Thursday, April 22, 2021, marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events in more than 193 countries.

Since we’re unable to host a physical event this year, we’ve teamed up with our friends at the City of Windsor, Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority, Essex Region Conservation Authority, Team Goran and Contents Processing Centre Windsor to bring you the very first VIRTUAL Earth Day Scavenger Hunt!

GooseChase, an app that combines the tried and true scavenger hunt with the latest in smartphone technology to create one of the most exciting activities out there, has joined forces with Digital Main Street, with the support of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, NORCAT, Communitech, Invest Ottawa and ventureLAB, to launch a province-wide pilot to encourage residents to safely explore their communities while supporting local business.

Join us to discover local actions that contribute to a healthy, sustainable Windsor-Essex, all from the safety of your home, backyard, or neighbourhood.

Learn more through fun activity “missions” on environmental themes, including waste diversion, biodiversity, climate change, active transportation, wastewater, and the Detroit River to name a few.

Download the GooseChase app on your smartphone or log in through your computer to get started – the first “missions” launch April 12. Find the Windsor-Essex Virtual Earth Day 2021 (game code 70861J) and get ready.

Each day between April 12 and April 25, a series of five to six unique environmental “missions” will be released on the GooseChase app.

• Download the free GooseChase App via Google Play or the App Store (Apple)
• Install App
• Open App
• Click “Play As A Guest”
• Enter Game Code: 7D861J
• Click “Join Game”
• Create A Player Name
• Join – Windsor-Essex Virtual Earth Day 2021
• Pick missions, find clues, check-in, solve puzzles, collect points, win prizes, achieve green glory!

One of the daily challenges for April 15th will be called Supporting Eco-Friendly Businesses. To show our local eco-friendly businesses some extra love during these trying times and to encourage residents to safely explore their communities while spotlighting eco-friendly entrepreneurs and businesses, we’ve partnered with The Grove Hotel and the brand new Grove Bike Company in Kingsville on an #EcoMainStreetYQG Social Media contest from April 12th-25th!!

Examples of eco-friendly local businesses include:

1. Farmers Market: Selling naturally grown fruits, vegetables and products gives a distinct advantage over competing growers who use conventional farming methods, including pesticides. Take a photo of a vendor, entrepreneur or business that has attended a local farmers market.

2. Upcycled Furniture: Don’t throw out your old, broken furniture. With basic templates and access to power tools, you can break down and reassemble chairs, tables and dressers into new pieces that you can paint or sell. Take a photo of a local business that is helping recycling furniture.

3. Sustainable Fashion: Thrift shopping at second-hand stores, consignment shops, rummage sales and online used-good directories is not just for environmentalists and hipsters, but a viable solution for anyone looking to go eco-friendly.  Take a photo of a local second-hand, consignment or used-good business.

4. Eco Restaurants: Food packing is responsible for about a third of all Canadian household waste, and just 20% of that gets recycled, according to Industry Canada. Many restaurants are doing their part to help the environment through offering vegetarian foods, environmentally friendly take out containers. Take a photo of a restaurant that uses locally sourced food and/or sustainable products, packaging (HINT) or processes.

5. Energy-Efficient Car or Bike Sales: Driving creates a lot more carbon pollution than you think. But energy-efficient options exist including bicycles and EV vehicles. Take a photo of car or bicycler dealer that sells environmentally friendly car/bike options.

6. Recycled E-waste: As tech advances, people and businesses continue to produce a lot of electric waste, or “e-waste” – think cell phones, tablets, etc. But now there are a number of businesses that can fix these devices, or offer to recycle for other uses. Take a photo of a local business that offers recycling, trade-ins and/or buy-back programs.

1. Snap a picture of your favourite local eco-friendly business.
2. Upload it to Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram and let people know why you love them.
3. Tag us (@wetechalliance) and the business (where applicable) and include the hashtag #EcoMainStreetYQG in the post.

That’s it! You’ll be automatically entered to win a $300 Grove Gift Card!

There’s no limit to how much love we want to show to our local eco-friendly businesses, so enter as many times as you’d like April 12th-25th! We’ll be randomly selecting one winner on Monday, April 26th. Good luck!

The Digital Main Street Future Proof program assists businesses with identifying new markets, pivoting their business model, and developing and implementing a deep digital transformation plan.

Learn more at www.wetech-alliance.com/dms