The Environmental Youth Alliance

It's a small world

2012-02-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

The EYA interns explored the wonderful and wacky world of biological controls. Jim Matteoni came by the EYA office with a number of tiny critters. He showed some amazing videos exploring what goes on under most gardeners noses. Like aphids being attacked by tiny wasps, laying eggs inside. Apparently this was the inspiration for Alien, the movie. Dramatic stuff.

Skillz

2012-01-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

Dearest folks of the EYA readership,

This be Jeremi from the skills link program sharing some insight into this great program. First things first, my name is not pronounced as Jeremiah or Jeremeye, simply Jeremy, but Jeremeye is alright

because it sounds funky. I know the spelling can be somewhat confuzzling, but hey, not my fault. Anyways, the program, yes the program.

Hooray!

Skills link is a program where you as an individual learn new skills, meet awesome people, and hear about how great the earth is an

d how bad some people can be to said earth, also you get paid for having a great time. If I remember correctly it is about 12 weeks long from December to the end of March.

Cold and happy month, Hooray!

For the month of December you do many things in fact. First of

all, you meet the fine worker bees of the EYA, ha!

Worker bees, get it. They are great at listening, answering, helping, basically being great instructors.

You also meet the other individuals in the program. That means any person who is 18 to 29 I believe. That of course brings a whole slew of differing opinions, experiences, ideas, and people all around. Around the last week of doing a month of meeting, talking, listening, learning, you get arranged a work placement.

Now considering I have not started my work placement, I'm not exactly sure what to tell. I suspect meeting more people, doing new jobs, gaining new work and skills experience. That is because, you know, what this program is supposed to offer. I do not think it disappoints. It is great the things that happen, the people you meet, and basically what you learn. Would I recommend the skills link, why yes I would.

This guy's got skills, why not learn them?

On another note, the skills link program is in cahoots with citizenU. What is citizenU you ask? Well to answer that question I actually grabbed the pamphlet. It is a 3 phase project consisting of training, events, and projects. It is open for volunteering and entering an open community. To learn more follow this link http://www.vancouveryouth.ca/node/327.

Cheers and have a happy new year.

Sincerely Jeremi.

Jeremi is a member of the skills link program, he likes hot chocolate, long walks on the beach, and comic books. Try not to take him seriously, he is not a professional writer of any kind, he enjoys the humor of it, also support the EYA, cause it's cool.

All photos were free and made to look somewhat out of place and funny.

EYA Volunteers Help Shape Vancouver's Food Strategy

2011-12-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

On a damp cold day in early December, an upbeat team of EYA youth volunteers assembled in the Strathcona Community Garden’s “Eco-Pavilion” to talk about food. Why were we motivated to leave the warmth of our houses on such a drab day and take time out of our weekend to talk about food of all things? Well, we were doing so in the knowledge that what we had to say was going to be heard by the City and ultimately help shape Vancouver’s Food Strategy.

The Food Policy Team over at the City of Vancouver intends to create a Food Strategy that will help Vancouver foster a “healthy, sustainable food system that benefits people, the local economy, our environment and the development of our city”. The Food Strategy will act as an official plan and contain specific goals and actions to improve our food system.

Before such a document can be drafted, the Food Policy Team needs community members’ insights into the current food system in Vancouver. In other words, they want to learn what’s working well, where the great food places and resources in our communities or “food assets” are, and what is missing or where the “food gaps” lie. This is where our group came in. We were coming together to hold a “Community Food Animation Session” in which community members hold a discussion session and then report back to the Food Policy Team with details of what came out of the “animation”.

Back in the Eco-Pavilion, we started our animation session with a bit of doodling on our “Vision Board”. The quote at the top of our board read “My ideal food system in Vancouver looks like this...” and below we did our best to capture our vision with lots of colourful drawings

(with many a person lamenting over the difficulties involved in drawing a bicycle!).

Once we had got our creative juices flowing, we gathered together to talk about our motivations for attending and our goals for the day. We decided that with such a broad topic as food, the best option was to list all the aspects of food that we were interested in and then vote to determine which two topics to focus on in our discussions. Everyone received two cake stickers to cast their votes with and pretty quickly it became clear that people were most interested in the topics of food waste/composting, education, and skills-sharing.

Having decided upon our two topics (combining education & skills-sharing into one), we were ready to launch into our activities. Our discussions were structured by considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers in turn for both food waste/composting and education & skills-sharing as it related to the broader topic of food. We worked in small groups, jotting down our thoughts on post-it notes that we then grouped together on larger sheets. This activity allowed us to record our discussions as we went, capture thoughts from all of our participants, and readily identified reoccurring themes in our discussions.

The Food Policy Team might be pleased to hear that our volunteers had no trouble identifying a whole host of positive things that are currently happening in Vancouver with regards to food education and skills-sharing. A long list of positive resources and programs was identified, from community workshops to composting programs in schools, and from local food programs to the City Compost Hotline.

The strongest theme to emerge from our discussions about the weaknesses of education and skills-sharing in Vancouver, was the lack of communication and promotions from those offering educational workshops or programs. Several participants commented that it’s hard to know where to get started with a lot of activities relating to our food system and how to connect to skilled-individuals.

When it came to discussing the opportunities for education and skills-sharing in the city, popular suggestions included free access to spaces for community workshops, mandatory composting and food system classes in schools, building connections by producing a directory of skilled gardeners and developing a mentoring program. There were also lots of ideas on how to promote gardening knowledge via the likes of TV, Youtube, blogs, and other forms of social media.

A number of barriers to education and skills-sharing were also identified, including: lack of workshop space, issues with affordability, timing of workshops, language barriers, and apathy in city residents. We went on to discuss some of these issues in greater depth, and also examined the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers to food waste/composting initiatives in the city. A full write-up on the results of discussion session can be found here.

While it was rather chilly in the Eco-Pavilion even despite the wood fire, we all had a good time sharing memories of meals, experiences of food in Vancouver, and speaking up about food issues that concern us. These Community Food Animation Sessions are just one of many activities taking place as part of the broader community consulations, before more targeted focus groups are held.

To find out how to have your say and learn more about the Vancouver Food Strategy, check out:

Website: vancouver.ca/foodpolicy

Contact the Food Policy Team: foodpolicy@vancouver.ca

Twitter: twitter.com/CoVFoodPolicy

Blog: vancouverfoodpolicy.tumblr.com

Background information about the Vancouver Food Strategy (pdf, 1.09 MB)

A big thank you to all the volunteers who shared their ideas, experiences, energy, and food! - Claire, EYA's Volunteer Coordinator

An-Te Chu, Occupier

2011-12-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

An-Te, longtime EYA supporter and volunteer, speaks to his experience of engaging with the Occupy Vancouver movement

It was just like another October day in Vancouver but, it was not. Saturday 15, 2011 a day for the history books. Occupy Vancouver, a movement aligned with Occupy Wall Street, has yet to be determined to be a foot note of 2011 or a major turning point in history. I realized this as I saw the throngs of people gathered on this chilly Saturday who had come together to support what they believed in. One's position on the political spectrum isn't why they are there. They are there because they are the guardians of democracy. Democracy is the fundamental basis of our society, fairness and equality is supposed to be embedded in our government. Corruption and greed has eroded that away and both conservatives and liberals can see that. An interesting thing is that Occupy itself has improved democracy by using a magical word, consensus. Consensus does not mean that everyone agrees but that everyone is able to tolerate the majority's opinion. Majority Democracy is flawed because anyone other than the 51% can be oppressed. Consensus democracy is something I feel has worked on a small scale and therefore should be at least experimented with in government. Occupy has brought up many issues such as the environment, the banking system and others but the truth is, if the government listened to the people, all those things would be fixed.

oh wait. I haven't introduced myself, im sorry,

Hi, I'm 14, I'm An-Te Chu, I'm an Occupier

I headed down on the very first day and I stayed until the sun went down. At first, I looked around and saw a throng of strangers a handful of which I knew, I blinked and I saw an ocean of friends. There was a steady stream of people ebbing and flowing around the main stage and it was barely noon. I was busily handing out food that had been generously donated. Across from the Food Not Bombs tent was the Zeitgeist and 9-11 Truth tents, interesting people there. In my mind, the jury is still out on those two movements. City workers and police officers gazed inquisitively, I guess they were expecting the black bloc. Behind us, were a circle of meditators, oblivious to the stares of the fire chief and oncoming traffic. Tent City was just getting set up and people just wandered about and conversing. The general assembly wasn't very productive but there were baby steps. I spoke about consensus democracy and proposed a few ideas. I finally left after joining a committee and making a few new friends. As the sun slowly went down and the second general assembly was being called, I finally went home. I transited home with a postal worker who, on medical leave, had to go home and pick up his sleeping tent so he could show his support. He gave me a bead from his colourful necklace. I slept that night, with my homework still in my backpack, unopened.

I went back the next day, to participate and mediate in the GAs, help out the food tent, and organize things with a committee. I went home at 11. The next weekend and the weekend after that. I went on a march to the major banks but I left with a bad taste because of what happened at TD. People danced on the counters at the Dominion bank, something I felt violated our right to protest. That was the first thing I disagreed with. Over the following weekends, I hummed and hawed about going back. There had arisen a clear leadership and direction issue and there were many things I frowned upon. The Tent City was starting to tick some political nerves and the media's portrayal soured. I grimaced. I loathed the misrepresentation yet I could not find myself supporting a cause that I did not whole heartedly agree with.

I returned. I returned because I felt that if there was something I disagreed with, it was my responsibility to voice my opinion and try to change it. I organized a credit union information blitz that fizzled but my resolve didn't disappear. I joined the new committees and I helped with new projects. I spoke to people and made new connections.
Then the injunction came. I was asked to go down on injunction day but I stayed at school because I wanted to avoid trouble. After spending a day of anxiety and cowardliness, I came home to the news of Phase two and the movement of the camp. I was glad. The fight was now back on the internet where it had begun yet still very much alive. Occupy the Ports was on December 12th. The first of many hopefully.

It's almost midnight. Place your hand with mine and lets turn it back so that the sun can rise again. Remember the sunrise and the taste of democracy. Remember.

Volunteer Appreciation

2011-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

As we steadily approach the end of 2011, and thus the last volunteer events of the year, I'd like to extend a warm thank-you to all who have contributed in some way this year. In 12 months as working as EYA's Volunteer Coordinator, I've been priviliged to work alongside some truly stellar volunteers that have shared their time, energy, knowledge and humour to make our time in the gardens and at outreach events really enjoyable. I've personally worked with 378 different volunteers this year, and EYA on the whole has had 514 individuals lending a hand to make a difference in our communities. It's been wonderfully inspiring to meet and talk to so many engaged, passionate, and curious volunteers.

Together we've:

grown and cared for plants in over 25 garden plots
maintained an orchard
produced 1,000s of packages of our own “urban seeds” (514 packages in 2 hours remains the record to beat!)
saved and processed another crop of seed from the Youth Garden
maintained and supported the Means of Production (artists') Garden
attended numerous community / harvest / environmental events
moved approximately 450 cubic feet of soil / compost (405 cubic ft in one day!!!)
impressed numerous pre-schoolers with our “Wiggly Worm” vermicomposting workshop
supported the food bank and local community kitchens with volunteer-grown produce from the Youth Garden
removed more horsetail, himalayan blackberry, gout weed and morning glory from the gardens than anyone probably cares to remember!!!
got our craft on and produced adorable felt gnomes and beautiful (invasive) English-Ivy wreaths for Rhizome Cafe's “Crafts for a Cause” event
contributed to Vancouver's Food Strategy by sharing our ideas at our recent “Food Animation Session” (blog post coming up!)

Quite the list of achievements! Needless to say, we couldn't have done it without you. I've certainly learned a huge amount from our activities over the last year and I hope you've all taken away something positive from our time together too. Hopefully we'll see many of the same faces down at the garden in the new year. If you don't have the time to devote to volunteering and are looking for a means of staying connected and supporting EYA, you might want to consider joining us as a member.

Our last volunteer session of the year will be this Saturday (December 17th) from 1-3 pm. We'll be making a start on packaging up some of our saved heritage seeds as part of our Urban Seeds Program. Come on down to learn about seed saving, make new friends and enjoy the warmth of the wood fire. We'll be in the Eco-Pavilion, which is the large timber building with solar panels on the roof located in the Strathcona Community Garden (map).We'll resume our volunteer activities on Saturday, January 7th, same time, same place.

Until then, wishing you all the very best for the holidays and a happy new year.

Claire, Volunteer Coordinator

EYA Board Seeks Bright, New Members

2011-10-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Interested in Our Organization and Becoming Involved Long Term?

The EYA board is comprised of young-minded individuals, passionate about advancing EYA's vision to expand EYA's sustainability programs across Metro Vancouver and internationally. The EYA board supports staff and volunteers through strategic planning activities, dedicated committees (policy, fundraising, social enterprise, board recruitment) and establishing direction for other programming initiatives (project-based funding proposals).

EYA has three vacant board positions that will be filled at 2012 EYA's Annual General Meeting. Over the next six months, EYA's Board Recruitment Committee will define the desired skills-sets from board members and recruit passionate individuals that may meet EYA's board needs. This is an exciting opportunity for EYA members and volunteers to get further involved - or engage passionate individuals that are interested in supporting EYA in a board capacity.

If you or anyone you know are interested in learning more about EYA board positions, please email Jonathan Reimer (jonnie.reimer__AT__gmail.com) or Emily Hoffpauir (emilyhoffpauir__AT__gmail.com). They will be happy to provide an overview of the board's responsibilities and outline the recruitment time frame that concludes with board elections in March 2012.

Can do

2011-09-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

EYA is hosting canning workshops this fall! One of my favourite ways to welcome fall and say farewell to summer! Canning is such a great skill to have, there's few things more satisfying then opening a can of preserved fruit on a cold winter morning and tasting the summer's harvest for breakfast.

The workshops are facilitated by canner extraordinaire Melody Kurt, and they provide plenty of hands-on time. Participants will take home a jar with this year's bounty to enjoy. To register phone or drop by the Strathcona Community Center: 604-713-1838, 601 Keefer Street in Vancouver. There are two workshops: Sat Sept 24 and Sat Oct 1, from 2:00 - 4:30pm. Each workshop is $25. For EYA members receive a $5 discount at the workshop. Bet you can.

Eco + Media = Great Summer

2011-09-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

Now that's what I call a work environment!

Over the summer, EYA ran aninnovative program called SUSTAIN – an eco-media arts intensive. The programcombined environmental education with hands-on learning in the areas ofdocumentary film making, animation and mobile apps. The Environmental YouthAlliance partnered with other non-profits - Check Your Head, Pull Focus, ReelYouth and a media expert from CBC - to deliver high quality workshops toempower youth to get their messages out into the world!

Though participants had to face questions from concerned friends as to why they couldn't go to the beach every day, the program provided a truly unique learning experience. The fun really begins now as the newly created media is shared with others. Watch for it!

Click here for a behind the scenes video of the documentary making in action

Silk in the City

2011-07-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Just one week ago I visited Terra Nova farm in Richmond and met with Chef and urban agriculture proponent Ian Lai. When I left I carried with me something ancient, precious and alive! Silk worm cocoons!

These bright white cocoons hold silk worms in the process of transforming into silk moths (Bombyx mori - the domesticated "true" silk moth). The life cycle of these creatures is complex, and I've been trying to wrap my head around all the different stages so I can provide these little guys with what they need to live and reproduce. Turns out, at this stage, they don't need much!
When I came into the office today, six of the eight moths had emerged, and there is one pair that is clearly coupled together and mating!

This is very exciting, as it means the female will likely lay 300 to 600 fertilized eggs, which, after a period of cold "winter" (in the fridge) will hatch into silk worms (big, soft long caterpillars...) that will eat, eat, eat and then spin another cocoon and begin the process all over again.

When the moths emerge they have no mouth parts, so they cannot eat or drink. They have just enough energy to walk around (they cannot fly due to intensive domestication by the Chinese), mate, lay eggs and die, all in about a week. Which makes them really easy to care for!

These moths (and their progeny) will hopefully live in the EYA office. More updates to come!

2011-06-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Funding Cuts Highlighted in Georgia Straight

2011-06-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver paper, The Georgia Straight recently reported on the cuts to EYA's Skills Link program - click here to see the online version of the article.

Pictured here, some of EYA's last group of interns busy at work.

That's the bees knees!

2011-05-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

Creating habitat for pollinators has been an exciting trend around the city lately. With more habitat for native bees such as the Blue Orchard Mason Bee, there is more fruit, more diversity and more opportunity for learning. Also, an opportunity to create artistic dwellings for local wildlife. Now that's a good time!

At the Sunshine Patch in Strathcona, two wildlife poles have been put up. With the help of the community the garden has seen a big transformation this month, including new homes for some of our six legged buzzing friends.

EYA featured in Soiled & Seeded

2011-05-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

EYA offers a unique work experience opportunity through Service Canada's Skills Link Program. This month Soiled & Seeded magazine featured an interview about the program and what makes EYA tick...

Click here for the interview in Soiled & Seeded - an online magazine focusing on cultivating a garden culture.

Lawns to Loaves Project

2011-04-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

Join Chris Hergesheimer, "The Flour Peddler," and the Environmental Youth Alliance in an unique Vancouver initiative to explore the limits of where our daily bread comes from. Lawns to Loaves connects local residents, community groups, schoolchildren, and bakeries in a collaborative urban wheat farm comprised of a patchwork of micro-fields across the city. This spring we are looking for committed volunteers to grow at least 25 sq feet of wheat in their backyards, front yards, community gardens, churchs, alleyways, etc. Volunteers will receive seed and support along the way, culminating in a fall celebration where participants will thresh and mill their harvests to create the most local bread and pizza dough in the country.

Project Orientation and Workshop
Sunday, May 1, 2011, 10am-12pm
Strathcona Community Garden
RSVP to Hartley: hartley@eya.ca

A spring poem

2011-04-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sitting together in the urban oasis which is the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, the following poem was written collectively by EYA interns.

Spring Sunshine
Bunny Nibbling Delicious
Vivid
Serene
Willow Delight
Wise
Drifting Sirens
Bamboo Hidden
Reflection Healing
Textured Bounty

2011-04-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

EYA is now accepting applications for its 2011 Community Hive Program - a free, 4-month training program in hobby beekeeping for youth.

EYA facilitates an annual beekeeping program for youth, focusing on natural and organic practices to maintain the health of our two colonies at our Means of Production garden. Weekly Saturday sessions from May through October provide a solid foundation in hobby beekeeping.

Our 2011 program is now accepting applications.

The program will run from May 7 - October 8 with bi-weekly (every other week) sessions on Saturdays from 10-1 at our Means of Production Garden in Mt. Pleasant which has two working colonies that participants will be able to interact with and learn from. The curriculum includes: basic natural beekeeping, habitat creation, honeybee products, and honey extraction. We will also be visiting other apiaries in the Lower Mainland to hear from bee farmers in the area.

To apply, simply email a letter of intent to Hartley Rosen (hartley@eya.ca) stating 1) Why you want to learn about bees, 2) Your past experience working with bees (if applicable), 3) What you want to learn from the program, and 4) Your age as of May 1,2011. DEADLINE to apply is APRIL 25

We are lucky to have 2 amazing mentors, Brian Campbell and Sheilagh McKenna, with us to facilitate hands on sessions in all aspects of sustainable hive management.

This video below was produced by students attending our 2 week intensive documentary filmmaking course in the summer of 2009...

Last year, we also installed a new style (well, old style actually that has not been used for a while) of hive, called a top bar hive at the EYA Youth Garden. This city has the potential to be full of honey!

Urban Seeds Program Comes Full Cycle

2011-03-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months, EYA volunteers have been busy packaging up seeds that have been saved as part of EYA’s Urban Seeds program. With increasing concerns surrounding the continued amalgamation of seed companies, growing insecurities in our global food system and the relentless encroachment of genetic modification into commercial seeds, the importance of preserving locally adapted heirloom seeds is at an all-time high. Heirloom seeds are seeds harvested from plant varieties that have been nurtured, selected and handed down though many generations, and many are well suited to the intensive small-scale home gardener. The Urban Seeds program aims to preserve these heirloom seed varieties and make them available to the local community; ultimately reducing our reliance on outside seed sources whilst improving and adapting plant varieties to urban conditions in the City of Vancouver. Each year we grow and harvest heirloom varieties with the help of our interns and volunteers in EYA’s Youth Garden in the Cottonwood Community Garden located in the Strathcona neighbourhood of Vancouver.

As part of our Urban Seeds program, we also recruit a number of “Urban Seedkeepers” every year, either individuals or families with growing space, who plant, grow and save a couple varieties of heritage, organic seeds. EYA provides training and support for our Urban Seedkeepers so they may learn how to grow crops for seed, and properly collect and store these seeds. The Seedkeepers then donate a portion of their saved seed back to EYA so that they may be used in our urban greening projects and free education programs around the city. In exchange the Seedkeepers get to harvest half the bounty for their eating pleasure.

Packaging up all of this saved seed kept our volunteers busy throughout the winter months. Every Saturday our volunteers would form little assembly lines in the Eco-Pavilion to put together the seed packages. Each envelope (kindly donated by Premier Envelopes) is first stamped by hand with our Urban Seeds logo before a measured quantity of seeds is poured into the envelope. We then slip a small fortune cookie-like insert into each package that thanks the buyer for supporting EYA and explains a little about the Urban Seeds program. Finally a sticky label that contains plant care information is used to seal each envelope and the plant variety is then written on the front of each package. Our volunteers quickly became amazingly efficient at the process, with a record of 510 packages being assembled in one 2-hour session!

Our seed packages have been available for purchase at several “seedy Saturday” events and are currently available for purchase at several stores across Vancouver (see list below). EYA is also holding a Seed Exchange on Saturday April 16th from 10 am to 1 pm in the Eco-Pavilion in Strathcona Community Garden. The emphasis is on exchange, so no money will be trading hands, only seeds. We welcome all to attend, even those who have no seeds to trade as you’ll still be able to get your hands on some free seeds!

With all our saved seeds packaged up, we’re now turning our attention to this year’s round of seed saving efforts. We’re hoping to bring together fellow seed savers, as well as those just starting out, this Sunday April 3rd to share thoughts and engage in a discussion around seed saving. This will be the first of several SEED SAVERS GARDEN FORUMS that EYA will host in collaboration with Village Vancouver. We will be meeting in the EYA Youth Garden (far eastern end of Cottonwood Community Garden, right at the corner of Raymur and Malkin Ave) from 1-3 pm, and encourage anyone with an interest in seed saving to join us. The theme of our first forum is "planning the garden for seed saving" (i.e. soil building, space requirements, isolation and cross-pollination, garden design strategies, collective-multi garden seed saving etc.). For more information, and to RSVP, please send an email to volunteer@eya.ca.

Our Urban Seeds are currently available for $2 at the following locations: Whole Foods/Capers Market on Robson, Drive Organics, East End Food Coop, Van Dusen Garden Gift Shop, and Home Hardware on Commercial Drive.

- Claire W
Photo credit: Chris McLaughlin
Thank you to Premier Envelope for donating all the envelopes!

Spring Equinox Garden Party

2011-03-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that spring has finally sprung down in the Youth Garden. Only one month ago we were dealing with solid, frozen ground and struggling to keep our fingers warm when we attempted to work in the garden. Now bulbs are peeking through and blossoms are blooming everywhere! To celebrate the long awaited arrival of spring, EYA got together with the team from Growing City Composting and held a little work party down in the Youth Garden for our volunteers, clients, family and friends.

The folk from Growing City Composting arrived early in the garden and set up an impressive spread of fruit, coffee and baked goods, much of which had been donated by local organizations.

Almost as soon as things were set-up, our guests started to flock to the Youth Garden and before we knew it we had almost 30 people ready and eager to help out with our garden tasks.

Consulting the planting plan I held in one hand and my trusty garden notebook in the other, I assembled our volunteers into teams to tackle the required seed sowing, bed weeding, path mulching and shrub planting.

With such a great group of energetic volunteers we soon had accomplished a huge list of pressing early spring garden tasks.

With the work done and dusted, it was time to savour the tasty treats Growing City Composting had brought and mingle with our fellow gardeners. There was also a surprise in store, with Growing City presenting a prize draw with some fantastic goodies to be won, including gift certificates for hair cuts from the Beehive Hair Lounge, loaves from Uprising Breads Bakery and lovely pastels and sketchbooks from Rath Art Supplies.

With volunteers having harvested all our remaining overwintered greens, there was something for everyone to take home. Before we were through, Andrew and Lisa (owners of Growing City Composting) presented us with a generous donation of ten full burlap sacks of beautiful, finished compost. What a wonderful gift to the garden!

EYA would like to extend a big thank you to Vancouver Farmers Markets, the Beehive Hair Lounge, Uprising Breads Bakery, Rath Art Supplies and WA-2 Water Co. for their generous donations and support. And of course, a big shout-out to Growing City Composting and all our wonderful volunteers on the day. Hope to see you down at the garden again soon!

- Claire W

Intern peers into the soul of urban food

2011-03-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

The Environmental Youth Alliance has got to be the coolest program I have ever had the chance to be involved in. I had been hearing about EYA for a couple years, a few of my friends had been involved and I had tried to apply for a couple summer internships but I always seemed to miss the deadline by a few days. One day I decided to give the EYA site a look and see if I could find any information about volunteering and low and behold I clicked a link entitled 'Winter Internships', the rest was history.

Although it seemed strange to be involved with a program solely based on horticulture and agriculture in the middle of the winter, we still managed to learn an insane amount of information covering everything from compost and permaculture, indoor and outdoor gardening, propagation and even horticultural therapy. We were even given the chance to enlighten and teach our fellow interns with our own presentations on our own topics. While still spending every Friday together at EYA, the rest of our weeks were devoted to the work experience placements that we were matched up.

I had the chance to be involved with SOLEfood through these and have been having a great time working for a functioning social enterprise and I have been enjoying the fact that my efforts are going towards a greater good, not just filling my bosses coffers with more money.

Urban agriculture is an emergent solution to an even more urgent problem, a crisis of food access is spreading through North America and the first line of defense is simply growing produce. There is an ever growing community demand for healthier choices and access to locally and sustainably grown food. Luckily enough we now have Urban Farms, Community Farmers Markets and CSA's popping up all over the lower mainland, a movement fueled by the demand for real local food. I am once again filled with a feeling of contentment, knowing that I will be fully able to help this movement grow and that the Environmental Youth Alliance was the precursor to my involvement.

An eater of foods.

Scott Joinson

Youth In Action!

2011-02-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

Our team here at EYA has been busy down in the Youth Garden; trying to get the plots ready for the upcoming growing season. Having built many new raised beds using a stack of donated lumber, we soon realised that we were going to require a huge volume of growth medium to fill them and a small army to shift it!

Thankfully both wishes were granted almost simultaneously. West Creek Farms agreed to provide us with a huge quantity of their organic soil enrichment, containing aged fir bark and mushroom manure, at a discounted price. They were able to deliver all 15 yards on Saturday morning and drop it all off on the street beside the Youth Garden. Now I don’t know if you have a sense of just how much 15 cubic yards of soils is, but, as someone who is pretty new to this gardening game, my heart just about stopped when this truck rolled up and started unloading. Yup, every inch of that compost material was destined for our garden.

Lucky for me, in addition to the 15 cubic yards of soil, I also had 15 bright and eager high school students from Burnaby Mountain Secondary School coming down to volunteer with us. The students belonged to a group called Youth In Action, which participates in various community service and volunteer projects. After a brief introduction to the garden and the importance of good soil structure & fertility, the students assembled themselves into teams to carry out the various tasks. One team started raking the leaves off the tops of the beds, another started adding fertilizer and lime to the bed surfaces, and the third team got dug into that huge pile of compost material.

Pretty soon it was all hands on deck as everyone focused their efforts on getting the soil off the road and into the garden. To give you a better sense of the task at hand:
A fully loaded, full size pick-up truck will hold about 2.5 cubic yards of material, so we were attempting to move 6 pick-up trucks worth of material. What did that really mean to us? Well about 135 wheelbarrow trips and lots of team work!

It felt good to watch the compost pile shrink and the energy and determination of the team meant that it all happened at quite the pace. After a great deal of work, our garden beds were beautifully filled, the street was cleared and our team was still all smiles! A massive “thank you” goes out to Youth In Action for all their help in preparing our plant beds. I can’t wait to start planting!

- Claire W

$15 well spent

2011-02-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

Chak tells all about his current internship through the Skills Link Program and EYA. When not at the office he can be found siring large pots of food to share with friends.

Hello again from the offices of FarmFolkCityFolk, on beautiful Granville Island, Vancouver, B.C! With less than a month left at my placement, the time has come to set the final deadlines, dig in, and accomplish everything that I have set out to do. The challenge now is staying focused, using my time effectively, and prioritization. In light of that, I may not get a chance to submit another entry for the EYA blog during the remainder of my placement, so let me take the present moment to promote the wonderful organization I am doing my work placement at, and tell you a bit about the work that we do.

FarmFolkCityFolk's mandate, loud and clear on the front page of their website and on almost every page of promotional material they distribute, is to "work to cultivate a local, sustainable food system." In my own words, that means that FFCF creates connections: between local farmers and BC chefs, between consumers and wholesome nutritious food, between motivated people and fresh initiatives for them to pursue, and between all of us and the process of how our food is grown, processed, and prepared for our tables. If you love yourself, your family, and the people in your community, then it's hard to think of many things that are more important than making sure that everyone gets fed enough, and in a fantastic, sustainable, and dignified way.

Last week, I brought fifteen dollars into work and became a bona-fide member of FarmFolkCityFolk. The decision to become a part of FFCF's membership had nothing to do with feeling pressured to do so, or because of how nice everyone was, or how fun my job here is, it was because I have been convinced that there is a strong future for food security initiatives, and I want to have a say in the decisions that are being made and give myself the opportunity to participate and learn as a supporter of this movement.

I am looking forward to getting into many of the wonderful things that need to be done in our Vancouver community, through organizations like FarmFolkCityFolk, the Environmental Youth Alliance, and the Purple Thistle. From people like Dan Jason, Michael Pollan, Will Allen, the other Skills Link participants and our facilitators at the EYA, a tremendous amount of inspiration and information has taken up permanent residence in my mind and spirit.

Anyway, because we're at risk of getting too evangelistic here, allow me to speak frankly: I have a heck of a long way to go before the way that I live, and eat to continue living, lines up with the ideals and values that I want to embody. The reassuring aspect of this is that so does my city. Not far under the surface, Vancouver has the soul of an activist. As a community we want to be an example of sustainability, environmental responsibility, and the joyful celebration of progressive social values and a vibrant local culture.

Like me, Vancouver has the best intentions, but for both of us, the path of least resistance can win out. Change isn't easy, but it is rewarding, and every time we make an informed and proactive choice we get one small step closer to those rewards. With so many great non-profit groups and passionate people around to share knowledge with us and teach how to take the steps toward secure and sustainable means of living, I feel supported every step of the way.

Where there's a willow there's a way

2011-02-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

Besides lending themselves to create easy puns, willow is also a very handy plant to have in the garden. Especially if that garden is focused on growing artist's materials, which is the case at the Means of Production (MOP) garden. This garden features a variety of willow, used for living art pieces in the garden. It is also a beautiful and eco-friendly fencing material. It is the season for willow harvesting and EYA has had several successful work parties to cut, sort, and bundle this bountiful crop. We also did some weaving, which we will certainly be doing more of in the months to come. If you would like to hear about upcoming volunteer opportunities at MOP email volunteer@eya.ca or check out the Means of Production Artist's Raw Resource Collective website .

Intrepid journey through the archives

2011-01-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, but looking at the calendar, it seems I've been working here at FarmFolkCityFolk for about a month now.

Nevertheless, the learning curve just keeps getting steeper! It's great, because I'm always working on, or learning about, something. Not only am I involved in what might be considered fairly run-of-the-mill office projects, (familiarizing myself with spreadsheets, and work plans, and communication skills, and research, and filing procedures, oh my!), but I've also been given the opportunity to attempt some jobs that only a non-profit office like FarmFolkCityFolk could provide.

My first assignment, The Archive Project, is my favourite so far. Recently we emptied many of our outdated materials into the recycling and did away with the archaic filing cabinet once and for all, in favour of our equally extensive and sprawling digital files. The only thing that saved countless papers, photographs, and pamphlets from the eternal obscurity of the recycling bin was their historical merit.

And thus was I, the lowly EYA intern, given a great and wonderful task: the organization of said materials into a reference library for future researchers. I'm taking the archives home, piece by piece, and cataloguing them in a single massive document. Sometimes, when I'm leafing through old newspaper articles mentioning the organization, perusing the dog-eared minutes of Annual General Meetings long since past, or peering at grainy film negatives from the dusty ages long before digital photography, I feel like Indiana Jones on an archaeological quest.

But enough of these National Geographic-flavoured daydreams! I should probably be getting back to work now and this spreadsheet isn't going to update itself. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out the FarmFolkCityFolk Facebook page for news, optimism, and upcoming events... all posted by yours truly.

-Chak

Learning, healing, growing, seeds of knowledge showing…

2011-01-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

My Gwich’in name is Nagoohiindak…it means “good with my hands”. I feel the responsibility to live up to my name, as well as a responsibility to heal our communities and Mother Earth. With the gifts I have been given and the paths that I have been granted with, I will fulfill these responsibilities. I have been fortunate to partake in the amazing opportunity to work with Environmental Youth Alliance and Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House (MPNH) as an intern.

I found a small patch of land 3.5 ft wide by 61 ft long, in which I am in the process of transforming into an edible garden for MPNH. I am slowly and yet simultaneously, very quickly learning about urban gardening, the do’s the don’ts, the difficulties and the joys…weeding, mud, mulching, burlap sacks, compost, leaves, soil PH, worms, ants, sun, rain, snow/slush, and more rain!

Coming from the Yukon originally, I have very rapidly discovered the realities of urban gardening in a temperate rainforest/city, such as smelling KFC in the air every Tuesday whilst working in the garden. Also, I have realized how very much I appreciate permafrost!! I have been battling with eternal weeds that seem to grow into the depths of the earth, no matter how much digging is done I will never find the roots! Therefore I shall smother them with love…and burlap mulch! (Thank you JJ Bean for your generous donations!)

I have found my niche here at MPNH and my time is occupied with researching how to grow a garden: effective mulching, finding companion plants, finding donations and funding, discovering the many grassroots people and organizations that are passionate about sustainably growing our own food and being a positive element of the community. I feel as if I am in school and getting paid for it!

The best job is done with passion and love, especially when it comes to growing and nurturing life. I’m excited about continuing on this journey and sharing my experiences! Mahsi-Cho! (Big thanks!)

Melissa Frost

Under the Desk

2011-01-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

If you notice more EYA staff with tan lines on their feet it may be because of the latest space being claimed for plant propagation, under a desk! Matthew has quickly turned the space under one desk into a little plant oasis, complete with bottom heat (thin pads to encourage the roots) and a high quality full spectrum light source.

Currently we have little kiwi vine cuttings which will end up in community green spaces throughout the city. Kiwis are one of the best kept gardening secrets of Vancouver, they grow into delicious fruits that look identical to those in the store imported from half a world away.

We also have several trays of wheat grass. Our first crop is very lush and awaiting it's fate - to be pulverized in a juicer and create a poplar nourishing drink. Bring your juicer down to the EYA office for a fresh wheat grass shot - a treat in the middle of winter.

Rainy Rooftops

2011-01-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Do you ever notice how many buildings have plants growing on top? A lot! And it seems there are more all the time.

We visited a couple of rooftop gardens this morning. Even in the heart of winter these green spaces offer a beautiful haven in the bustling city below. Even in January they are growing hardy herbs such as rosemary and covercrops to add nutrients to the soil.

The Intercultural Garden at St. Paul's is a large green space, with lots of shrubs and spaces for veggie gardens come spring. The rooftop garden at the YWCA on Hornby st. is a food production garden run by volunteers. We were inspired to see some raspberries which came from the Environmental Youth Alliance's Youth Garden had produced an overwhelming amount of berries last summer. Now that's the kind of problem you want to have!

Reflections on my work in education. . .

2010-11-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

Talking to kids about food and where it comes from can be hard. We all eat regularly. None of us, though, fully understands where every piece of our diet originates, nor do we contemplate the baffling array of hands and vessels that process, prepare, package and transport our food. Even as one of Vancouver's most passionate local food activists I regularly eat meals blindly, without the time or resources to be able to engage with and understand where my food comes from.

Even if children only experience food under the fluorescent lights of the grocery store they possess an intuitive understanding that what we eat is natural and wholly. They can readily accept that having healthy earth to grow healthy food in is healthy for us. They understand that doing this all locally is the smartest option. They see this inticing reality as entirely possible. Trying to explain how our food system has become disconnected from this reality and how they can take it back is far more challenging.

How, then, did intelligent human beings ever make the mistake of deviating from this basic human intuition? The answer is not simple. It is tied up in centuries of political and social upheaval. It is rooted in an economically engineered ecology wherein diversity of stuff outweighs diversity of life. Through generations of patriarchy, power politics, and corruption our life force, our food, has been vacuum sealed and certified safe. It has become controlled by multinational corporations operating to increase the abundance of a handful of stakeholders. Our food is grown for wealth, not health.

If you want to know what it would look like to grow food for health, speak with a 10 year old child honestly about food and how it grows. Use your adult brain to think about the possible history of every morsel you ingest over the span of one day. Talk to the 10 year old about it. Take a moment together to think about the diversity of organisms that share the earth with us and ask how could we produce food that helped more than it hurt?

If you are able to be honest with yourself and accept that other 'non human' life forms are worth considering (the 10 year old will not have issue with this) you will quickly recognize that we desperately need a radical shift in agricultural practice. If you decide to look into this at all, and engage with other adults who have actively studied the alternatives, you will find that such a shift requires movement at all levels of society and may require new transformative economies and cultures to emerge. All of this change is sure to do one of two things: 1) scare you, or 2) excite and then (perhaps) frustrate you. The frustration will be caused by an inability to create the change you were initially excited by.

If you are interested in maintaining or increasing your monetary “value” then you may be invested in the existing economic and cultural order. This will understandably cause you to reflect negatively upon a shift away from such orders. Supporting emerging agricultural practices may not seem feasible to you.

To a 10 year old child, having locally raised and organically grown food is the smartest option. If you are happily fed and in a loving community, what else might one need? That said, if you are a single mother living in the city, what options do you have?

Herbs that help with Depression

2010-09-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

So I went to a radical herbalist gathering recently and in one of the workshops they were talking about herbal allies for mental health. This topic interested me a lot so I would like to share with you a bit of what I learned. I will look at herbs that help with depression in particular. The two herbs they looked at were St. John’s Wort and Devil’s club.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

These plants grow about three feet tall with small yellow flowers and small oval shaped leaves. It is a plant indigenous to Europe, which has been introduced to many temperate areas of the world and grows wild in many areas.

It is not specifically as effective with people who have severe or chronic depression. However it has been known to help people who have periodic depression. It helps ease symptoms like loss of energy, numbness, nervous agitation and feeling stuck. The amount of time it takes to feel its effects vary and can be quick or take a few weeks.

Caution: It is rare but there is a slight chance of having a phototoxic reaction to St. John’s wort (a negative reaction to sunlight). It also can induce mania in people specifically prone to it.

This plant has lower side effects than anti-depressants and is cost effective.

Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridum)

This plant has a big central stalk covered in spines and huge umbrella-like lobed leaves. In the spring they grow red coned berry clusters and in the winter they lose all their leaves and a brown spiky stalk is all that remains. They predominately exist in dense, moist, old growth conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Devil’s club mostly helps people who have low energy and who are going through physical and mental stress. It actually has been seen to decrease the intensities of hypothalamus and pituitary stress response. It is strengthening and energizing and is beneficial for people with autoimmune disorders. This plant helps with hyper and hypoglycaemia and type 2 diabetes as it regulates blood sugar. It is also an expectorant that increases mucous secretions.

2010-08-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Seedballs

Intro:

So the other day I just learnt how to make seedballs at a little workshop held by Kevin, an intern with EYA. I actually hadn't heard much about seed balls but thought it sounded easy and it turned out to be fun too. We mixed up some compost, clay and seeds and voila, all we needed to do is roll them up and dry them. They are so handy for using and carrying around too. So if you don't mind getting your hands dirty then lets get to work making seedballs!

History:

The making and scattering of seedballs is an ancient practice that was reintroduced in modern times by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer who was commited to developing a unique method of small scale organic farming that mimics natural conditions as much as possible. Fukuuoka's method does not use pesticides, fertilizers, weeding or tilling, and seedballs are important part of sowing seeds. Fukuoka called it "Do nothing farming".

Why seedballs?

Seedballs have been used in guerilla gardening since the seeds dont need to be planted and can simply be scattered across the soil. The clay dissolves gradually as the balls are exposed to water, releasing the seeds when adequate moisture is present. Seedballs are usefull for seeding dry, compacted soil and for reclaiming derelict ground. They are handy because you can just chuck them over fences into empty lots.

How to make seedballs:

Step 1: Mix 1/4 cup of assorted seeds (use soil builders and nitrogen fixers like: winter rye and buckwheat and also pollinator-loving plants like phacelia and alyssum mixed with some native species) with 2 cups of dry organic compost.

Step 2: Add just enough dry terracotta clay (purchase from art supply store) and water to hold the mix together.

Step 3: Take a pinch of the mixture and roll in palm of your hand into about penny-sized round balls.

Steap 4: Scatter seedballs wildly!

In the end nature ultimately decides what to grow where.

Calendula/Comfrey healing salve

2010-08-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

Calendula is a prolifically-growing species of marigold that can be easily started by seed. the bright orange and gold blossoms have lng been valued as a healing herd, and their antibacterial and antiseptic properties are especially useful for healing cuts and abrasions and preventing infection. calendula healing salve can also soothe skin conditions such as acne, rashes, eczema, sunburn, bug bites and itchy, dry skin.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a perennial plant growing in moist meadows and wastelands throughout the United States, reaching a height of 3-4 feet. it's roots and leaves have been used medically for hundreds of years to help heal a myriad of conditions, such as cuts, bruises, burns, insect bites and sore throats. a poultice made from the rootstock, when applied externally, can bring relief to inflamed arthritic joints, sprains and cystic acne. Comfrey encourages tissues bnes and ligaments to reknit together: the herb has also been called "knit bone."

INSTRUCTIONS!

What You'll need:

1.5 cups freshly-picked Calendula blossoms
1.5 cups maserated Comfrey leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil and/or almond oil and/or grape seed oil
1/4 cup beeswax chips or grated beeswax
30-40 drops lavender and/or rose essential oil (optional)
Vitamin E oil (optional)
1 quart-size canning jar
Small, heavy saucepan
strainer
cheese cloth
wooden spoon
small wide-mouth jars with lids, sterilized

step 1
pick the calendula blossoms on a sunny morning so that they will be fairly dry. shake the blossoms well to make sure and soil is removed. if the blossoms are damp, spread them on a flat surfice and let them dry in the sun for a few hours. too much moisture in the leaves can cause the salve to mold.

Step 2
put the blossoms into a quart size canning jar. add half of the olive and/or almond and/or grape seed oil and stir it to make sure all of the blossoms are covered in oil.

step 3
Cover the jar with cheesecloth so that moisture can evaporate, and set the jar in a sunny window. leave it until the oil turns a deep golden colour, about one to two weeks.

step 4
pick the Comfrey leaves and macerate them.

step 5
put the comfrey and the rest of the oil in the sauce pan put it on the stove on medium/low heat until oil is well saturated in comfrey, about a half hour.

step 6
turn off heat and add calendula oil stir then let cool enough to strain.

step 7
strain thoroughly through a folded cheesecloth laid in a strainer, pressing with a wooden spoon to extract as much oil the the blossoms and leaves as possible. use spoon to get all blossoms and leaves out of sauce pan.

step 8
put salve back into sauce pan and add beeswax heat slowly on low heat just until the beeswax melts. this is when to add the essential oil and vit E oil if so desired.

step 9
pour the salve into jars and allow it to cool before tightening the lids. store in a dark, cool place. it will keep for about a year.

CROWS Point Community Garden Work Party - June 13

2010-06-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sunny weather in Vancouver is always an occasion for celebration, and the weekend of June 12-13 – the first truly beautiful weather since our fickle coastal climate played a colossal game of “Now-You-See-It-Now-You-Don’t” following the May long weekend – the entire city is ready to oblige and make up for lost time. My calendar is a road map of red ink, directing my attention to no less than four spring festivals. I could never possibly fit all this into a scant 48 hours, especially since I’ve already have the core hours of noon until 3:00pm on June 13 reserved for yet another event I don’t plan to miss: a work party at CROWS Point Community Garden.

When last I participated in a CROWS work party, CROWS Point was a community garden in name only: the garden plots, though approved for construction by EYA, didn’t exist yet, plus, despite a year and a half of native plant importation to the western portion of the site, the entire area still showed many signs of derelict origins. And it was raining.

What a difference four months makes! Ostensibly, I am there this day to report on the construction of the tool/work shed. However there is so much else going on, the work party is practically a spring festival unto itself, involving the combined labour of 23 adults, 4 children, 1 dog, and the full realization of a dream for the community that was three years in the making.

Upon arriving on site, I am immediately greeted by Celina, the local visionary initially responsible for CROWS Point taking flight, and I’m given a tour of all the various tasks being done:

Here, there is a women crouched inside a wooden composter like a life-size Jack-in-the-box, albeit one whose eventual escape will be less a spring than a fetid squelch thanks to shoes that are slowly soaking up muddy compost juice. She is staple-gunning a wire mesh inside the composter to keep animals from getting inside.

Over there, some of the members of Club Shed are leveling out the soon-to-be structure’s cinder block and gravel foundation.

Further that way near the sidewalk, some people are on hands and knees scooping up excess foundation gravel from where the City dump truck had unloaded it weeks prior. This task is important because this area will soon become a native flower garden, and the soil conditions need to be just right.

Back a bit closer to where Celina and I stand, in amongst the cherry tree – the original, unauthorized native plant transplantation site – people are weeding; that inglorious obligation of any type of garden. The native trees, ferns and berries have really taken hold, but vigorous invasives like buttercup, Japanese Knotweed, and blackberry still threaten to overrun the space. It will be some years yet before this area is fully restored to the point of self-regulation.

Way over there in the middle of the western “wing” (Celina is still fond of calling it that), sod is being dug up and free City woodchips shoveled down to create a trail that will start on East 24th do a couple of loop de loops around the native plant beds, and exit onto Vanness Avenue.

Also over there, the grass – now two feet high – is being cut by one of two environmentally-friendly methods:

1) an antique push mower that is reportedly “like doing pushups” to operate, and (2) a machete (no word on how that is to operate, however its owner wields it with gusto). Maintaining a pleasing aesthetic on the west side of CROWS Point, which could easily be viewed as “messy” or “unkempt” if the grass was left to tower under the summer sun, is essential to retaining community support for the project.

Finally, past Celina and I over in the eastern wing, people are at their garden plots – thinning plants, relocating plants, and also inserting additional plants. As if the beds didn’t already look like something from the cover of a West Coast Seeds catalogue.

Although I am there mainly to report on the garden’s progress, it’s impossible not to get caught up in the spirit of communal labour, so I bend a knee to pull knotweed in amongst the mowing and trail-building. A short time later, Celina calls a lunch break. It is a carb-elicious potluck lunch of both savoury and sweet croissants and scones graciously donated by Uprising Breads Bakery, as well potato chips, apples, fresh arugula from the garden drizzled with oil and balsamic, and trail mix that I totally high-grade for the chocolate-covered caramels therein (sorry about that, by the way, but whoever brought that mix is brilliant! What a fantastic combination; from now on, my GORP will be GORPC3. Try saying that three times quickly!)

After lunch, Samantha from the EYA provides an educational component to the work party, leading a workshop on winter gardening, which, contrary to some, isn’t what we’re doing at present with our below-seasonal daytime highs, although my month-old, inch-high lettuce begs to differ. Rather, to quote the hand-out Samantha distributes, “Winter gardening is really about summer planting”, generally taking place in late July/early August. Samantha has also brought a collection of overwinter-hardy plants grown by students at EYA’s Youth Garden for CROWS Pointers to plant in their beds. These plants include cauliflower, leeks, red winter lettuce, Asian mustard greens, and cabbage. Leeks being an herb I add to almost all my cooking, I am thrilled to get to take two plants home with me.

By now, my time at CROWS Point is nearing an end. Before departing, I check in on the progress of the shed. Luckily, donations of a pile of cedar from the erstwhile Olympic Alberta House and an entire disassembled shed will much reduce the total work Club Shed has before them. However after having twice set the foundation – the first time inadvertently exceeding the City’s approved dimensions for building without a permit by half a foot on either side – they’re already done a lot.

Now, despite being hard at work, there will be no official shed-raising this day, for they are only just starting to lay the floor. A shed-raising, much like the traditional barn-raisings of the past, is a significant event, and one worthy of its own blog post. Stay tuned!

Pink Tutus and Saxophones - The Stone Soup Festival

2010-05-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

*Center -Health Living- Left to Right are Mary Lee, Joanne Douglas and David Weightman

At the Stone soup festival I instantly saw and abundance of personality. Saturday May 8^th at Britannia, not only were there crowds of people gathering to drink the stone soup (free) but also to listen to a call to several needs in our community. I walked into the pavilion unsure of what I was going to encounter there at Britannia. Commercial Drive was well known to me; quirky and outrageous. There I saw people in pink tutus and people with saxophones walking around but I could see the glowing curiousness in their eyes; interest and concern were present.

The first table I walked to was the Vancouver coastal health table. I was first drawn in by Mary Lee’s friendliness; she opened by offering me a game (immediately I felt interested). The healthy living program encourages people to eat right and have a sense of proper proportions in our diet. The table had great speakers and a good game to get your attention. You spun a wheel with three choices; depending on the choice they would ask you a couple of questions on your own health. If you answered right you get a prize and some useful knowledge at the same time. I left with some awareness.

Next, I passed by a table labeled “Living Medicine Project.” We had a conversation about practices of natural medicine. He’d said he often takes a group of people, each time a new place to study local plants and their benefits to health. The organization offers an alternative to store bought medicines; available to everyone.

I was lucky enough to catch one of the films before I left. So not only tables with great people and great food but also films that relate to the festival itself (healthy food, environment and living). Though I did not watch the entire 70 minute film “Island on the edge” I did catch parts of it. It drew our attention to food producers and farmers of Vancouver Island and their struggle to provide for island residents that prefer cheaper, imported food.

Unfortunately I didn’t have any Stone Soup at the festival but don’t eat on the job right? I would encourage you all to go next year; there were great people, food, and entertainment for adults and children alike.

Urban garden in danger!

2010-05-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine lives over in a lovely communal house called the Farmhouse. They have an amazing urban garden with both their front and backyards permacultured to grow yummy food, but have run into a bit of trouble with the city of Vancouver recently. Apparently, the Farmhouse does not match the clean appearance of the rest of the neighbourhood, and under the "Untidy Premises Bylaw", they are subject to a ridiculous fine until they fix up the property. The Farmhouse inhabitants are fighting hard for their urban garden, and you can read about it on the Farmhouse blog: http://farmhouseblog.wordpress.com/

They have received quite a bit of media coverage lately too, and were featured on CBC and in the Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/one-neighbours-garden-is-another-neighbours-blight/article1550386/

The whole ordeal has been a bit crazy, and it reflects badly on the city of Vancouver, who touts itself as a forward supporter of urban agriculture.

Seedy Events and Projects

2010-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Join EYA at our annual seed exchange this Saturday (April 17th) from 10am to 1pm at the Strathcona Eco-Pavilion! Bring your favourite seeds to swap with fellow gardeners from across the city. No seed? No problem, there's lots for everyone! Check out the Facebook event! Questions? Please email info@eya.ca.

EYA is still recruiting urban seedkeepers for the 2010 growing season! To sign up, please email Georgia at georgia@eya.ca. The orientation will be held the following Saturday (April 24th) from 10am to 12pm at the Strathcona Eco-Pavilion. A blurb about the Urban Seedkeepers program:

EYA is recruiting 20 individuals or families with growing space to plant, grow and save one variety of heritage, organic seeds. Urban seedkeepers will learn how to grow crops for seed, properly collect, and store these seeds. In exchange, the seeds will be donated back to EYA for our community nursery project, where we will use them in urban greening projects and free education programs around the city to raise awareness and grow healthy food. As well as contributing to EYA’s community nursery project, this project will contribute to biodiversity and our city’s seed security in terms of varietal availability, human capacity and knowledge.

Agreement: EYA will provide all necessary training and support as well as initial seeds for approx 20 plants of one seed variety. Number of plants and variety of seed will be determined along with the seedkeeper depending on amount of space, quality of soil and existing infrastructure. (Trellis’, planter boxes etc.)

The seedkeeper will commit to planting the seeds and caring for them throughout the season in such a way to ensure purity of the strain (this will be covered in the April orientation session), troubleshooting with EYA if necessary regarding concerns around plant health. The seedkeeper will commit to growing out 1/2 of the entire harvest to seeds that will be returned to EYA as a donation. 1/2 of the crop is ear marked for the seedkeepers eating pleasure!

And, don't forget about our plant and seed exchange project! Currently, the Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network (VPSEN) has over 60 members with more being added daily. We still need your help in generating activity and discussion, however! If you are interested in this project, please visit http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name/ where you can find out more about the network as well as view members' trading lists. Even if you don't have your own seeds or plants to offer others, we still encourage you to sign up! Direct exchanges of seeds and plants are most ideal to keep this as grass roots as possible, but monetary exchanges are certainly more than acceptable. If you have any suggestions as a member or non-member about the project (e.g., things that can be improved) please contact Amy. Happy trading!

The First Nations oppose the Enbridge pipelines. A press conference

2010-03-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

A press conference was held on March 23rd 2010 marking the 21st anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. On that day in 1989, a vessel spilled about 40 million litres ( 10.8 gallons) of crude oil just off an Alaskan coast, eventually covering 1,300 square miles of ocean. It killed approximately 22 orcas, 247 bald eagles, 300 harbor seals, at least 2,800 sea otters, 250,000 seabirds, as well as the destruction of billions of salmon and herring. 20 years later, 26 thousand gallons of the oil still remain in the sandy shorelines and scientists say the effects of the spill can still be seen within the wildlife and their habitats. Remembering 'one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur in history' was a good introduction for the topic in opposition. Headed by the Nadleh Whut’en drummers into the press conference were members of the First Nations, environmentalists and many others who are joining together to oppose the two, 1,170 km Enbridge pipelines from bringing Alberta's Tar Sands to BC's coast. The pipelines heading East and West would carry about 525,000 barrels of oil and 193,000 barrels of condensate (a petroleum byproduct used to thin tar sands bitumen). Each would cross over about 1000 streams and rivers and would marginally increase the number of oil bearing super tankers to, from, and along the coast. Oil spills happen every year, we just don't hear about them. In 2006, Enbridge reported 67 spills and 65 spills in 2007. The risks associated to the proposed Enbridge pipelines are devastating.

"Any spill would be catastrophic to our marine ecosystem, as well as the social, cultural and economic well-being of our communities. We believe that faced with broad opposition, Enbridge will withdraw its pipeline proposal. To those who share our commitment to the well being of the planet we invite you to join us in defending this magnificent coast, its creatures, cultures and communities." Coastal First Nations. Great Bear Initiative.

Natural Medicine in the City Day 7

2010-03-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Last week, it was the final session for our workshops. For the last workshop, we presented on a herb we liked, as well as celebrated our completion with a potluck party. Thinking back, I had definitely learned a lot more about herbalism and had a great time putting it into practice.

To wrap up our workshop, we each chose a herb and did a presentation about its characteristics and medicinal uses. I chose oregano which is one of my favorite cooking herbs. It was actually quite interesting doing this presentation as I learned that there were actually two different types of oregano, one for cooking and one for medicinal use. Its actually surprisingly beneficial, where gram for gram, it's got more nutrients than apples and blueberries. Overall, I thought everyone did a great job with their presentations and I think we all learned a bit more because of it.

To celebrate the completion of our workshop, we had a potluck party. Each dish had a herbal element to it and the foods were very delicious. I made an oregano pasta, continuing the focus of my presentation. It was quite the potluck with many creative dishes and was probably the most nutritional meal I've had in a while. Many different herbs were featured in the dishes including dandelion fritters, herbal pesto spaghetti, nettle soup, apple cider, etc. I was very impressed with how everyone used different herbs to create herbal food, new ways for people to get the benefits. I think some of us could even open their own restaurant based on herbalism...herbalism cooking?

Thinking back, the last seven weeks I've learned quite a lot about herbalism. I came into the workshop unfamiliar with the idea and was curious in how we can use it. Since then, I've not only learned that many of the plants around us have medicinal benefits but also, put it into practice. I was able to make my own medicine, using plants that I collected. There's a very satisfying feeling in that, being able to heal yourself. I think the medicine I enjoyed the most was the poplar salve. It was the first one we made and I have been using it since we made it. Going forward, I'll continue to read and learn about the different plants around us. Hopefully, I'll find a new recipe and make my own herbal remedy. I really want to thank Samantha and Julia for hosting this great workshop and I encourage anyone reading this and interested in herbalism to apply for it when it opens up again. Best of luck to my fellow attendees!

As always, pictures are here!

Earth Hour

2010-03-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

“So the world goes into a standstill?” 16 year old Maya Bhangoo from Windermere says. Yes, this 27^th, residents all over the world will give up an hour for the planet. It’s funny when I visualize, say, a light bulb – earth, come 8:30 I see it dimming and click! It goes off, just a black dot hanging around in the universe.

Earth hour was founded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007. Since then over 88 countries have participated with more to come this year. Sidney had started this tradition and from then on numerous countries have chosen to participate.

Just take some time out of your hectic day and walk around your home. What can you turn off without affecting yourself too much? What can you do to remind yourself to turn off the lights? It’s just an hour of your time. I myself have participated in this event since only last year. Until then I had not heard of its existence. But what I did was, tell all my friends about it, since that time, they’ve forgotten and I have just reminded them. If you can’t make the sacrifice of just an hour (which I am sure you can), tell someone else to do so.

But what they asked me was why, and what do I do in that hour? Well I’ve compiled a list of things for you to do in that small span of time:

Light a Candle (or several)
Read a scary book under Candle light (trust me that’s fun)
Have a conversation about ________(anything is fine)
Dinner under Candle Light
Sing songs
Walk the Dog (or cat)
Eat some food
Play an instrument
Listen to music
Candle lighted board games
Tell scary stories
Tell Jokes
Play hide and seek
Sleep
Go for a walk
Meditate
Draw under candle light
Play Cards under candle light

If turning off your lights for an hour didn’t excite you in anyway, I hope that did. Hopefully some time away from technology does some good. I know exactly because more than half of that list, not during Earth hour, I’ve done. It something more than just one hour, it’s unity for us and a benefit for the world’s climate.

Natural Medicine in the City 6

2010-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Our workshop is nearing its conclusion and last week was our second last workshop. On a surprisingly sunny afternoon, we discussed potential herbs for our presentation next workshop, as well as collected some dandelion for eating and plantain to make a poultice. We also had our weekly tea session and bottled our garlic and oregon grape root tinctures.

At the beginning of our workshop, we discussed what ways we can explore herbalism in the future. For me, I'm most interested in looking at how traditional Chinese medicine compares to what I've learned throughout the last couple weeks. Since the workshops began six weeks ago, I've begun to notice that I've been inadvertently practicing herbalism since I was little. A lot of Chinese cooking that my mom makes contains Chinese ingredients which are supposed to provide medicinal benefits. This idea that I've been practicing herbalism really solidified since the rose hip tea we drank the other week. In the future, I will want to dig through my mom's pantry and try to identify which ones I've learned while at these workshops.

In the sunny weather, we went outside to the Strathcona garden to pick some dandelion and plantain leaves. The dandelion was to eat as a snack while the plantain leaves were used to make a poultice. To be honest, I didn't really like the dandelion leaves. While the ones we picked were really green and fresh, I found the leaves to be too bitter. However, there were many among us that did enjoy the fresh dandelion leaves and found them delicious. For the people that read this blog, I do suggest you try some for yourselves as you may enjoy them. For the plantain leaves, we used it to make a poultice, basically a bandage. We tore up the leaves into pieces and mashed it up while adding a bit of water. The poultice is effective for cuts and open wounds, having some antibacterial effects as well as closing cuts up. We applied it to Samantha's cat scratch wound and apparently, it was very effective in reducing the size of the wound. We also finished our tinctures by bottling them. It was quite difficult straining the garlic tincture since we had cut it very finely but the oregon grape tincture was easier to strain. The smell of the garlic tincture was breathtaking however. I can't really describe the scent but I assure that all garlic lovers will love to have a whiff of the tincture. Some people even took the strained garlic bits back home, either to make another batch or to use it in their home cooking. I took home a bottle of the oregon grape tincture since its supposed to "cleanse" your body.

Next week will be the last session of our workshop and we'll each be presenting on a herb we like. I'll be doing a presentation on oregano, one of my favorite cooking herbs. We'll also be ending our workshop with a potluck party so I'm excited to see what everyone will be cooking. Each of the dish will feature a main herb ingredient so I'm anticipating the different foods that people will be making. I think I'll be making a pasta dish featuring oregano so hopefully it'll turn out okay. Will update again next week!

Pictures here!

East Meets West: CIS @ EYA

2010-03-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing worse than being stuck inside on a sunny day.

This is the thought running through my head every day from February 15th to February 19th – a period that, beyond coinciding with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, also marks the most unseasonably warm and sunny stretch of weather the city had seen to date.

And I’m stuck having to work. From home, no less, because this period coincides with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and my job is based out of downtown.

It’s not even Olympic festivities that I’m looking to take in, but rather to visit EYA’s Strathcona and Cottonwood Community Gardens in East Vancouver where my friend Allison has all week been taking groups of foreign kids whose presence in Vancouver has nothing at all to do with the Olympics on field trips. Usually, I’m as committed as any Olympic athlete when it comes to giving 110% at work, but by Thursday the 18th, my resolve crumbles. And, after a solemn promise to myself to make up the lost hours of work (and sooner rather than later!), Strathcona is precisely where I go.

Allison works for WildED (part of BC Spaces For Nature), which is a nonprofit organization that provides environmental education/nature awareness programs to school groups in various regional parks throughout the Lower Mainland. Rather than having students trekking through the forest, though, on this particular day, Allison is in the midst of teaching a 7-week unit on sustainability to the students of Chung Dahm Immersion School (CIS), and has brought them to Strathcona to teach about sustainability as related to food.

Her day having begun in the CIS classroom in North Vancouver instructing the students on the 6 “N’s” of food sustainability (test yourself* - they all start with the letter ‘N’; think of a synonym where necessary: N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6), I meet up with Allison, 43 grades 4-7 Korean students, their teachers, and the two EYA staffers leading the field trip, Samantha and Hartley. We’re a substantial group standing under the focal Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) tree – the only living thing present on the site when garden work first began there in 1985.

The weather is as temperate as I’d imagined, and I’m warmer still from my bike ride over. I pull off my jacket as the students are led in an icebreaker game of “Meet a Tree”, and yet another involving pairs of students touching different parts of their bodies together that concludes in 20 pairs (and one trio!) of students locked in familial embraces when instructed to place a “head to shoulder”.

Love and hugs out of the way, Hartley divides the students into two groups, sending one group off with Samantha for a guided tour of the Strathcona Garden proper while the rest remain with him in the Cottonwood Garden, and are again divided into two groups. One group, supervised by Allison, is put on compost-hauling duty while the other, supervised by Hartley, is to refresh the trails in the garden with new wood chips.

The students seem to be enjoying the weather as much as I am. Within short order, they are whizzing back and forth with wheelbarrows, shoveling too-full loads they have to struggle to push, and generally laughing and playing as they run just this side of roughshod over the garden and each other.

Kids will be kids, no matter what part of the world they’re from.

Team Mud Slinger’s task is to shovel and spread a large pile of humus on some nearby garden beds. Some of the beds already have things growing in them: at one extreme, some old kale that has ground robust and woody over the winter, and at the other, a new-looking herb that has perhaps popped up on its own to greet the early-spring sun. I learn from Hartley that it is mushroom compost that the students are spreading – lower in nutrients than traditional, kitchen-scrap compost, but still a valuable soil amendment – and that this is done in the garden every spring.

Team Trail Raiser’s task is more or less the same as Team Mud Slinger’s, only that instead of mushroom mush, they’re moving wood chips to various bare spots along the trails. Nothing new to see here, so I instead strike up a conversation with the CIS teacher, Kat, who herself lives on some acreage that she farms and raises chickens on thanks to a university POL class she thought was political science but turned out to be poultry science. Clearly not shy about the hands-on nature of agriculture, she tells me she recently had to “vaseline” one of her hens who laid a massive, three-yolk egg for fear that the hen had torn in the process, and would be attacked by the others equating the smell of blood to a predator in their midst.

After about an hour, the two teams coalesce back into a single mound of kids, and the group switches with Samantha’s group to now receive the tour of Strathcona Garden from Hartley. Crossing Hawks Avenue, we pause to look at compact rows of apple trees – 115 different varieties of apple in total – planted using a method known as espalier, both to conserve space and allow for a ladder-free harvest. We then enter the fabulous Eco-Pavilion directly adjacent to them.

Built in 1997 (four years after the Strathcona and Cottonwood Gardens were official established), the work was done by a female carpenter and a number of female apprentices under the age of 25 as part of a mentoring/work training program. The Pavilion is solar-powered, contains a composting toilet, and was constructed entirely from reclaimed wooden beams. It is a large, open-concept space that is used by EYA staff and volunteers as a place to have meetings, potlucks, and to perform garden-related projects, such as the Calendula (Calendula officinalis) seed collection that is currently in progress on one of the trestle tables.

One final stop – the beehives, which are all abuzz with excitement about the first flowers of spring – and all too soon, the tour ends. On our way back to the Cottonwood Garden and the school bus, Allison asks if any of the students have gardens at home, and to my great surprise, we discover that the family of every student in our group participates in community gardening activities back in Korea. The majority of the students are from the teeming city of Seoul, thus they all live in apartment buildings containing on-site garden plots that are used for growing food.

Many North American apartments don’t have as much.

It’s a telling example of how, although environmentalism as a practice is largely place-based (i.e. one must look to the physical composition of our landscape and our interaction with it for specific methods in how to lessen our impact upon it), general environmental pursuits – the countless ideas we can come up with to live more lightly upon land that provides for us – are universal.

For this reason, Allison can teach a group of Korean boarding school students about the principles of sustainability with the full assurance that the lessons they learn will maintain their relevance long after they return home.
__________
*Answers:

N1 - Natural
N2 - Nearby
N3 - Naked
N4 - Now
N5 - Nutritious
N6 - Not so much meat

Seedy Palooza

2010-03-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

*Clockwise: Tessa and Jane from Children’s section and our very own Amy and Matthew from EYA.

Who knew seeds could attract such a crowd? Saturday February 27^th at Vandusen Gardens, people of all ages could attend to learn, buy and trade the secrets of seeds. Tessa and Jane were seated at the Children’s table on the outside of the floral hall where the event took place. They were given the task to educate children and give them something fun to do in the presence of a more mature audience. I asked Tessa if she could tell me some of the things she had in store for the visiting children. She laughed because I was obviously older than should be, she went on.

“I encourage them to look at a diagram of a seed and to learn what’s inside” she said. There was not only a picture for them to look at, but a small area where seeds had already grown for the children to pick out. As a parting gift she packs “Bean-Bags,” real seeds, with wetted cotton balls that allow the seed to grow for a time so that the kids have a little keepsake and reminder.

When you walk into the Hall where the main area is, you’ll find that there were booths everywhere, not only selling seeds, but also advertising vital information. Very social and outgoing, Dr Aimee Taylor was one of the participants of the many booths. She had a worm house displayed telling me “It was to attract all ages and catch eyes” to her booth, and once I found that out she told me what she did. Dr. Taylor works to set up gardening programs for seniors, disabled adults and children; it’s very inspiring that this event does incorporate every age to create a more comfortable environment for everyone.

None other than two of our very own EYA volunteers were present on Seedy Saturday. Amy and Matthew (Right) were manning the booths near the exit of the hall. They were attracting a handful of visitors the time I was there, and I finally got a chance to introduce myself as well as ask some questions to these two. Both had told me our seeds sold were specially grown in our own garden. After we had our conversation, I left learning that the EYA was also starting a much easier way for everyone to trade seeds, just like they had that day to promote seed trading. You could buy, sell, and even trade.

EYA’s knowledgeable volunteers were, as everyone else was too, very obliging to everyone met. Farming practices, seed diversity, international campaigns and gardening education were among many of the interesting tidbits at the Vandusen Gardens on Seedy Saturday. “It gives children a chance to learn at a young age,” Tessa told me.

Natural Medicine in the City Days 4 and 5

2010-03-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone, I didn't get around to writing a blog for our fourth workshop so I'll put the details into this week's entry as well. Since the fourth week, we've begun to have weekly tea sessions featuring different herbs each time. Taking advantage of the nice weather outside, we've also been practicing our plant identification skills as well. In addition, over the last two weeks, we've made two tinctures, garlic and oregon grape, as well as a lemon balm lotion.

One of the new things we've started to do in the workshop are the tea sessions. Different herbs are featured every week and we make them while on the fireplace. So far, we've had over 5 different kinds of teas including dandelion, peppermint, rose hip, and yerba mate. One of interesting things about these weekly tea sessions are the different types of teas we get to try each week. In addition, a lot of the herbs we used to make the teas were actually harvested around Vancouver and dried by my fellow attendees. So far, my favorite tea has been the rose hip one. We made it by combining dried rose hip that were harvested a year ago in the garden and some fresh rosaceae leaves that we harvested while walking around the garden. I really enjoyed the rich rose hip flavour and especially its herbal benefits which helped to fight the cold I'm currently having.

An exercise we've been doing the last two weeks was practicing how to identify different plants. We were given a guide which illustrated the different shapes and types of leaves, stalks, floral arrangement, etc. Since the weather has been great the last two weeks, we were able to spend time outside in the garden looking at the different plants and identifying what shapes the leaves were and how they were arranged. This was something I've done as part of my schoolwork so I was quite familiar with all the different terms. I think everyone found the activity quite enjoyable and definitely informative. In herbalism, it's important to be sure what plants you're using so learning how to correctly identify plants is vital.

In the fourth workshop, we made two tinctures: garlic and oregon grape. Unfortunately, I had to leave early that week so I wasn't able to stay during the making of them. However, I'll be able to see how the tinctures turned out this coming week when they will be brought back to the pavilion for bottling. For the fifth workshop, our project was a lemon balm lotion. I felt the process was quite similar to making the salve since we used beeswax and oil again. This time however, we also added a borax powder to turn it into a lotion. I think my favorite part of making lotions is using a hand blender to mix the oil/beeswax mixture with the lemon balm water/borax powder mixture together in a process call emulsification. Another fun part of making the lotions and salves is watching everyone apply the leftover cream/salve onto themselves so we don't waste any of it. Each time, everyone will roll up their sleeves and pant legs and smear what's left in the pots and ladles onto their elbows and knees. It definitely makes for some great pictures.

We're nearing the end of our workshops together, only two more weeks left! Looking forward to spending more good times with everyone and the end of workshop pot luck at the end! Now I've just got to decide which herb I will be featuring for the last week's project. Be back next week with another entry!

Pictures pictures!

Greenstream 2010 (Thursday February 11, 2010)

2010-02-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

On Thursday February 11, over 20 of Vancouver's green businesses and organizations gathered at the Lighthouse, inviting the media and visitors to see how our city is working towards "making green the mainstream". The evening started pretty low-key, with time to walk around and network with the parties present. Food was provided by Potluck Cafe & Catering on eco-friendly plates (made from palm leaves) by Saakori, and the beer flowed freely thanks to Stanley Park Brewery, proudly "Canada's first sustainable brewery". David Ivaz played lovely acoustic music as everyone made their way through the displays, and judging from the fact that I couldn't move around without brushing against another person, a good crowd had shown up for the event--it was encouraging to see so many people involved or interested in Vancouver's green community.

Many local environmental organizations were present, including SPEC, Earthsave Canada, the Wilderness Committee, and our very own EYA. As well, the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) provided handy bike valet service for Greenstreamers coming in on their own wheels. A number of sustainable food-related businesses were represented as well (and provided draw prizes), among them Green Earth Organics, Nature's Path, and Saltspring Coffee. Other notable businesses include the Car Co-op and Vancity, and it was interesting learning about ECO-audit, a unique service that provides personalized recommendations to homes and small businesses on ways to change their resource and lifestyle choices to be more environmentally friendly. As well, I also enjoyed talking to a representative from eatART, an art lab that makes "audacious and improbable large-scale kinetic, robotic, and mechanized sculptures that investigate our human relationship to energy use". Their finished works include a giant robot spider that is the world's first zero-emissions walking vehicle and a colossal solar-powered tricycle.

There were a number of speakers for the night, and Chris Livingstone from EPIC (the Vancouver Sun Sustainable Living Expo taking place in May) started it off by welcoming us all to this "organic party", and introduced Danielle Bedard from Green Earth Organics who helped put Greenstream 2010 together. Danielle gave the crowd a brief picture of how Greenstream was born, and brought up the first speaker, Juvarya Warsi.

Jurvarya, an environmental economist with a background in real estate development, is the strategist for the Lighthouse Sustainable Building Centre, the building Greenstream was being held in. She enthusiastically provided a bit of background about the Lighthouse, a hub for resources on green building. The Lighthouse serves as a gallery space for green building products and technologies complete with a resource library, and its staff are a group of "green professional architects" eager to work with homeowners and developers on building sustainably by providing workshops and consulting services. In fact, architects, engineers and economists from the Lighthouse were involved in the construction of the Olympic Village, and Jurvarya emphasized the collaborative nature of the organization and its projects. The Lighthouse building itself is an example of a structure built completely with sustainable products, and in the collaborative spirit, all the materials were donated and work was done by volunteers. Juvarya noted that the green building industry is growing twice as fast as the building industry overall, a fact much in line with the positive outlook of the event.

The next speaker was Maureen Cureton, the Green Business Manager for Vancity. Maureen provided some examples of Vancity's green initiatives, which include putting money towards green non-profit organizations through its Visa card program, helping provide remote electricity for First Nations communities along the coast, and cradle-to-cradle product management within the business by using office chairs made from 100% recycled materials. She then encouraged the businesses and organizations present to give their own examples of how they were helping make green the mainstream, and it was encouraging to hear how so many businesses and organizations were making green efforts so many different ways.

After another networking break, Brady Dahmer and Lindsay Nahmiache, the founders of the Projecting Change Film Festival, went up on stage to tell the crowd a bit about this open source festival happening from April 22 to 25, 2010. In its third year, the festival shows engaging films on various environmental subjects and features local speakers and events as well. Brady emphasized the importance of connectivity to the audience, and the goal of the festival to bring people together and stimulate them to converse about environmental topics they care about. I am very much looking forward to checking out this event, and Lindsay assured us that the films chosen are generally uplifting and inspire change instead of depressive outlooks.

The last speaker was Cease Wyss, food activist, filmmaker and artist. She talked passionately about food security and how indigenous food sources are disappearing. Cease explained that when the colonization of North America occurred, not only were the indigenous people colonized, but the indigenous plants as well, when agriculture was introduced. With her work on ethnobotany, she works on projects reviving indigenous plants in green areas, and encourages First Nations people to come into community gardens. Cease ended her talk by urging us to be less greedy about how we live, which was a good take home message as we need to see the bigger picture if we are to live sustainably on this planet.

The event ended appropriately with the participants gathering outside on 4th Avenue to watch the Olympic Torch go by--Vancouver is ready to show the world how its environmentally responsible attitude is going to make a difference. From what I saw at Greenstream, I'm optimistic that our city is on the right track to meet its goal of being the Green Capital of the world by 2020.

Natural Medicine in the City Day 3

2010-02-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

Last week, we completed our salve by adding in beeswax to "thicken up" the poplar bud oil infusion. We also explored the community garden to identify plants and collected some lemon balm. At the end of the day, we did a bit of acting to describe how different herbs can be used on different ailments.

We finished off our salve by adding beeswax pellets to the heated poplar bud infusion. The solidifying process quite interesting. As the pellets were melting, I thought we needed to add more since the mixture wasn't solidifying much. However, turns out that once the mixture starts cooling, it really begins to solidify. Lucky I wasn't in charge of adding the pellets, otherwise our salve would've been concrete hard!

While the salve was cooling, we walked out to the garden to identify some useful plants and collected lemon balm. There was a lot of lemon balm in the garden so we were able to harvest to our content. We were also greeted by a very enthusiastic and happy Chinese lady that gave us each a budding seed. We're not sure what sort of plant it is yet but hopefully someone will plant theirs and let us know what it is.

To end the day, we were organized into pairs to come up with a skit that identified skin and respiratory conditions and how we can use herbalism to help. My partner and I did one on eczema. The idea for our skit was how my friend has eczema and I couldn't bear being around him since he smelled and was dressed in ridiculously baggy cloths. I offered him some herbalism advice and after a week, he looked better and didn't smell anymore. I had a good time doing that skit and I think the group enjoyed it as well.

That's all for last week and will update again after today's workshop!

Pictures are uploaded here: http://picasaweb.google.com/jwong26/EYA?feat=directlink

Natural Medicine in the City Day 2

2010-02-18T13:46:00.001-08:00

New day, new stuff to do in our workshop on herbalism. We began the day by heating the oil infusion we made last week on our lovely fireplace in the Eco Pavilion. Then we looked at various plants that we can find in the garden and use in herbalism. Finally, we made a hair wash and strained the poplar bud infusion that we will use next week to complete the salve.

I was late at the workshop so by the time I arrived, the oil infusion was already being heated on the fireplace. The smell from the poplar bud infusion was amazing however and brought a nice scent to the room as it slowly heated up. As the infusion was heating, we went outside to find common plants that can be used in herbalism. This week, we were partnered up and sent on a treasure hunt to identify and collect a plant in the garden. My partner and I were responsible for collecting dandelion which turned out to be the "super-plant" of the day. The other plants that were collected were plantain, garlic, oregon grape, sumach, violet and bay laurel. I was actually very surprised at how useful dandelion was. Personally, I grew up hating dandelion as it was the "hard to kill" weed in the family garden that my parents and I attempted to remove multiple times yet never really succeeded. It was also very common and quite frankly, everywhere. That was why I was so surprised to find that dandelion could be used in herbalism, let alone turn out to have so many different uses. I learned that the entire plant could be used and was actually full of vitamins and minerals. Leaves could be used as a salad green and the roots could be used to make a dandelion tea as well. As part of this activity, we drew a human figure on a piece of paper and identified which parts of the human body that the plant can be used on. By the end of the activity, our human figure was quite decorated and covered with arrows and colours that showed where each plant can work on.

The last activity of the day was to make our bay laurel hair rinse. This was surprisingly simple as it only required a pot of water, heating it with crumpled pieces of bay leaves and mixing it with some apple cider vinegar. I have yet to use my hair wash but I will try it once I bring it home. The next part of the activity was to strain the poplar buds from the oil infusion. We waited for the oil to cool first and then using cheese cloth, the buds were strained from the oil. It was to say the least, a very messy task and the oil did spill onto the table. The infusion was also quite sticky as well. However, we were able to collect our jar of infusion that we will use next week to make our salve.

It was a good workshop as we worked towards completing our salve and also made a hair rinse. I enjoyed the treasure hunt and was quite surprised at the number of common plants that I could use in herbalism, as well as how effective they were. Of course, I was particularly surprised at the healing powers of dandelion, a plant I used to hate. Now I can see dandelion in a different light, and not as a nuisance in the garden. Can't wait till the next workshop!

CROWS Point Community Garden Work Party

2010-02-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday morning, February 7, 2010, despite just finishing working two consecutive 6-day weeks, and staying up late the night before because it was, after all, Saturday night, I haul myself out of bed at 8AM, and haul onto my feet an old pair of hiking boots that had long since been retired to “work boot” status. Stopping at A & L Market on Broadway to buy a bag of apples, I then hop on first the B-Line and then the Millennium Line to Nanaimo Station in East Van.

My final destination: the corner of 24th and Vanness Avenue. Once a derelict wedge of undeveloped, much dumped-upon land known to none but a handful of environmentalists with borrowed shovels (present company included) as CROWS Point, it is now widely known throughout the neighbourhood as CROWS Point Community Garden.

CROWS Point began in back winter 2008 as the pet project of my friend/former co-worker Celina to create a habitat/public-use green space that would bring her neighbourhhood together. Located at the end of her street, it is also located a more lengthy but still workable 15 km as the crow flies from a construction site on the west side of the city; conveniently, only 1 km less then when traveled by human means, such as a co-op pickup truck loaded down with rescued native plants, an unauthorized ecological restoration plan, and friends willing to put that plan into action (present company included).

Fast forward two years: past official permission to restore the site from the City of Vancouver’s Green Streets Program that almost ended in a phone call to “Legal” when it turned out Green Streets and Celina were actually referring to two different sites; past Celina’s despair that the efforts of her and her friends would soon quashed by a brand-new house. CROWS Point is now under the stewardship of the EYA, who independently of Celina, submitted a proposal as part of the city’s goal to create 2010 new community garden plots by 2010, and was granted permission to create 30 plots on the site. My too-early morning on February 7 marks the first joint work party between the CROWS Point stewards and the EYA. The shovels still need to be borrowed. Some things never change.

Upon my arrival, in accordance with Celina’s meticulous schedule that she carries about on a clipboard like a foreman, myself and the 14 others present divide ourselves into two teams: one to stay behind on the site to weed invasives and prepare beds for native plants, and the other to man the pickup trucks and go salvage those native plants. For old time’s sake, I joined Team Seek and Save-From-Being-Destroyed. My bag of apples and a few other potluck treats tag along as midmorning snack.

At the construction site, we work under grey drizzling skies that threaten to rain on our parade at any moment, digging up ferns, native Trailing Blackberry (as opposed to the delicious yet highly invasive Himalayan Blackberry, which isn’t even from the Himalayas), and enough native soil to fill an entire truck (literally!) We’re feeling pleased about all the plants we manage to save, and awed by the beauty of our surroundings, however the rare appearance of an Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii) and a Pacific Tree Frog (Hyla regilla) reminds us of all the other animals whose homes would soon be lost….

Which made the work we were doing at CROWS Point that much more important and meaningful.

Back at the Point, Team We-Made-Your-Bed, Now-Go-Grow-In-It’s numbers have swelled from 7 to 14, bringing the total CROWS flock (or murder, for all you ornithologically inclined out there) to 22. In our absence, they have created a terraced bed, excavated garbage, cleared away a massive blackberry bramble from the cherry tree on site, and pruned a sagging oak tree. The place looks great! The salvaged plants are going to love it.

But before the plants are moved into their new home, we first break for lunch. CROWS stands for “Creating Roots of World Stewardship”*, and nowhere than during lunch is the “stewardship” part of the acronym – to say nothing for partnership, companionship, and community – more evident. Twenty-two people cram into Celina’s spacious yet in this case not-quiet-spacious enough living room for a potluck meal of, among other things, potato-chipotle soup, salad, sun-dried tomato corn bread, and marinated Jerusalem Artichokes. I eat until stuffed, converse with other Pointers, eat a bit more to fill in the corners, and am then starting to wish Celina’s schedule had made allowance for a nap. It is at this time Celina is called upon for a speech, to which she says the following:

“In the summer, I used to stand under the cherry tree and get caught on the blackberry, and look at all the invasive plants, and I thought , ‘This is going to take forever’…. But it only took two hours!”

Then, she shows everyone the CROWS Point Community Garden concept plan.

After lunch, the plants are put in the ground, the truckload of soil is shoveled and spread by the bucketful, the plants are watered, the garbage is collected, the co-op truck dropped off, and it’s all over. For today. Future plans include continued restoration work on the west side of the site (the west “wing”, as Celina is fond of calling it), while the east wing is developed into the 30 garden plots. Additional plans include installation of water access, importation of soil and wood chips, and, funding permitted, a tool shed. Stay tuned for updates.
__________
* The CROWS acronym, “Creating Roots of World Stewardship”, was created by Celina and her roommate, and actually pre-dated its own call to action on CROWS Point, instead simply having been chosen in reference to Vancouver’s iconic nightly migration of crows toward Burnaby. Its earliest use out of doors was as the name of a fictitious nonprofit organization to lend legitimacy to plant salvage operations if ever questioned in progress. The rest, as they say, is history in the making.

Meet Our New Bloggers

2010-02-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

Amy Tran: I've been involved with the EYA since April 2009 when I committed myself to being a "seed keeper" through its inaugural Urban Seedkeeping project. Being somewhat new to gardening, I was eager to learn more about heritage seed diversity and preservation, and have since attempted to put my knowledge and curiosity in to action: in my own garden and hopefully others via a new project called 'The Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network'. I now have an embarrassingly large number of seeds (and that collection will likely keep growing and changing). I've also worked on several small design projects for EYA and have been its first dedicated blogger. Though I enjoy blogging - and have been doing so personally for quite some time - I have to admit that I'm quite thankful to see some fresh faces around these parts and am looking forward to their contributions. Some time this year - hopefully sooner rather than later - I'd love to get away from the computer for a while and do some more "hands-on" work with the EYA. Sometimes, there's just nothing better than dirt underneath your fingernails. I kid you not.

Natural Medicine in the City Day 1

2010-02-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

The earliest example of herbalism was traced back as far as the 33rd century B.C. An ice man from 3300 B.C. was found with fungus in his pocket and parasites in his intestines. Studies later showed that the fungus in his pocket contained medicinal qualities that could kill the parasites. Over 5000 years later, herbalism is still practiced around the world and is the primary source of medicine for over 2/3 of the world's population. Over the course of the seven workshops, we will learn about herbalism and practice some recipes to make our own home remedies and teas. In our first workshop, we made our infusion that we will later be using in our salve. In addition, we also talked about the history of herbalism, practiced a little sensory exercise and discussed some basic guidelines for practicing herbalism.

The sensory activity we did was an exercise to practice feeling the environment using our senses of hearing, smell and taste. We performed this exercise in the Strathcona Community Garden. We stood/sat around a garden plot with our eyes closed and took a few minutes to absorb the environment around us. By focusing on our senses other than sight, we were able to hear/smell/taste things more clearly. It was an interesting activity to do as I felt better connected to the environment and was able to feel the air around us. We then began to harvest poplar buds to make our oil infusion.

Before practicing herbalism, there are some general guidelines that practitioners should be aware of. The most important rule is to know what you are doing. Herbalism can be dangerous if the practitioner is unsure of plant identification or dosage. In addition, interactions with other herbs and/or pharmaceuticals can occur, leading to unexpected problems. First time practitioners should consult with someone knowledgeable or do plenty of research to understand what you are doing. When in doubt, do not ingest anything. Either ask someone or test it on your lips before consuming (if applicable).

To make our infusion, we gathered about half a glass jar full of Cottonwood buds. We harvested them from Cottonwood trees in the garden. The buds should be tight and pointy and have a very aromatic scent. A good way of harvesting poplar buds is to scour the ground under the tree for broken branches. Branches are often broken off after windstorms and the buds on them are often still fresh. For the infusion, we covered the half jar of buds with grape seed oil. It’s important that the buds are completely covered with oil to avoid the buds from molding. In the original recipe, the jar should be completely full of oil to avoid aeration but we tried it with only ¾ full since the poplar buds will expand. This method of making the oil infusion is called the “folk” method which does not require heating. For the rest of the week, the poplar bud will soak in the oil creating the oil infusion. In the next workshop, we will continue making the salve with our poplar oil infusion. More to come then!

More Photos Here!

Meet our New Bloggers

2010-02-09T12:04:00.001-08:00

Hi fellow tree huggers!

My name is Maria and I've always felt a connection with this magical Earth we call home. Blogging for the EYA is a great opportunity to meet new people with the same mindset and to learn more about what is going on in the city too! I am currently enrolled in the Environmental Protection Technology program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, but I am changing my avenue to their Sustainable Policy Degree hopefully in September. I have always been involved in volunteering for environmental stewardship, and my favourite thing to do is tree planting and invasive species removal.

My husband and I went backpacking in SE Asia about 4 years ago, and we kept a blog to keep in touch with our families and let them know what we were up to. Blogging is such a great way to keep connected with people, and I hope that you will find some sort of connection with the events that are going on around the city, and possibly will urge you to get out there and attend some of them! And if you see me at any of the events, please feel free to introduce yourself!
Hope to see you all there! Keep connected :)

Saturday @ Strathcona Community Garden

2010-02-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

Meet our New Bloggers

2010-02-05T09:45:00.001-08:00

Name: Giancarlo (Carlo) Reyes

I found the EYA by chance when I was searching for volunteer listings. Out of a possible fifty different other choices I picked this one. Most of my friends, family even have worked at the SPCA, helped out in soup kitchens, or raised money (by themselves) for cancer research. WOW, I mean really, who has friends or family like that? I felt kind of left out and well wanted to do more than just apply myself at school. There has always been something about taking pictures, people and the environment. But doing it makes once a hobby into something a little more interesting and beneficial for myself as well as others. The first time I won a photo contest wasn’t too long ago, believe me when I say it was amazing because it was. I wanted to join the Environmental Youth Alliance to take pictures for a good cause, maybe practice a little journalism, did I mention that was cool too?

Meet our New Bloggers

2010-02-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I'm Lina! I enjoy writing and have kept a personal blog over the last year detailing my exploits in Australia. While I was Australia, I really got a firsthand look at some of environmental problems there and the severity of them due to the isolated and geologically stagnant nature of the continent. The experience was eye-opening and when I got back to Vancouver, I realized I should approach the environment here at home with the same attitude. I'm hoping to get to know more about local urban environmental issues, and am excited to share what I learn through the EYA blog!

Meet our New Bloggers

2010-02-05T09:42:00.002-08:00

I've written two blogs in the past: one on my adventures in trying to write a novel, and the other on my adventures in trying to have a brand-new adventure every week. Then in one fell swoop, I stopped novel-writing, blogging, AND having adventures for a period of several years! Luckily, I've finally busted out of my slump and returned to these things that I loves. And since I also love leading an environmentally-conscious lifestyle, writing for the EYA blog and getting to meet all the like-minded people who attend EYA events seems like yet another brand-new adventure that wasn’t to be missed! See you around!

Jonanne

Meet our New Bloggers

2010-02-05T09:42:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! My name is Janson and I’m part of the new blogger team with the EYA! I’m very excited about this opportunity and meeting many of you at the various events we will be having in the coming months. A little background about me, I’m currently studying at the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia and I’m in my fourth and final year in the Natural Resource Conservation Program. I’ve actually just returned to Vancouver last year after working in Winnipeg for four months for a co-op work term. Previous to that, I studied in the United Kingdom for a year as an exchange student. It was an awesome two years but it definitely feels great to be back in Vancouver again and I can’t wait for the Winter Olympics to start! In my spare time, I like to watch hockey and go snowboarding when conditions allow. One of the reasons why I’m blogging with the EYA is because I really wanted to get environmentally-involved with our community and I liked the many projects that EYA has been running around Vancouver. This is actually my first time writing in a serious blog so hopefully you guys will enjoy my entries and maybe provide some feedback! Hope to see you guys at our events!

Meet our New Bloggers

2010-02-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

I just celebrated a year that I've been living in Vancouver! I LOVE IT HERE! I am originally from Phoenix, AZ and Arizona State University is where I graduated with my B.S in child development and family. I worked as a child development specialist with all Spanish speaking 3 year olds for a couple years after I graduated and then I realized I needed a change. That is when I came here. I took a couple months trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life before I decided to just go with the flow. :) ....AND a month ago, I began my application for the Peace Corps. So to be honest, that is why I started to look for volunteer work. However, in my search, I discovered that there are a lot of really cool opportunities out there and I wish I had been getting more involved a long time ago. Anyway, having said that, I was especially excited to find this type of organization and volunteer work because although I haven't had much blogging experience, photography is my passion. Also, moving to Vancouver has opened my eyes and furthered my interest in all the encompasses this 'green movement' and I feel that I could learn a lot through your organization and my volunteer work within it. Thanks for the opportunity, and I look forward to spending the time with these projects.

Michelle N.

New Project: EYA Online Seed Exchange Forum

2010-02-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

*** We have relocated the VPSEN forum from http://vanseedtrade.freeforums.org to http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name - Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience and confusion! ***

On February 20th, 2010, EYA is launching the Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network (VPSEN), an online plant and seed exchange forum!

An initiative of the Environmental Youth Alliance, the Vancouver Plant and Seed Exchange Network (VPSEN) aims to first and foremost connect local gardeners with an enthusiasm for plant diversity. One might ask, “Well, what gardener doesn’t appreciate having a variety of plants in his or her garden?” While it may be true that any gardener, be it someone who has a yard, a community garden plot, a small balcony, or a sidewalk strip would be interested in expanding and diversifying green spaces, cost, access to suppliers, and lack of plant and gardening knowledge all remain valid barriers. This project hopes to help alleviate these challenges.

In addition to sharing their plants and seeds, we hope that members of this network will contribute to an open and respectful dialogue on the state of food in our city, biodiversity, urban land use, and to a collective knowledge which is only too vital for sustaining a healthy community.

Think of it as the Craigslist for local plants and seeds where members can trade all year round - perfect for those of us who miss out on events like Seedy Saturday and other plant/seed sales and exchanges, and who are curious and passionate about plant diversity, connecting with local gardeners, and growing food.

Please visit http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name/ to register. Again, please note that the official launch is on February 20, 2010. The forum is still a work in a progress! However, feel free to register your username and to browse through the "How to Use the Forum" thread. And if you feel so inclined, do create your own "Exchange List" to introduce yourself to the forum! For any questions, please contact georgia@eya.ca or amytran@interchange.ubc.ca

*** We have relocated the VPSEN forum from http://vanseedtrade.freeforums.org to http://vanseedtrade.theforum.name - Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience and confusion! ***

Growing Kids 2010 Spring Season

2010-02-02T16:16:00.000-08:00

Growing Kids Volunteer Educator

Growing Kids 2010 Spring Season

The Environmental Youth Alliance is looking for committed community members to help deliver hands on workshops in Elementary School classrooms and food gardens. Workshops will be co-facilitated by trained Volunteer Educators and the Growing Kids Program Coordinator to enable garden work to be done in small, hands on groups.

Throughout March and April we will be presenting our Indoor Seedling Workshop. Educators in this workshop will work in Grade 2-3 classrooms to teach about: food security, seed diversity, and how to grow vegetables from seed. Much of our time will be spent working in small groups planting seeds to be grown on the classroom windowsill.

Throughout May and June we will be presenting our follow up Outdoor Planting Workshop. Educators in this workshop will work with Grade 2-3 students to teach about: interdependence, stewardship and how to care for organic food gardens. Much of our time will be spent working in small groups caring for the school garden’s soil and planting a variety of useful and interesting plants into it.

Growing Kids emphasizes a learner directed education style that is non-hierarchical. Having the support of a team of Volunteer Educators enables us to work primarily in small groups of 6-7 students, ensuring that education can be adapted to fit the learners interest and ability. Through the integration of hands on work and brief interactive presentations, our workshops create a dynamic, engaging learning environment in which everyone learns from one another.

Your support in creating this environment in fundamental to the success of many school garden projects!

To get involved and be trained as a Volunteer Educator contact:

Matthew Kemshaw
matthewk@eya.ca
604 689 4446

Volunteer Educator Training Sessions will be ~2 hours long and will be held the last week of February – the first week of March.

New Project: The Backyard Bounty Collective

2010-02-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Backyard Bounty Collective (BBC) is a collection of four new small businesses based in Vancouver that focus on backyard food systems that you may not (yet) see on your daily stroll down the lane. A recipient of Vancity’s enviroFund award, Backyard Bounty will help four ‘Farmpreneurs’ partner with Vancouver residents to design, build, and maintain small farming operations on their residential property. Four separate agriculture applications – apiculture (honeybee keeping), aquaponics (fish and vegetable closed tank system), chicken/egg farming, and mushroom farming - will be offered to urban dwellers under the guidance and support of the Environmental Youth Alliance. A strong public education component accompanies the project, cultivating the broader goal of food security and raising more of our own food closer to home. --From the BBC website.

The BBC would greatly appreciate your input! Please take a moment to complete their survey. The collected responses will be used in the envisioning and development of their services.

New Bloggers!

2010-02-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to everyone who came out to the Blogger Orientation last Thursday. It looks like we were able to gather a group of very enthusiastic and bright people. Stay tuned for their first postings where you'll get to know a little bit about them!

EYA Bloggers Orientation this Thursday!

2010-01-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

Come out to the EYA Office (517-119 Pender St.) this Thursday from 5:30-6:30pm to learn more about our blog and how you can contribute to it.

Please contact Samantha (samantha@eya.ca) for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Community Nursery Youth Apprenticeship

2010-01-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

Community Nursery Youth Apprenticeship

Are you 15-18 years of age?
Do you like plants?
Are you interested in building healthier communities?
If so, the Community Nursery Apprenticeship is for you!!!

The Environmental Youth Alliance is looking for 4 youth between 15 – 18 years of age to participate in our Community Nursery this Spring. The Community Nursery is a project to distribute low cost food plants and seeds to residents to improve the social and ecological health of our neighbourhoods. This year we hope to distribute 3000-4000 vegetable starts to people and communities who can use them.

Program Details: 12 weeks long, March 22nd – June 13th; 5 hours/week – 2 on a weekday evening, 3 on the weekend; apprentices will receive $200 at the middle of the apprenticeship and another $200 at completion; hours can be used to satisfy community service requirements for high school graduation; weekly training workshops will be given in topics including (but not limited to): soil, seed and plant health, community engagement, bee keeping, permaculture design, composting, and pest management.

To apply for an apprenticeship please submit your resume and cover letter to Matthew Kemshaw by February 28th. Your cover letter should explain why you want to be involved with the Community Nursery and what you hope to gain from the apprenticeship. You can email or drop off your application to:

Matthew Kemshaw
Community Nursery Coordinator
matthewk@eya.ca
604.689.4446

EYA Office
#517-119 W Pender St, V6B 1S5

Natural Medicine in the City

2010-01-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

'Laurus nobilis L., sweet bay' from the Illustrated Garden

Natural Medicine in the City

Fridays, February 5 - March 19, 2010
2:30 - 5:00pm at the Strathcona Community Garden
(at Hawks Ave. and Prior St.)

This is a participatory program where we will invite all participants to share their knowledge and contribute to group learning.

During the program we will:
-have an introduction to using plants as medicine
-collect plant material
-learn to make oils, tinctures, salves, creams and teas
-map out and discuss areas for wild crafting
-explore individual herbal remedies suited to ourselves
-identify the plants in our and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Ages 25 and under FREE
Tuition by sliding scale: $30-$50 (includes materials & donation to EYA)

Scholarships are available. No one is turned away for financial reasons.

To register, please contact Julia Thiessen, or call our office and speak with Julia or Samantha, 604-689-4446.

Facilitators Bios:

Samantha Charlton holds a Chartered Herbalist Diploma from Dominion Herbal College and has been dabbling in herbalism on her own for 6 years. She is particularly interested in using herbs growing in the wild in and around the city. Samantha has been working with EYA facilitating various workshops, including workshops on medicinal plants, for the past 3 years.

Julia Thiessen works at the Environmental Youth Alliance to support the practice of horticulture therapy, using plants and the natural world to support healing and wellbeing. She has worked professionally as a gardener and regularly produces small batches of herbal products. Julia has worked as a workshop facilitator for a number of years, and currently works with volunteers in the Strathcona garden.

Julia and Samantha are both enrolled in a Horticultural Therapy training program.

Crow's Point Community Garden

2010-01-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

(Originally posted December 26, 2009; Edited January 16, 2010)

An exciting new project is in the works for 2010!

Crow's Point Community Garden

Briefly:

The History
The City of Vancouver has chosen EYA to turn the triangular lot on the corner of East 24th Avenue and Vanness Avenue into a community garden.

The Plan
This space will be comprised of approximately 1/2 a native plant habitat and 1/2 community garden plots. In the native plant area, we are planning to grow berry bushes and medicinal herbs. There will be 30 plots in total with 1/3-1/2 set aside for young people and youth organizations.

The Cost
Plots will cost $10 a year, and a garden membership will cost an additional $10 per year. Plots to youth and youth groups will be free.

Volunteering
All garden members will be required to put in volunteer time to work on the common areas of the garden - this will allow us to keep plot costs down! Contributing to maintenance of common areas will be a mandatory part of garden membership.

Recruitment
We are also recruiting two garden coordinators to start this spring! This is a volunteer position with an honorarium at the end of the growing season of approximately $500 per person.

Garden coordinators will be expected to spend about 10 hours a month from April to Sept. Coordinators could easily put in more time, if they have the time and energy. However, the expectation would be about 10 hours per month (outside of anything related to their personal plot and their role as a regular garden member.) What a fun way to make a little bit of extra money! Preference will be given to interested individuals under 30.

To apply, please e-mail a brief write up to Samantha Charlton indicating the following:

1) Why you are interested in being a garden coordinator.
2) What is your experience with community organizing.
3) What is your relevant gardening or horticultural experience.
4) What you see as the main benefits of creating a community garden in this neighbourhood.
5) If you are under 30.
6) If you are able to commit about 10 hours per week from the beginning of April through to the end of September.

+++

Join us for an upcoming consultation meeting!

Crow’s Point Garden Community Consultation
January 20th, 2010 at 7:45pm
Kensington Library
1428 Cedar Cottage Mews

For more information, please contact
Samantha Charlton

+++

To find out about more volunteer opportunities with EYA, please check out the volunteering page on EYA's main website. There are many ways to get involved!

Home is Where the Food Is

2009-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

From the 100-Mile Diet Society Vancouver site:

"This is a short film Jody Kramer made for the 100 Mile Diet Society in Vancouver, BC. The film follows every ingredient of a delicious and simple meal to its source. In the making of this film, we visited a dairy farm, a mill/bakery, and a busy marina, all on Vancouver Island, and all within our 100-mile radius. We also spent time in the kitchen with Tina Biello, a busy working gal who makes time for her food, from growing her own veggies to learning about the production of local food for her favourite family recipes."

University Contributions

2009-12-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

Students from a University of British Columbia "Student Directed Seminar" (GEOG 442 - Food Communications: Improving the Food System by Increasing Awareness) engage readers about issues on food security and justice, sustainability, and the like via their blog, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS. As the course is now over, I suspect that the blog will no longer be updated, or perhaps simply irregularly updated by anyone who's particularly keen. Still though, I encourage you to head on over, as there are some fascinating reads. If only this course had been around while I was still studying at UBC :-P

Tiffany Tong, a UBC student in the Faculty of Land and Food System's Global Resource Systems, was one of nine participants in UBC's first "Terry Talks" (now termed, "TEDxTerry talks"). If you haven't heard of the Terry Talks, perhaps the much lauded TEDtalks sound (more) familiar. Though all nine students had fascinating passions to share - and I am grateful to have been a member of the audience - I'd like to focus on Tiffany's talk on urban agriculture: "Redefining Boundaries"

Redefining boundaries: Urban Agriculture: Tiffany Tong from terrytalks on Vimeo.

And from Simon Fraser University, THE GREEN THUMB CITIZENS:

"Three SFU Communication students aiming for social change in Vancouver through Urban Agriculture: Alex Burr, Jeremy Addleman and Isabelle Jacques. Our interest for Urban Agriculture grew out of a desire to engage Vancouverites in a grassroots movement supportive of food security and sustainability. With Spreading Seeds, we aim to get the people to re-think the urban landscape as an integral part of the public space which is for them to create, transform and inhabit in meaningful ways." [The Green Thumb Citizens]

Their short documentary, "Spreading Seeds" :

Spreading Seeds from Alex Burr on Vimeo.

Films by EYA Volunteers

2009-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Buzz Cut
Co-Producers: Jenna DesOrmeaux and Devon Wong

How Do You Feel About Flowers?
Director: Adam Kebede

Glimpse of Hope in Blood Alley
Written and Directed by: Roxana Slujitoru

These short films were produced by some of our very own EYA members in collaboration with Steve Rosenberg of Pull Focus Films. The first two films are care of Vancouver Community TV

For an update on the progress of the Blood Alley community greening project, check out this blurb on the EYA's main website.

Blog: Liz in Copenhagen

2009-12-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

Liz Ferris is a master’s student at UBC's Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. As the Climate Action Coordinator for the UBC Sustainability Office, she is attending the 15th Conference of the Parties at the United Nations Framework on Climate Change in Copenhagen from December 7 to 18.

Check out her daily writings at:
http://climateaction.ubc.ca/author/liz-in-copenhagen

Copenhagen Debate on the Future of Environmentalism

2009-12-06T17:05:00.000-08:00

Visit Copenhagen Debate on the Future of Environmentalism for more information on an exciting event being hosted by EYA in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 9th, 2009!

Vote for EYA's Green Graffiti Project to be Granted the Aviva Community Fund!

2009-11-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

Our proposed idea for the Aviva Community Fund is called "Green Graffiti", an initiative to engage Vancouver citizens in the green building movement through the creation of green, or living wall gardens. EYA is partnering with BC Housing to install living walls on four, low income residential buildings in communities across Vancouver. The project brings together residents and local youth volunteers to collaborate on the design, installation, and maintenance of the wall systems that will include food plants, culinary herbs, and native species for wildlife with an additional "façade greening" to increase green wall surface area and resultantly, improve the environmental / aesthetic impacts. The four sites have been chosen based on lack of surrounding green space, need for community building, interest in food production and desire to improve energy efficiency. Volunteers will routinely monitor the walls' performance using indicators such as wall temperature to assess the environmental benefits of the two year endeavor.

Paramount to the success of the project is an educational and training campaign to convey the importance of green wall and green roof technologies in mitigating the effects of climate change and the urban heat island effect, improving stormwater management, and contributing a visual amenity that can provide food, wildlife habitat, and therapeutic value to high density urban areas where conventional tree and shrub planting is not feasible.

If the Green Graffiti idea should win the Aviva Community Fund, the money will be used to pay for:

MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES: Living Wall panels, plant material, monitoring system, lighting, soil media, cedar planters

HUMAN RESOURCES: One youth project coordinator, 20 hours a week for two years and a Youth Videographer to produce a film on the project

Vote for Green Graffiti here!

(you can vote more than once)

UBC Farm: Sowing Seeds for the Future, Application Deadline 12/1/2009

2009-11-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

From the Friends of the UBC Farm blog:

The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm is delighted to offer: Sowing Seeds for the Future, a hands-on, season-long practicum in sustainable agriculture. We are now accepting applications for our 2010 program!

Established in 2008, this part-time (600 hour), eight month practicum offers instruction and daily work experience in small-scale sustainable farming. In a balanced, hands-on learning approach, students work alongside staff in the greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchard. Students attend complementary lectures, demonstrations, and farm visits, and participate in a variety of practical and reflective educational activities. Direct marketing activities are also a key part of the experience. The practicum has been designed as a beginning point for aspiring growers, educators and agricultural professionals.

Students come from all backgrounds and are expected to be passionate about pursuing a career in sustainable agriculture. A certificate of completion will be issued to students who fulfill the practicum requirements. Further, we support our graduates to make connections within the BC agricultural community, and to seek out mentors to learn with following Sowing Seeds. Please note, Sowing Seeds 2010 is a non-credit course and therefore participants are not eligible for student loans. However, in 2010 we are offering a fee discount for UBC students who register, and successfully earn credits, for a directed studies based on their Sowing Seeds Practicum.

(More Info Here)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 1, 2009

Course Dates:
March 13 to Nov 6, 2010

Course Hours:
Vary throughout the growing season from 7 to 21 hours per week.

Course Fee:
$3,000

**(UBC Students who register, and successfully earn credits, for a directed studies course based upon their Sowing Seeds Practicum are eligible for a $400 refund)**

Capacity : 10 students
...

For more information, please:

* Visit our Website and download our Program Overview
* View photos from the 2008 practicum
* Watch a short video about the practicum in 2008 (scroll down: “A Unique Urban Agriculture Course at UBC Farm”)

Contact information:

If you can’t find the info you need on our website, please contact Elaine Spearing at: ubcfarm.seeds@gmail.com

Keep This Winter Green

2009-11-14T13:26:00.000-08:00

Come visit us at the next Winter Farmers Market on Saturday, November 21st where you can learn about four native species that will keep your garden green throughout the winter and otherwise!

EYA will be offering the following:

(Image credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SubalpineFir_3320.jpg)
Subalpine Fir, Abies lasiocarpa (top left in poster)
Subalpine firs have been popularized as Christmas trees — so, instead of purchasing one each year, why not allow one to establish itself in your garden? Along with being a lovely fixture in your garden, the relatively large seeds (cones) offer birds and small animals such as squirrels an efficient food source.

(Image credit: http://www.tryonfarm.org/share/node/373)
Salal, Gaultheria shallon (top right in poster)
Salal’s dark green leaves are leathery and oval-shaped with pointed tips. The bark is gray or reddish. White or light pink bell-shaped flowers appear in late spring, early summer and grow in long one-sided clusters. These mature into mildly sweet, fleshy, but seedy dark blue to black-coloured berries by late summer.

(Image credit: http://en.wikivisual.com/index.php/Image:Mahonia_aquifolium.jpg)
Oregon Grape, Mahonia aquifolium (bottom left in poster)
Oregon Grape's flowers are edible and can be used raw in salads, or fried in tempura. The flowers can also be boiled to make a lemonade substitute. As with salal, the berries can be used in jams, preserves, sauces, and pies; due to their tartness (a touch of frost sweetens them), Oregon grape is often combined with salal in such recipes. The berries are also favoured by birds. Its height and spread at maturity is about 1.8 metres by 1.8 metres.

(Image credit: http://www.tryonfarm.org/share/node/394)
Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens (bottom right in poster)
Wintergreen is a shrub-like plant that grows up to 15 centimetres in height. It grows best in a damp, but not marshy, humus rich soil in shadow or partial shade. Its berries provide winter food for squirrels, chipmunks, and other wildlife. The berries are suitable for human consumption as well and impart just a slight ‘wintergreen’ flavour when ingested.

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WHAT: Winter Farmers Market
WHEN: Saturday, November 21st | 10am - 2pm
WHERE: Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac St at Victoria Dr (map)

PRICES:

Salal ($7)
Wintergreen ($7)
Subalpine fir ($10)
Oregon Grape (Regular or Dwarf - $5)

Delivery is available from Kitsilano to East Vancouver up to King Edward Ave.

*** We will be accepting orders until Thursday, December 17th and delivering on the 18th *** Plants are also available for pick up on Dec 19th only at the Strathcona Community Garden between 11:30 am and 3:30 pm.

To order contact EYA at 604-689-4446 or info@eya.ca

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More Local Events

2009-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

If you could change one thing in our food system – what would it be?

You are invited to the Food Connections Symposium to work with others to identify the most important initiatives for building a resilient regional food system.

Metro Vancouver is hosting the Food Connections Symposium to seek input on priorities for a Regional Food System Strategy, a Board priority to be completed in 2010. All sectors of the food system are invited to participate in the Food Connections Symposium.

Your input is important.

Event: FOOD CONNECTIONS SYMPOSIUM
Date: November 25, 2009
Time: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Location: Executive Plaza Hotel Conference Centre - 405 North Road, Coquitlam, BC

Registration is now open.

Space is limited so please register early.

REGISTER HERE

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A Story with Two Ends

Two Canadian authors discuss tar sands, pipelines and the uncertain future of BC’s wild coast.

Speakers include:

IAN MCALLISTER: His first book, The Great Bear Rainforest won the Booksellers’ Choice Award for BC Book of the Year. His latest book is The Last Wild Wolves, Ghosts of the Rainforest. McAllister lives with his family on Denny Island and is an activist on the BC Coast.

ANDREW NIKIFORUK: Award-winning journalist, will also talk about his latest book, Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of Continent, which reveals the true costs of America’s oil addiction.

These two authors will provide some insights and generate discussion on the two ends of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline which would ship tar sands to oil supertankers on our north coast.

This event is brought to you by Westcoast Environmental Law, The Pembina Institute and Forest Ethics.

Vancouver / Burnaby Tour Dates

November 25th, 2009
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Heritage Hall (3102 Main Street at East 15th Ave)

November 26th, 2009
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Norm Theatre, UBC Student Union Building

November 26th, 2009
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Shadbold Centre for the Arts (6450 Deer Lake Ave)

Vancouver Fruit Tree Project Wrap-Up Party

2009-11-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

You're invited to Vancouver Fruit Tree Project's wrap-up party this Thursday, November 12th! The party takes place at Rhizome Cafe (317 E. Broadway), from 6:30 to 9:00pm. "Please come and show your support, have some snacks, and possibly win a fabulous door prize! During, this year's party we will be celebrating even harder, to mark our 10 year anniversary in operation and our success: we donated more fruit than any other year - by far! Suggested donation is $3 at the door but no one is turned away."

More Film Goodness

2009-11-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

The 14th annual Amnesty International Film Festival kicks off this Thursday, November 12th. All films are screened at the Vancity Theatre (Vancouver International Film Centre) at 1181 Seymour Street (at Davie) and pricing is as follows: General admission ($9), and matinees / students / seniors / underemployed persons ($7). A few films of mention are:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

12 pm (noon) – double bill (matinee)

Justicia Now!
Martin O’Brien and Robbie Proctor/ 2007 / 31 min

This film reveals Chevron Texaco's toxic legacy in the Northern Ecuadorian region of the Amazon rainforest and introduces viewers to a courageous group of people called Los Afectados (The Affected Ones) who are seeking justice for sickness and death in the largest environmental class action lawsuit in history. Featuring appearances by Daryl Hannah and Stuart Townsend.

Our Land, My People
Amnesty International / UK / 2009 / 30 min

The Lubicon Cree of northern Alberta tell the story of their long struggle to defend their culture. Three decades of intensive oil and gas development have caused massive environmental destruction, driving this hunting and trapping society into extreme poverty. But the Lubicon have never given up hope. They continue to work to preserve their way of life for future generations.

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6:30 pm

The Blood of Kouan Kouan
Yorgos Avgeropoulos / Greece / 2008 / 64 min / Vancouver premiere

In the virgin tropical forests of the Amazon, the region with the richest biodiversity in the world, an unspeakable crime is being committed against humankind. Texaco is accused of dumping 18.5 billion gallons of toxic oil waste into the Ecuadorian Amazonia. Ancient Indigenous populations are disappearing on a massive scale, as pollution kill animals they hunt and causes illnesses.

8:15 pm

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai
Lisa Merton and Alan Dater / USA / 2008 / 80 min

Planting trees for fuel, shade, and food is not something anyone would imagine as the first step toward winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet with that simple act Wangari Maathai, a woman born in rural Kenya, started down the path that reclaimed her country’s land from 100 years of deforestation, provided new sources of food and income to rural communities, gave powerless women a vital political role in their country and helped bring down Kenya's twenty-four-year dictatorship.

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Non-Profit Documentaries, a film course starting in January 2010

Pull Focus is an innovative film centre that partners aspiring filmmakers with charities/non-profits to create much needed film content. We teach students how to write, shoot and edit documentary films that may be useful for fundraising or community outreach work. If you or someone you know who may be interested in taking a documentary course, please check out our website. Our one-month intensive course begins January 4, 2010.

350 : The Invitation

2009-10-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

From 350.org

THE INVITATION
Dear World—

This is an invitation to build a movement—to take one day and use it to stop the climate crisis.

We are a group of people from around the planet—young and old, scientists and writers and activists—who have one thing in common. We know the most important number on earth: 350. And we know how to use that number to finally get global action on the worst crisis humans have ever faced. But we can only do it if you help.

(Read the rest of the invitation...)

Encouraged by the incredible enthusiasm which made September 21st's Global Wake Up Call a tremendous success, 350.org and citizens from around the world want to invite you to make your concerns about climate change known--loudly, dramatically, creatively, resoundingly--this Saturday, October 24th, on the International Day of Climate Action.

With approximately 5 days to go, over 3,500 actions or events from 161 countries have been registered with 350.org, including an event organized by Vancouver's own Bridge to a Cool Planet. If you've decided not to host your own event, please come out to the Cambie Street Bridge at 11am this Saturday to join other like-minded, passionate people in what is shaping up to be a fun, inspiring, and exceptionally important event.

For more information on Bridge to a Cool Planet's event : Day of Action
State your intention to participate via their Facebook event page, and help spread the word : October 24th : Vancouver Calls For Action on Global Warming
They are still looking for volunteers! : Get Involved

Why is it particularly important to act now?
Not that concerted effort in regards to climate action has been no less important up until this point, but what needs to be taken into serious consideration now is the fact that more than 15,000 people including government officials and advisors from 192 nations will be meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark this December for COP-15, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Their task? To solve the problem of climate change. Simple, right? Needless to say, this is considered one of the most significant gatherings in history.

What's the significance of '350'?
According to 350.org, "two years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million." Our current atmospheric concentration of CO2 is 390ppm. For more on the science of 350, visit this link and/or that link from 350.org

"It's too late to be a pessimist."
To borrow a line from Yann Arthus-Bertrand's wonderfully-shot documentary, "Home," it's much too late to be a pessimist. The political reality of 350 is undoubtedly difficult to conceive of, especially when one needs to consider that nearly 200 nations must unanimously agree on how to deal with this most pressing issue. We need action now, and this could be our best shot at telling our government exactly how we feel: that we are ultimately responsible for creating a better world, better societies, and better lives for all.

I hope you participate in some way this Saturday.

More sources :
TckTckTck Campaign
Quick answers to critical questions about climate change ; a list of resources care of Bridge to a Cool Planet

Fall Herbalism Program and Other Opportunities

2009-10-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

'Matricaria chamomilla' from the Illustrated Garden

FALL HERBALISM PROGRAM

This free, participatory program will run Thursdays from October 22nd to December 3rd from 3:30pm to 5:30pm at the Strathcona Community Garden. We invite all participants to share their knowledge and contribute to group learning.

During the program we will...

Introduce the idea of using plants as medicine
Collect plant material
Learn to make oils, tinctures, salves, creams, and teas
Map out and discuss areas for wild crafting
Explore individual herbal remedies suited to ourselves
Identify the plants in our and surrounding neighbourhoods

Herbal products produced will be kept by participants and a portion will be donated to local community organizations.

To register, please contact Rhianna Nagel, rhianna@eya.ca or call our office to speak with Rhianna or Samantha 604-689-4446

Facilitators Bios :

Samantha Charlton holds a Chartered Herbalist Diploma from Dominion Herbal College and has been dabbling in herbalism on her own for 6 years. She is particularly interested in using herbs growing in the wild in and around the city. Samantha has been working with EYA facilitating various workshops, including workshops on medicinal plants, for the past 3 years.

Rhianna Nagel holds a B.Sc in Agroecology and has 6 years of experience growing herbs and food both in urban and rural settings. She has been reading and experimenting with herbs during her 2 years at EYA and before. Rhianna is a skilled facilitator and has experience teaching workshops to children, youth, adults, elders and special needs populations.

Rhianna and Samantha are both enrolled in a Horticultural Therapy training program.

YMCA ECO INTERNSHIPS

2 positions are now open.

(Click on each for more detailed information)

Horticultural Therapy Assistant
Community Nursery Coordinator / Administrator

Applicants must meet the criteria below. Selected applicants must be approved through the YMCA Eco Internship program. To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to Samantha Charlton, samantha@eya.ca.

Application Deadline: Monday, October 19th, 2009
Anticipated Start Date: Sunday, November 1st, 2009

CRITERIA - You must be:

Between the ages of 15 and 30
Unemployed
A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person to whom refugee protection has been granted under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Legally entitled to work in Canada
Legally entitled to work in your province or territory

Where applicable, you may also need:

A parent or guardian's signed consent to participate
To complete a police records check

The YEIP particularly encourages applicants from visible minority, Aboriginal, immigrant, refugee and traditionally marginalized communities to apply. Hosts are expected to work with the Youth Eco Internship Program to provide employment supports wherever possible. Promoting diversity strategies in your recruitment efforts is essential to this process.

SUSTENANCE Festival Highlights

2009-10-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed yet by the number of things to do this month, this week? To help you out, I'd like to highlight two events that I dearly wish I could attend. Both are associated with the SUSTENANCE Festival which, as I mentioned below, is on until October 16th at the Roundhouse.

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Wednesday, October 7th at 4:00pm
FOOD SECURITY IN RECREATIONAL SETTINGS - A MODEL FOR CHANGE
Strathcona Community Centre is using an innovative approach to address food security by integrating food programs right into its many recreation programs for children and families. This community is located in the Downtown Eastside area of Vancouver where the average household income is approximately $15500.00 per year. This is a neighbourhood of increased food insecurity and these integrated programs are reaching hundreds of at risk children and families everyday (a very inclusive model). The Centre has implemented food programs capitalizing on the strengths of community residents, youth and families who run the programs. Issues addressed include decreasing transient hunger, improving nutritional health, improving behaviour, providing needed energy to participate in programs, learning food skills (cook training for youth), engaging children in purposeful activities (a crime prevention strategy) and learning about healthy choices. There are many partners collaborating to support these 15 food programs including Strathcona Community Centre Association, Parks and Recreation, Vancouver Board of Education, City of Vancouver Active Communities, Vancouver Coastal Health, University of British Columbia nutrition students, and many corporate donors (who provide finances to renovate kitchens, purchase food and hire staff). This is “providing healthy food options in public buildings” (Health Inequities in BC Discussion Paper p 69.) targeting the most vulnerable in Vancouver. Currently the Community Centre Association is developing a resolution to the Vancouver Park Board and City of Vancouver for the integration of food security into all programming targeting our most vulnerable children and families. (Ron Suzuki, Strathcona Community Centre)

Tuesday, October 13th at 5:00pm
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD, IT’S ABOUT JUST FOOD. LIVING A CULTURE OF FOOD JUSTICE.
This will be a workshop for individuals interested in social justice aspects of food. Much media attention to the local food movement has focused on food as a luxury item. But growing a local food system means more that fine dining; it must encompass access to food for people across socio-economic classes as well as fair wages for those growing the food. This workshop will provide a space for discussing how to keep social justice as a central part of the local food movement and an opportunity to network with others interested in addressing this issue. (Chris Bodnar, Glen Valley Organic Farm)

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If you're attending either of these events, I invite you to share your experiences with us. Please post a comment to our blog.

Environmental Films

2009-10-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

There seems to be no shortage of things to do this October. The Vancouver International Film Festival with its 377 films this year (!) kicked off on October 1st. Most pertinent perhaps to this blog is VIFF's environmental program entitled "The Way of Nature." From the VIFF website: "The films offer both shocking news on the accelerated mess we're making in some of the most beautiful parts of this globalized planet, and possible redemption in the rediscovery of the ways of nature in others." The following is a quick run-through of the films on offer:

From, "HomeGrown"
The Age of Stupid
"I hate this film. I felt as if I was watching all my own excuses for not doing anything about climate change being stripped away from me. And it's tender and funny and wise as well. Can I just pretend I never saw it?" --William Nicholson, Oscar-nominated writer of Shadowlands and Gladiator.

At the Edge of the World
In late November 2006, a documentary crew accompanied 46 international volunteers from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as they embarked on their third Antarctic campaign to stop Japanese whaling. What emerged was At the Edge of the World, an intrepid record of modern-day piracy and the high-stakes battle between commerce and ecological survival.

Battle for the Xingu with Dirty Paradise

Battle for the Xingu (12 minutes): The Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, is home to more than 10,000 indigenous people whose traditional way of life has been suddenly threatened by the Brazilian government's plans to build a massive hydro-electric dam. They are now fighting back...

Dirty Paradise (76 minutes): Along the Amazon, the Wayana people live in a remote region of French Guiana, rich with flora, fauna and, unfortunately, gold. It is gold that has brought 10,000 illegal gold-seekers to the area, where they hide in the forests and cause ecological devastation. The primary rain forest is plundered and rivers and creeks are polluted by tons of mercury and mud. The authorities, the army and the French police say they are powerless... Meanwhile the mercury levels in the fish--a staple of the Wayana diet--are so high that many of the local children face severe neurological complications.

The Beekeepers with Petropolis

The Beekeepers (28 minutes): The world-wide dissipation of the honeybee population has been seen by many as a harbinger of ecological catastrophe. Fruits trees need bees. This experimental documentary utilizes in-camera and special effects to suggest the otherness of a different order of perception, and to explore the meaning of what has become known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." Ancient accounts of beekeeping are mixed with interviews with beekeepers of today.

Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands (43 minutes): The horror. The poison. The appalling stinking shit-storm we've created. These words easily come to mind as one witnesses the sorry spectacle that is the Athabasca tar sands from the air. Who needs Antichrist, Shock Troopers, or Apocalypse Now! when we've got our own Canadian hell-in-the-making in our back yard... As the film cannily asks, if we've done this, what will we do next? This is a stunning document that proves that a moving image can reveal space beyond ordinary human perception.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
An entomologist by trade, director Jessica Oreck brings a scientist's--and an artist's--eye to the Japanese mania for insects in her quite beautiful documentary debut Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo. Beetle Queen turns documentary style on its head and creates a phantasmagoric, occasionally hilarious, obscenely gorgeous ode to the insect in us all.

A Blooming Business with Nora

A Blooming Business (52 minutes): A rose is a rose is a rose, unless it's a toxic offshoot of international corporate corruption. Director Ton van Zantvoort's unsparing portrait of the dirty reality of the flower business, may make it impossible for you look at a flower in quite the same way again...

Nora (35 minutes): Based on childhood memories of the dancer Nora Chipaumire who was born in Zimbabwe in 1965. Using performance and dance, she brings her history to life in a swiftly moving poem of sound and image. The original score was composed by a Zimbabwean legend--Thomas Mapfumo.

Crude
Already dubbed "the film that Chevron doesn't want you to see," Crude joins the ranks of other equally strong films that explore the terrible human cost of the oil business. With precision and clarity, director Joe Berlinger (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) systematically unpacks the story behind one of the largest and most controversial environmental lawsuits on the planet.

eatrip
It's mysterious, amusing, it makes me happy, it's fun, is how farmer Naoko Morioka sums up her relationship with food. But her statement also provides a fitting encapsulation of eatrip, an exquisitely beautiful documentary from director Yuri Nomura. The miraculous, yet perfectly ordinary acts of cooking and eating form the basis for this cinematic essay on all things edible.

H2Oil
"This is a personal film and it is a political film. It is story about real people, not abstract impacts. It is a visual story built on the sounds and the images that are quickly diminishing in Alberta. It is not with nostalgia, but with hope, that we will attempt to make this place, and the people within it, come alive." --Shannon Walsh

Home
A magnificently macro portrait of our planet's alarming state of health, photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand's Home puts the aerial imagery of his bestselling book, Earth From Above, superbly into motion... [The film] reveals the daunting and disturbing results of massive worldwide industrialization, which has transformed natural wonders into dangerously unnatural displays of global warming and scarcity.

HomeGrown
The Dervaes family lives a few hundred feet away from a major freeway in downtown Pasadena. But their urban homestead (located on a 1/5 of an acre) could very well be from an entirely different age. As Anaïs Dervaes says, "Sometimes, I feel like I was born in the wrong century." The family came to urban homesteading somewhat by accident, when patriarch Jules Dervaes turned his front lawn into a sea of wildflowers and discovered that restaurants would pay for edible blossoms. But selling the flowers to buy groceries seemed counterproductive, and soon the family expanded into growing their own food. As they honed their intensive cultivation practices, their output increased every year, growing from 2500 to 3000 to more than 6000 pounds of produce annually. HomeGrown screenings will be followed by a discussion on urban gardening with special guests.

Sweet Crude
When the inauguration of a library in the Nigerian village of Oporoza was hijacked by a group of articulate and impassioned students, demanding an end to the environmental degradation of the Niger Delta, and a share of the astronomical oil profits ($700 billion) MEND (The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) was born. Projected to supply a quarter of the US oil imports by 2015, the Niger Delta occupies an increasingly fraught position. Nowhere is this more explicitly clear than when Cioffi brokers a deal with ABC News for a Dateline story on the crisis in the Delta. As the spokesperson for MEND struggles to make himself understood, the corporate media agenda is clearly revealed in all its predatory hysteria.

Sweetgrass
In the beginning, there is sheep. Sheep grazing in a fluffy herd; one stares at the camera; does she register she's being filmed...? The scene is slightly befuddling, yet entirely intimate. Then, the shearing and the birthing. And, only then, the men responsible for bringing the sheep to pasture, real-life cowboys. As we follow them along their 150-mile journey, taking the sheep to summer pasture through Montana's breathtaking and often savage Beartooth Mountains, the frustrations mount--this is a way of life trapped between the past and an uncertain future.

Way of Nature
Not a word is spoken in director Nina Hedenius' depiction of the passage of four seasons on a remote (and exceptionally well-managed) Swedish farm. But as the ordinary activity of farm life (both human and animal) unfolds with almost stately grace, something curious begins to happen. A cow delivering twin calves, with help from the farmer, is as riveting as anything Shakespeare ever penned. Not only does the irrelevance of language become readily apparent, but so does the meaninglessness of much of contemporary culture. Nowhere is this more explicit than in a scene where farmer Karl Gustav Hedling, draped with his favorite dogs, sleeps peacefully, undisturbed by radio broadcasts of distant wars and calamities.

VIFF films typically have multiple screenings, so click on each film title to view not only more comprehensive information about the film but also its screening times and locations. Please note: VIFF tickets are either $8 or $11, and you must purchase a one-time $2 2009 VIFF membership.

If you don't manage to catch any of the films VIFF is presenting (or can't get enough of these environment-themed films), why not check out the first annual Stone Soup Film Festival running October 17th and 18th? Presented by the Grandview/Woodland Food Connection and The East End Food Co-op, this film festival aims to "[respond] to the enormous interest in food issues these days. Environmental concerns, globalization, economic collapse are alerting us to the fragility of our food system and the urgency of action. Although the realities surrounding our current land and food systems can be disheartening, our films aim to emphasize the positive efforts being made as a way to empower the current generation to take action." Needless to say, the film line-up looks impressive, and at $15 for a festival pass... why haven't you gotten yours already?

WHAT? The first annual Stone Soup Film Festival
WHEN? Saturday, October 17th and Sunday, October 18th
WHERE? Britannia High School auditorium
Festival passes are available at Britannia Community Centre (1661 Napier St.) and Health on the Drive (1458 Commercial Dr.) for a mere $15. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased at the door by donation (suggestion: $5 - $10) for each film slot. For more information contact Ian at 604-718-5895 or visit the film fest blog. All films will be screened in the Britannia High School auditorium.

QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE FILMS:

Please note that guest speakers will be presenting at the end of many of the film "blocks."

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH

11:00am to 1:30pm

MAD CITY CHICKENS
Directed by Tashai Lovington and Robert Lughai
78 min / 2008 / USA

Mad City Chickens is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad scientist and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.

PLANTING THE SEEDS
Video by Hadas Levey
30 min / 2009 / Canada

This BC made documentary shows us the many food security projects being carried out in the rural town of Kaslo, BC. Seed savings, lawns to gardens, and canning are a few of the initiatives that we can all learn from and which are helping to build food security in this small BC town.

Speaker : Heather Havens on raising urban backyard chickens in Vancouver

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2:00pm to 4:00pm

POWER OF COMMUNITY: HOW CUBA SURVIVED PEAK OIL
Directed by Faith Morgan
53 min / 2006 / USA

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens.

ONE MORE DEAD FISH (Short version of full length)
Directed and produced by Allan and Stefan Forbes
8 min / Canada

Handliners in Nova Scotia are still desperately trying to survive, eking out a meager living on tiny quotas, while bottom trawlers rake in short-term profits, destroy the environment, catch spawning females, and discard huge amounts of fish.

ONE MAN, ONE COW, ONE PLANET
Directed by Thomas and Barbara Burstyn
56 min / 2007 / New Zealand

One man, One Cow, One Planet exposes globalization and its mantra of infinite growth in a finite world for what it really is: an environmental and human disaster. But across India marginal farmers are fighting back. By reviving an arcane form of agriculture, they are saving their poisoned lands and exposing the bio-colonialism of multinational corporations. One man, One Cow, One Planet tells their story through the teachings of an elderly New Zealander many are calling the new Gandhi.

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4:30pm to 7:30pm

LIFE AND DEBT
Directed by Stephanie Black
86 min / 2002 / USA

Jamaica, land of sea, sand and sun. And a prime example of the complexities of economic globalization on the world's developing countries. Using conventional and non-conventional documentary techniques, this searing film dissects the "mechanism of debt" that is destroying local agriculture and industry in Third World countries while substituting them with sweat-shops and cheap imports. With a voice-over narration written by Jamaica Kincaid, adapted from her non-fiction book "A Small Place," "Life and Debt" is an unapologetic look at the "new world order" from the point of view of Jamaican workers, farmers, government and policy officials, who see the reality of globalization from the ground up.

ASPARAGUS (Short version of full length)
Directed and Produced by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly
6 min / 2008 / USA

For 30 years, Oceana County Michigan has been the “Asparagus Capital of the World”. Now its spear-struck residents and family farms take on the U.S. War on Drugs, Free Trade and a Fast Food Nation, all to save their beloved roots.

EL CONTRATO
Directed by Min Sook Lee
51 min / 2003/ Canada

El Contrato follows Teodoro Bello Martinez, a poverty-stricken father of four living in Central Mexico, and several of his countrymen as they make an annual migration to southern Ontario. For eight months of the year the town's population absorbs 4000 migrant labourers who pick tomatoes for conditions and wages no local will accept. Under a well-meaning government program that allows growers to monitor themselves, the opportunity to exploit workers is as ripe as the fruit they pick. Grievances are deflected by a long line of others "back home" who are willing to take their place. Despite a fear of repercussions, the workers voice their desire for dignity and respect, as much as for better working conditions. El Contrato ends as winter closes in and the Mexicans pledge, not for the first time and possibly not the last, that it's their final season in the north.

Speaker : Erika Del Carmen Fuchs, Justicia for Migrant Workers BC co-founder and member

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8:00pm to 10:00pm

FOOD INC.
Directed by Robert Kenner
93 min / 2009 / USA

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

FOOD JUSTICE: A GROWING MOVEMENT (short)
Directed and produced by Martina Brimmer and Zora Tucker
8 min / 2006 / USA

This film deals with the issues of urban food security in relationship to systemic oppression, environmental racism, health issues and the failure of our conventional food system to support those communities that bear the consequences of social inequity. It was also their intention as activists to portray the world which they are striving to create, and so Zora and Martina focused upon several of many Bay Area grassroots projects that they consider part of the food justice movement.

LOOKING AT THE UBC FARM
Video by Linda Flechter and Jennifer Rashleigh
17 min / Canada

This film looks at the teaching, learning, urban agriculture, and community development that happens in the 24 hectare space called the UBC Farm.

Speaker : Discussion on the prospects of saving the UBC Farm.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18TH

11:00am to 1:00pm

ALL JACKED UP
Directed by Jennifer Mattox
110 min / 2008 / USA

All Jacked Up is an angst-driven portrait of four teenagers who discover the truth about their obsessive, addictive, and emotion-fueled eating habits. All this brought on by their parents, schools, and our abusive food system that profits from them with no regard to their well-being.  

RIPE FOR CHANGE (short version of full length)
Directed by Emiko Omori
8 min / 2006 / USA

This is a great little short about the edible schoolyard initiative in Berkeley as well as the transformation of public education to include stronger cultural and societal values.

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1:30pm to 3:00pm

THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN
Directed by Taggart Siegel
83 min / 2006 / USA

The epic tale of a maverick Midwestern farmer. An outcast in his community, Farmer John bravely stands amidst a failing economy, vicious rumors, and violence. By melding the traditions of family farming with the power of art and free expression, this powerful story of transformation and renewal heralds a resurrection of farming in America. The film is a haunting odyssey, capturing what it means to be different in rural America.

HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION (short)
Directed by Robert McFalls
10 min / 2008 / USA

Jules Dervaes and his three adult children have been growing their own food, and working to live off the grid for nearly a decade. Their urban homestead located in Pasadena is both a revolution in living and a model for self-sufficiency. The full-length documentary is being presented by the VIFF this year.

A WELL WATERED GARDEN
12 min / Canada

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3:30pm to 6:00pm

MY BIG FAT DIET
Directed by Mary Bissell
42 min / 2008 / Canada

If you visit Alert Bay off the coast of Vancouver Island, you'll find a picturesque fishing village inhabited by two cultures, the Namgis First Nation and their non-native neighbours. Here an epidemic is undermining the health and vitality of community. Like most aboriginal communities across North America, the rates of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes here are up to five times the national average. Mainstream medical professionals cite sedentary lifestyles and a diet rich in fat as the underlying reason for the growing epidemic...

SIMPLY RAW: REVERSING DIABETES IN 30 DAYS
88 min / 2008 / USA

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with diabetes who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked food in order to reverse disease without pharmaceutical medication. The six are challenged to give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, soda, junk food, fast food, processed food, packaged food, and even cooked food for 30 days. The film follows each participant's remarkable journey and captures the medical, physical, and emotional transformations brought on by this radical diet and lifestyle change...

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6:30pm to 9:30pm

THE GARDEN
Directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy
95 min / 2009 / USA

The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis. I watched The Garden earlier this year during the DOXA Documentary Film Festival and can definitely recommend that you check it out.

THE URBAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY KITCHEN GARDEN PROJECT
Directed by Andrew Nguyen
8 min / 2009 / Canada

This short highlights the work of this unique community garden project run out of the UBC Farm. This project works with people who have become disconnected from their home communities and tries to reconnect them with the Earth by being a bridge between what is healthy in modern culture and traditional culture.

INDIGENOUS PLANT DIVA
Directed by Kamala Todd
10 min / 2008 / Canada

In the language of the Squamish Nation, Cease Wyss was given the name 'T'Uy'Tanat', meaning "Woman who travels by canoe to gather medicines for all people." In director Kamala Todd's lyrical portrait, Wyss reveals the remarkable healing powers of plants growing among the sprawling urban streets of downtown Vancouver.

Speakers : Cease Wyss, Squamish First Nation and Plant Diva, Kamala Todd, film director, Indigenous Plant Diva Mary Holms, Coordinator of the Urban Aboriginal Community Kitchen Garden Project

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Again, much more comprehensive information on this wonderful film fest can be found at the Stone Soul Film Festival blog.

Happy viewing!

Interested in Contributing to the EYA Blog?

2009-09-29T00:27:00.000-07:00

We figure it's time for an expansion in blog content -- in order to do this, however, we need your help! If you enjoy writing, taking photographs, and attending community events, then blogging may just be your thing. Please contact Samantha by email at samantha@eya.ca or call 604-689-4446 if you'd like to contribute.

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EYA is featured in the New Internationalist Magazine!
Backyard Beehives
They’re booming on Canada’s west coast with everyone from high-end hotels to apartment dwellers joining in. Hadani Ditmars reports from Vancouver.

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THE FIRST ANNUAL SUSTENANCE FESTIVAL
October 1st - 16th, 2009
The Roundhouse in Yaletown

Featuring everything from live music, workshops, presentations, theatre, and visual art, this festival is sure to be a hit with anyone who has an appreciation for local eating, food security, cooking, art, culture, sustainability, and the environment. Most of the activities take place at the Roundhouse, but there are also several "Satellite Activities" worth checking out and participating in. Visit the SUSTENANCE FESTIVAL website for much more information.

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FEEDING THE FUTURE

Michael Ableman, celebrated author of "Fields of Plenty", is coming to Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 7:30pm

Food may become the dominant issue of our time. The industrial system that brings it to us is unraveling, and the cost of that system,ecologically, socially, and personally is enormous. While Ableman will touch on this crisis, he will leave us with a deeper sense of how we can participate in the solutions; on our farms and in our gardens, in our kitchens and at the dining room table, and in the broader communities where we live.

Michael will inspire us with his stories and powerful photographic images of individuals who are using community land, backyard gardens as well as
urban farms for creating socially and ecologically responsible ways of growing food.

Tickets: $10, available from the Centennial Theatre Box Office at 604-984-4484 or www.centennialtheatre.com

Urban Seedkeeper Workshop and Heirloom Tasting

2009-09-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

Join EYA this SATURDAY for an urban seedkeeper workshop and heirloom tasting!

The workshop will take place from 11am to 1pm, to be followed by an heirloom tasting and potluck lunch until 2pm.

Location:
Strathcona Community Garden Eco-Pavilion, located at the west side of the community garden which is located on the southwest corner of Hawks Ave. and Prior St.

Workshop Schedule:

11:00-11:20 - Check in on how urban seed saving went.

11:20-11:45 - Garden walk, seed identification, seed collection.

11:45-12:30 - Explanation/demonstration on seed cleaning/husking for a variety of seeds. Demo of fermenting tomato seeds. Discussion of proper seed drying and storage techniques. Discussion of germination tests.

12:30-1:00 - Husk/clean seeds together as a group.

1:00-2:00 - Heirloom tasting and potluck lunch.

Please RSVP to samantha@eya.ca

Hope to see you there!

What?! Another Post About Bees?

2009-09-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, you haven't had enough of these fascinating creatures and that you'll find at least one (or two, or three) of the following links useful, interesting, or perhaps even inspiring:

General Links on Apiculture in B.C.

British Columbia Honey Producers Association
BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands : Apiculture

Beekeeping in Vancouver

[AUDIO]: Urban Youth Learn the Ancient Art of Beekeeping
One of EYA's very own beekeeping apprentices Liz Perkins is interviewed by Redeye Co-Op Radio.

[VIDEO]: Keeping Bees on the Vancouver Convention Centre Roof

Honeybees Create a Rooftop Buzz
The Fairmont Waterfront hotel in Vancouver has a rooftop apiary!

Other Interesting Links

Canadian Honey Council
A wealth of information including anything from pollination, and diseases and pests to additional links on beekeeping in the developing world and in urban areas.

5 Ways Kids Can "Save Our Bees"
A list of simple ways both youth (and adults) can help bees thrive in a shared environment. There's an extensive list of links at the bottom of this page as well!

Bee Moves: Learning to Love Honey Bees
Includes an interesting photo set depicting a home-grown honey harvest.

Resolve to Bee Kind to Bees in 2009
And not just in 2009, too! A partial seasonal list of plants that bees love!

Urban Beekeepers, Send Us Your Photos!
Examples of urban beekeeping with links to videos by filmmaker Liza de Gula - "Brooklyn's Urban Beekeepers: Breaking The Law For The Planet" and "'Watch Out Ladies' Honey Harvest."

[PHOTO]: Bees in Paris
Photos by Franco Zecchin.

Upcoming Events
(Remember, these can be found on the right side bar as well!)

{{TONIGHT! 8PM}} Youth Environmental Film Screening
Come out and watch 3 short films created by participants in EYA's youth summer film intensive at the Strathcona Eco-Pavilion (Hawks and Prior Streets). Space is limited. RSVP to samantha@eya.ca

Sept. 19th, 11-2PM, Urban Seedkeeper Get-Together and Heirloom Tasting
Back in April of this year, EYA recruited approximately 20 people to help plant, grow and save one variety of heritage, organic seeds for EYA's community nursery project. As we approach "the end" of the main growing season, the urban seedkeepers (along with other interested individuals from our affiliated community garden groups) will meet to share the seeds we've harvested. This will include a walk around the Strathcona and Cottonwood Gardens to identify and collect samples and a potluck lunch and heirloom vegetable tasting. Please RSVP to samantha@eya.ca

Sept. 22nd, Living Wall Community Installation and Celebration
Come and assist with the installation of a living wall in Blood Alley and join in on the festivities as well! RSVP to rhianna@eya.ca

Sept. 26th, 11-4PM, Harvest Festival
Come out to the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House (Prince Albert and Broadway) for an afternoon of community fun! EYA will be there to hand out garlic and to chat about our activities!

Recap of Sunday's BEE Event

2009-08-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

If you didn't make it out to the Means of Production Garden on Sunday to take in the greenery and the the buzzing company, here's a photo recap of what was an informative, fun, and inspiring series of mini-lectures and demonstrations thanks to the EYA beekeeping apprentices.

Interested in learning more about these lovely pollinators? Beekeeping in Vancouver? More information to come in the next blog post!

Community Bee Education & Celebration Day this SUNDAY!

2009-08-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

This Sunday (August 23rd), join EYA's Sustainable Beekeeping Apprentices for a day of fun, workshops, prizes, and more! The event will take place at the Means of Production Garden (E. 6th & St. Catherines) from 10am to 1pm.

A Year-Round Harvest

2009-07-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's looking to be another warm, gorgeous day in Vancouver. With gardens absolutely lush with warm-weather crops such as pole beans, summer squash, and cucumbers, thoughts of winter don't enter many people's minds. For a year-round harvest, however, the savvy gardener needs to plan well - this means thinking about planting in August for fall and winter harvests.

This disconnect between winter gardening and gardeners was perhaps apparent at the UBC Farm market when EYA was there, sprouting broccoli and brussel sprouts on display. Unfortunately, by market's end, many of the winter seedlings remained untouched, but it was a good experience nonetheless.

Oh, but how convenient...! EYA and VCAN want to invite you to their:

Year-Round Harvest Workshop
Tuesday, August 4th, from 7 - 8:30 pm
Eco-Pavilion at Strathcona Community Gardens
This workshop is FREE and open to the public
Starter plants and seeds will be included at no charge

To reserve a spot, please email hartley@eya.ca

EYA at the Strathcona Open House

2009-07-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

Did you make it out to the Strathcona and Cottonwood Community Garden Open House and Plant Sale last Saturday? EYA was there, bamboo mason bee homes, bee poster, information sheets, and all. Both Rhianna and Samantha provided me with an overview of the mason bee houses, including size specifications for the house's holes and at what height to attach the house to a tree (about 6 feet off the ground, if I'm remembering correctly).

A photo overview (click on images to enlarge):

More information about EYA's inspiring "Pollinator's Paradise" project can be found at the masonbeevancouver website.

And earlier this year, the Westender published a story about this project: If the bees disappear, we’ll all be stung.

EYA at the UBC Farm Market this Saturday!

2009-07-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

That's right, EYA will be selling winter gardening seedlings at the UBC Farm Market on Saturday, July 18th! Stop by to say "hi," buy a seedling or two, and check out all the great produce and other items on offer. For directions to the last working farm in Vancouver, please visit the UBC Farm contact or visit us page.

EYA members, if you'd like to volunteer at this event, please contact Rhianna!

Vancouver Urban Chickens Workshop

2009-07-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

Zilla. Photo courtesy of Chickens in Vancouver

It's the moment you've all been waiting for... sign up NOW for an urban chicken workshop happening on Sunday, July 19th at Strathcona Garden! This is a collaborative effort between EYA and FarmFolk/CityFolk. For more information, please visit Chickens in Vancouver. To RSVP, please contact jwnield@ffcf.bc.ca

And, just a reminder that the Strathcona and Cottonwood Community Garden Open House and Plant Sale is this SUNDAY from 10 am to 2 pm! Don't miss out on the great bargains to be had at the plant sale! Live music, workshops, free food, and plenty more! For more information, check out the Strathcona Community Garden's website.