Article by Guest Writer Jill Moffatt, Canadian Olympic Athlete

Every month I cover topics that are important to both me, and Big Wheel Burger! We align on so many community initiatives so why not put them all in writing. I thought I would share what it was like to be an Olympian and the how important community support is. Thanks for reading along and joining me on my journey to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games!

Hello Friends!

I hope everyone’s April is off to a great start! As many of you may know, April is Earth Month, with Earth Day occurring on April 22 (mark your calendars!). I wanted to take this opportunity to focus on what Earth Day means to me, and the exciting pollinator program that Big Wheel Burger has started.

 

Earth Month 2023

Earth Month is a great opportunity to remind ourselves that we have a role in taking care of our planet- and that starts with small, conscious actions that reduce our carbon footprint, taking care of our natural surroundings, and finding ways to consume less.

As an Olympic rower, I’m lucky that I get to spend my days enjoying a sport that relies on mother nature and access to water. The state of our planet has a direct impact on my sport, and I believe it is incumbent on myself and my teammates to be proper custodians of our environment.

This month, I’ll celebrate Earth Month by reflecting on my regular habits and looking for easy ways to reduce my consumption. I believe that I can reduce my footprint this month by carpooling more, switching to reusable or biodegradable plastic (like freezer bags), and supporting local companies and organizations who consider their environmental impact – such as Big Wheel Burger!

What are three ways you could reduce your impact?

 

The Cook St. Experience

This last month, my parents visited Vancouver Island for the first time since I moved here in 2018. My little sister was also able to fly out for the weekend so we could spend time together as a family. 

My parents had a great visit, and my dad even tried surfing for the first time in Tofino! But of course, no trip would be complete without a visit to Big Wheel Burger. My family has been aware that Big Wheel Burger has been supporting me for the last year, and when we got hungry for lunch, we knew we had to grab some of the best burgers.

I took my family to the Cook St. location, and we had an awesome lunch – my sister (who is a vegetarian) loved the yam and black bean burger! Because Big Wheel makes the best vegan burgers!

The one thing that is really cool about the Cook St location, is that Big Wheel has created a pollinator garden!

What Is A Pollinator And What Is A Pollinator Garden?

A pollinator is any animal that helps move pollen from one flower to another – think bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beetles. And pollinators are extremely important to our entire ecosystem and to us, one in every three bites we take depends on pollinators!

A pollinator garden is a garden that exists to support and protect these important creatures by providing food and shelter. Big Wheel Burger has their own pollinator garden, which is fed with the compost created at the Cook St. location. 

The pollinator garden is a partnership with the team at the Food Eco District (FED), who help build and maintain the garden with local plants to best support our little pollinator friends. 

The pollinator garden and the composting efforts continue to help Big Wheel be carbon neutral and environmentally conscious. 

 

How You Can Get Involved

If you have the space, a pollinator garden is a great way to give back to our ecosystem (and attract beautiful pollinators!), plus you’ll have a great garden.

FED has incredible resources for creating a pollinator garden, including a guide for Selecting Plants for Pollinators on Eastern Vancouver Island. You can check out the Cook St. pollinator garden for some inspiration!

Until next month!

 

My name is Jill Moffatt and I am an Olympic rower living in Shawnigan Lake, B.C. Big Wheel Burger is supporting me on my path to the Olympics and in exchange I’ll be sharing parts of that journey with you! Follow along each month for behind the scenes stories and other things outside of rowing that I am passionate about. Thanks for reading along and joining me on my journey to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games!