lawn and Garden. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2016. Cullen and his family live in Markham.

Cullen’s presentation was titled “Escape to Reality: how the world is changing gardening and gardening is changing the world.”

Highlights from Cullen’s presentation include:

• Cullen recommended two books for anyone interested in learning more about trees and plants: “Our Green Heart” by Diana Beresford Kroeger and “The Light Eaters” by Zoe Schlanger.

• When solutions to life’s big problems elude us, we sometimes overlook the obvious source of answers, at our feet. Nature provides answers.

• Knowing what we know about the function of forests in our world, how can we justify the destruction of forest ecosystems when we understand so little of what is being lost and the consequences that may result?

• Make time to see the reality of the existence of plants in our yard and our neighbourhood. Change the way you look at something, and the thing itself changes.

• Cullen said he used to be a tree hugger; now he’s a tree activist.

• Cullen founded Trees For Life 12 years ago. Trees For Life has planted 2.5 million trees along the Highway of Heroes (Highway 401) between Trenton and Toronto. It is the largest living tribute to military commitment and sacrifice in the world.

• Trees For Life is eager to work with communities wanting to restore their urban canopies.

• Cullen ended with a quote by John Muir: “I only went for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”

Rotary would like to thank everyone who attended as well as our community-minded sponsors for their generous support. All funds raised at Rural Urban Night are used to support Rotary projects in this community.