Nadia Chowdhury (Registered Nurse); VGH Emergency Department.

Earth Month celebrations at VCH

Each year on April 22nd, more than one billion people worldwide celebrate Earth Day by adding their voice and actions to the largest environmental event in the world.

Earth Day has become a powerful symbol of the interconnection between the health of people and the health of our planet.

Over the month of April, GreenCare will be celebrating the contributions that staff from VCH are making towards improving the health and wellness of our natural world. Keep an eye out for our weekly profiles throughout April.

Contributing to Earth Day

Meet Nadia Chowdhury, a Registered Nurse, VCH employee and dedicated recycler.

Q. Describe your role within health care.

I’m a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at VGH. My job is to determine what the problem is, to find the solution, and to direct patients to the right people in order to better their health.

Q. You became a Recycling Champion last year. Tell us what you’ve enjoyed so far in that role.

I love seeing the changes that can be created with small actions. Just by labeling the bins, moving a couple of them around, adding lids… these are simple things that make it easier to practice recycling. Recycling should be standard in the department. People are aware and care about the environment and this should be reflected in all areas.

Q. What are your future goals as a Recycling Champion?

We’ve done a little bit in terms of updating the bins, but it’s still in a “trial” phase –  even though I can see an improvement. It’s all about ergonomics – better placement to help make recycling second-nature.

But I think we can go further. It may be a little idealistic, but ideally I’d like to see an organics bin in the staffing lounge.

 Q. What does celebrating Earth Day mean to you?

Earth Day shouldn’t be just one day – every day should be Earth Day. But April 22 is a reminder to make that extra effort. Earth Day is about being conscious of our behaviours and our impact on the environment. What changes can we make to lessen that impact?

Earth Month Celebration: Add your voice!

Throughout April we will be posting content on the BCGreenCare.ca site to celebrate the many actions that staff take to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd and everyday.

Add your voice and enter to win our Earth Day prize draw by answering the question: What does (celebrating) Earth Day mean to you?

To enter, log-in to the BCGreenCare site and add your answer here: https://bcgreencare.ca/celebrating-earth-day