Tue, Sep 12, 2023
Anja's Green Alley was anything but... that is, until the Green Squad came along to help make it fab. Sigfried, Lisa, and Eric have the perfect plan to transform the run-down alley into a pirate paradise. But first, Anja and Sigfried drum up some support from her community to help persuade the landowner to let them do it. Once he gives his enthusiastic permission, the Squad can get to work. Next, Anja and Lisa put together a plant-based pirate bake sale to raise funds for extra supplies. With all their spoils from the bake sale, Anja, her family, and the Squad transform the alley into the perfect Green playground: a tire swing and planters made with reused tires, an all-natural wood chip floor, and a pirate treasure compost box. With the alley in ship-shape, the Squad leaves Anja to make some new friends in her up-cycled pirate playground.
Tue, Sep 19, 2023
Thirteen-year-old Xavier has some big goals for his hockey team - he wants to make their sports routine a little more green. He calls on the Green Squad to give him a hand. Lisa and Xavier try a new recipe for a homemade sports drink that he and his team can bring to practice in reusable bottles to cut down on plastic waste. Kyle teaches Xavier how to save energy in the laundry room, and they try making homemade detergent to tackle his smelly hockey gear. The post-laundry sniff test proves that eco-friendly methods can take the gold. With the help of Shakira, Xavier invites his teammates over for an equipment swap so they can reuse the gear they've out-grown. After the Squad leaves, Xavier challenges his teammates to see who can reduce the most waste in their pre-game routine. The Squad thinks it's a big win.
Tue, Sep 26, 2023
Hannabelle is a ten-year-old girl who is passionate about animals. When she grows up she wants to be veterinarian, but the Green Squad knows a few ways Hannabelle can help the animals now. Eric and Hannabelle visit the Wild Bird Care Centre where they learn about bird conservation, meet Indigo the American Kestrel, and release a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker into the wild. After, Eric shows Hannabelle other ways to help birds at home, like planting berries and decorating windows to avoid crashes. Kyle takes Hannabelle to the river where they learn about Seabins, which clean the waterways, and join a shoreline cleanup. Later, Lisa introduces Hannabelle to vermicomposting and together they build the composter, which will be home to Hannabelle's new pets - the red wigglers. Finally, the Squad says good bye to Hannabelle, knowing that she is going to be a big win for the wildlife.
Tue, Oct 3, 2023
Milla is a twelve-year-old girl who loves spooky movies, trick or treats, and Halloween. What she doesn't love is all the plastic waste and pollution that comes with it... Here comes the Green Squad to the rescue. Lisa and Milla play a game to see what candy wrappers are recyclable, and chat about how to use all parts of the pumpkin to reduce food waste. Shakira takes Milla to a thrift shop to find elements to make the perfect sustainable costume, and then head back home to transform Milla into the most adorable panda ever. Eric and Milla create a scary DIY haunted house in the garage using materials from Milla's recycling bin. Once it's all complete, Milla spooks her step-sisters with a milk-jug skeleton, some egg carton spiders, and some super creepy second-hand decorations from the thrift store. The Squad left Milla's house knowing that she can definitely have a green Halloween.
Tue, Oct 10, 2023
When twelve-year-old Vikram visits his grandparents in India, he's always inspired by how his family saves water and limits food waste, and wants the Green Squad to help him do the same at home. Shakira and Vikram head to the bathroom to measure how much water is wasted when the tap is left on while brushing your teeth, and create a helpful chart to keep track of how much water you save when you take shorter showers. Sigfried takes Vikram and his sister Shrika to visit Erin, who makes all kinds of sustainable bathroom products, and together they make plastic-free shampoo bars. Lisa learns a thing or two from Vikram's mom about Indian cooking and the Squad shares a meal with the family, then Lisa teaches Vikram some funky know-how about composting. With new waste-free habits in his toolbelt, Vikram is able take his family's eco-friendly lifestyle all the way from Bangalore to Burlington.
Tue, Oct 17, 2023
In busy downtown Toronto, it can be hard for Malik to find some green space to start his own garden. Luckily, the Green Squad is here to help. Shakira finds an old cabinet in a thrift store and uses it to help declutter Malik's sunroom. Eric takes Malik to the community garden to learn about native plant species with garden expert Robyn, then head back to the apartment to plant some things that will thrive indoors. Lisa and little brother Adrien create a watering schedule, so Malik can take proper care of his brand new garden. Lisa shows Malik a new recipe using food he can grow at home - lettuce tacos. She also teaches him how to cut down on food waste by regrowing vegetables from old food scraps. Malik says goodbye to the Squad, and can't wait to work on his green paradise in the city.
Tue, Oct 24, 2023
Eight-year-old Kyra is obsessed with ecology, and for her ninth birthday, she wants to celebrate with the bees. The Green Squad arrives to help her prepare for the celebrations, but first thing's first: a trip to the bee farm to help her get over her fear of bees and learn about this amazing species so she can better advocate for them. There they meet urban beekeeper Maddy, who teaches Kyra and the Squad about bee conservation. They even get to try some honey right from the hive. Then they meet with Jon to make some beeswax birthday candles. Back at home, Shakira shows Kyra how to make some upcycled birthday decorations using second-hand materials, as well as some wildflower seed-bombs for her party guests to take home. Lisa and Kyra make a birthday cake with raw honey, and once they're done, they give Kyra a box to collect donations for bee conservation. After all the party preparations are in place, the Squad says good bye to Kyra, and wishes her a happy bee-day.
Tue, Oct 31, 2023
When it's time for 8th grader Adrian to get ready to go back to school, he knows who to call. Adrian thinks that school routines can be pretty wasteful, and the Green Squad is here to help him with some more sustainable options. Lisa and Adrian head to the kitchen to create some beeswax food wraps and bake some tasty granola bars to cut down on single-use plastics in his lunchbox. Kyle and Adrian hit the road on their bikes to test out a carbon-free way to get to school. Later, Shakira tells Adrian to invite his friends over for a clothing swap so everyone can upcycle their clothes, and maybe get a new uniform that fits. With everyone satisfied with their new outfits, Adrian is confident he can make his back-to-school routine green.
Tue, Nov 7, 2023
Ten-year-olds Emma and Monica are two best friends living in a small town, but they want to make a big difference. Together with Sigfried, Shakira, and Kyle, the girls get organized and meet with the town council to propose their ideas: they want to spread their message with an Earth-saving mural in the park pavilion. The town councillors love it. Later they get to work and create a bold look with Shakira, making flower-hammered t-shirts for their garbage collecting team. Once the shirts are ready, Kyle leads the way for a town-wide garbage walk with Emma, Monica, and all their friends and family. With cleaner parks, roads, and rivers, the Green Squad finally says goodbye to the girls. And in their check-in, Emma and Monica show off the beautiful mural they made to encourage others to keep their small town clean and beautiful.
Tue, Nov 14, 2023
Ten-year-old Kasman wants to be an eco-ambassador for all-seasons, and the Green Squad can't wait to help him out. Kyle tests Kasman's recycling knowledge with a fun game using his household trash, and takes Kasman to his municipal recycling facility to get a backyard composter of his very own. Eric shows Kasman how to care for his backyard in preparation for winter, and gets him started with some herbs indoors so he can transplant them outdoors in the spring. Shakira and Kasman program his thermostat to save on energy, and are on the lookout for drafty doors. Together they make some scrappy door snakes out of second-hand fabrics to block out the cold. Kasman and his family will definitely be keeping warm all year long.
Tue, Nov 21, 2023
Bea wants to reduce her carbon footprint, and she has some ideas that are out of this world. Green Squad members Kyle, Eric, and Sigfried come and help her out. Bea convinces her friends to create a walking train to school to cut down on carbon emissions, and Kyle gives Bea a carbon log-book to keep track of their progress. Eric helps Bea and her big brother Mack transform the backyard into a bountiful garden with ingredients that are perfect for pizzas. Later, Sigfried and Bea talk about how to spread the word that climate change is a serious problem, and Bea creates some stellar comics about saving the Earth. Once the Green Squad leaves, Bea is well on-track to reducing her carbon footprint.
Tue, Nov 28, 2023
Nine-year-old Adam already knows a lot about going green. He loves nature, and likes to pick up litter at the beach, but what can he learn about his city's urban forests? That's where the Green Squad comes in. Eric introduces Adam to some forestry experts, who help him plant his first tree in a nearby park. Kyle takes Adam on a nature walk, where they learn all about biodiversity during a fun scavenger hunt. Adam decides he'd like to do a nature walk again, but this time with other kids in the community. Sigfried helps Adam build the confidence to spread the word of the nature walk to his friends in the neighborhood. Lots of people signed up, and Adam teaches them everything he learned about forest biodiversity from the Squad. Adam proves he's a real friend of the forest.
Tue, Dec 5, 2023
Eli is an electric eel, and he's the face of an energy-saving movement at this elementary school. The grade six Eli Crew wants to save on wasted electricity at their school by switching the lights off when they're not in use, and the Green Squad is on the way to help with their mission. Lisa is great at math, and helps the students figure out how to keep track of the amount of energy they save, then with that info they challenge the rest of the school to a power-saving contest - even the teachers. Sigfried and Kyle work on some bright slogans to help spread the message, and spark their confidence - which they'll need when they give their Eli presentation to the high school students up the road. Once they tackle their fears, they engage the high schoolers and get them plugged into the Eli mission. It was electrifying.