Fall Herbalism Program and Other Opportunities

'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.

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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.

A Visit with the Bees

My first serious (and scholarly) glimpse into the importance of bees arrived in the form of a most fascinating lecture by Apiculture Specialist Paul van Westerndorp entitled, "What is Killing Our Bees?" It was back in late April of this year in the warm UBC Botanical Reception Centre where I would find myself taking notes on colony collapse disorder, Israel acute paralysis virus, Nosema apis, Kashmir bee virus, and an host of other diseases relating to the peril of our beloved winged friend. Unfortunately for me, the dual effect of this lecture having landed a few days after EYA's deadline for the Beekeeping Apprenticeship Program, and my own indecisiveness meant that I had little to no chance of even applying for said program.

So, how could I resist the wonderful opportunity to visit the bee keeping apprentices at the Means of Production garden this Saturday? Conditions were perfect for examining the hive: in the calm sunshine during the late-morning, bees busying themselves with foraging are typically more even-tempered, I learned.

Alex lifting the top cover of the hive /

Ariella using the smoker to calm the bees.

Every Saturday, the apprentices examine each of the frames contained within the hive, conscientiously recording data such as overall bee population, brood patterns, and any abnormalities pertaining to disease, (varroa) mites, and swarm cells. Regularly inspecting the hive is also necessary in monitoring the ongoing health of the elusive queen bee; since she is often difficult to identify, the apprentices must look for evidence of her presence in the hive: eggs.

Master Beekeeper Brian Campbell and the apprentices examine a frame.

Close up!

After using the hive tool to separate the frames from each other,
the apprentice gently pulls up the frame.

Check out the brood pattern!

John and Bryan have a closer look.

Although the queen wasn't identified during the day's inspection, traces of her activity (eggs) could be seen and the group concluded that theirs was a fairly content and healthy hive. A big thank you to Brian, Ariella, Bryan, Alex, and John for allowing me to observe and snap away. Oh, if only I'd applied for the apprenticeship! Next year, next year.

Watch out for more news about the bee keeping apprenticeship in the EYA newsletter coming out later this month! To subscribe to the newsletter, please email samantha@eya.ca.

Bzz.

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The ‘Community Hive’ is a collaborative effort between the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA), the Means of Production Artist Raw Resources Collective (MOPARRC), and Master Beekeeper Brian Campbell. The ‘Community Hive’ seeks to mentor and support youth in the apiculture industry and to engage Vancouver residents in the importance of the issues facing bees across North America.

Film Making Program

Have you ever wanted to make a film?



Film making summer intensive for youth (14-29 years)
Weekdays 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday, Aug 13th - Friday, Aug 28th

FREE!

This August, the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) and film maker Stephen Rosenberg are offering a 2.5 week training. We are currently recruiting:

• 3 aspiring producers
• 3 aspiring directors
• 3 aspiring camera people
• 3 aspiring editors

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE

Application deadline: * Thursday July 16th, 2009 *

Youth Film-Making Summer Intensive Application
Please copy and paste this application into a Word document and return it to EYA.

This 2.5 week program is being offered free of charge in
partnership between the Environmental Youth Alliance and
filmmaker Steven Rosenberg. We encourage everyone to apply!
Preference is given to applicants with “barriers to employment”
defined as people who: have not completed high school, single
parents, aboriginal youth, people with disabilities or new
immigrants.

*NOTE: If you feel uncomfortable filling out this application, please
get in touch in person at our office or on the phone. There are
other possible ways to apply.

Name: ________________________________________

E-mail: _______________________________________

Phone number: ________________________

Best time(s) to contact: __________________

1. Please explain why you would like to participate in this program.
2. Have you previously participated in a youth skill-building program? If yes, please describe it.
3. Tell us about any interest or experience you have in environmental issues.
4. Please briefly tell us about any experience (volunteer or paid) that you have with filmmaking.
5. Please indicate your top three picks for your position on a film team (1 being your ideal position, 3 being your least favourite)

Editor
Producer
Camera person
Director


6. Do you have access to a video camera? Please indicate Yes or No and what type.
7. Are you available weekdays from August 13th - 28th between 10 and 5 pm? (circle one) Yes / No
8. Are you between the ages of 14 and 29? (circle one) Yes / No
9. Are you willing to put in some extra time during evenings and weekends if necessary? (circle one) Yes / No

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this application!

Please e-mail completed application to samantha@eya.ca, fax to 604-689-4242 or drop off at 517-119 W. Pender St. Vancouver, B.C.

We’ll be in touch shortly :-)