The Idle-Free Girls

by Kari Jo Kinley

Rachel, Katelyn, Neely, and Destiny are The Idle-Free Girls. For the past two years, they’ve been spreading the “Idle-Free” message to the community of Stonewall and beyond. Their goal is to make our communities Idle-Free by educating youth and adults of the harmful effects idling vehicles cause to our environment and to our health. They create public awareness through presentations and displays. They continue to research Climate Change, attend Climate Change events, and communicate with experts in the field.Some presentations they’ve made include the Town of Stonewall, Rock Lake Colony School and the Manitoba Association of School Trustees (MAST) Annual Convention where they were co-presenters.

They were invited to and attended Climate Change: Past, Present, and Future – Tense!, The Climate Change Connection Website Launch, and Manitoba’s Green Future: A Dialogue on Climate Change and Greening our Economy – the girls had their picture taken and had breakfast with Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, several other dignitaries, and over 200 guests. The girls have been interviewed by The Winnipeg Free Press, CBC Radio, The Stonewall Argus/Teulon Times, and Shaw TV.

The Idle-Free Girls are/were featured on several websites including the Climate Change Connection website and the Government of Manitoba website for Transportation: Greening Our Transportation Sector. They have been featured in the September/October 2007 issue of Eco-Journal, and the Ducks Unlimited Conservator, 2008 winter issue.

They were honored by Climate Change Connection as Manitoba’s first Climate Champions and awarded the 2008 MAST Student Citizenship Group Award. They also received a Gold Award at the Y.E.S. Showcase (Youth Encouraging Sustainability), and the 2008 Manitoba Eco-Network Group Award.

Because of their efforts, Idle-Free Zone signs are now visible throughout much of Stonewall. Citizens of Stonewall have been very cooperative in using the ten second rule – TURN OFF YOUR ENGINE IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE IDLING FOR MORE THAN TEN SECONDS. The leadership and enthusiasm of The Idle-Free Girls motivates others to be active partners in caring for our environment. Their message is one that benefits everyone locally and even globally. The Idle-Free Girls truly are Climate Champions. E-mail kkinley@isd21.mb.ca to book The Idle-Free Girls for a presentation for your school or town.