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Lovin' the Earth Climate Action Fair
SPEC TURNS 50 THIS YEAR!
And to celebrate, we hosted the one-of-a-kind event Lovin' the Earth Climate Action Fair on August 31st, 2019 at Riley Park.
This inspiring day was full of reconnecting with nature and discovering effective climate actions in a neighbourhood and family friendly way.
HANDS ON ‘LOVIN THE EARTH’
This one-of-a-kind fair was less about talking and more about doing. SPEC staff & volunteers, along with guest speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors chose the most meaningful and impactful actions to take to combat the climate crisis and and gave attendees the tools to accomplish them.
Participates were able to tour with a residential fire-smart expert, test drive an electric car, talk with alternative energy installers, discuss plant-based diets and recipes, discover zero-waste shopping options, learn non-partisan tools for identifying climate courageous leaders, and discover a support network.
The “Lovin the Earth” campaign is about supporting each other to take the right actions and make them count, to identify and back climate courageous leaders, and to find the confidence and well-being that comes from reconnecting with nature and each other.
Fair Schedule
Sinister Seniors and the Pender Ocean Defenders Leona Brown Sophia Yang | Vesanto Melina Dave Demers - Park Board Commissioner Daniel Rotman - SPEC | Rebecca Hamilton - Sustainabiliteens Rose Murphy Winnie Hwo, David Suzuki Foundation |
Thank you to the following organizations, businesses and groups for being exhibitors at the fair:
BCIT Boomerang Bags CBC Dogwood Electra Meccanica Farm Folk City Folk Fire Smart Canada Force of Nature Alliance Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Green Burial Society of Canada Humans of Blue Dot | Leadnow Little Mountain Cohousing Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Master Gardeners NADA Pacific Parklands Foundation R.E.A.C.H. Program - Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) - UBC Re:FILTER Rebecca Hamilton and Sustainabiliteens | Riley Park Community Garden Robin Clark Sinister Seniors and the Pender Ocean Defenders The Cultch - SHELTER The Soap Dispensary UBC Botanical Gardens Vesanto Melina Village Vancouver VREC |
SPONSORS
We are so grateful to our ‘Lovin the Earth’ sponsors - CBC Vancouver, Vancity Credit Union, Aviva Insurance, Vancouver Sun; partners - Little Mountain Neighbourhood House and Riley Park Community Garden, as well as our in-kind sponsors - LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, The Soap Dispensary, Tense Watch, Vancouver Farmers Market, and Nada. All have a longstanding commitment to support projects and events that build community cohesiveness and support the growth of social and ecological well-being. We’re also grateful for all the participating businesses and organizations that attended, and most of all our amazing team of volunteers.
SPEC IN THE COMMUNITY
SPEC has a long history of working to protect the natural world and has been widely praised for its award winning projects and campaigns. The story of SPEC starts in the Coquitlam home of Derek and Gwen Mallard in 1969. They brought together friends and colleagues who shared their concern about what was then broadly termed pollution. Over the next two years their living room meetings mushroomed into a 4,000 member organization named Society for Pollution and Environmental Control, or SPEC. Membership was free and it was exciting to be a part of this new movement on behalf of nature.
SPEC quickly developed a sturdy reputation as a research driven activist and advocacy organization. Within a decade SPEC had award winning research projects in every major area of environmental work, and members were honoured for their contributions in research, policy advocacy and public education. In the 70’s and 80’s SPEC was the “go to organization” covering many issues and encompassing a broad mandate. But as the growth of the environmental movement brought many new organizations into the playing field, SPEC took on new identities.
Currently, SPEC focuses on positive and effective ways to change our habits, our homes, our schools, our businesses, and our neighbourhoods to promote a climate stable future. Concern about climate change is at an all-time high. Indigenous people say this is a time for all of us to be in the same canoe and paddling in the same direction. Nothing brings people together better than facing a common challenge and discovering we can act together to make a difference.
CLOSING REMARKS
Thank you to everyone that attended, volunteered, or participated in the fair on August 31st. What started as a small vision blossomed into a wonderful and inspiring event. We hope everyone was able to learn, discuss, and share knowledge on how we can make a difference and come together to fight the climate crisis.
Warm regards,
The Climate Action Fair Planning Team.
