Celebrating Earth Day 2023 in Vancouver: Top 10 Events to Join! As we strive to protect our planet and raise awareness about environmental issues, Earth Day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship. Vancouver, known for its stunning natural beauty and commitment to sustainability, is gearing up to celebrate
Earth Week Events 2023 Read More »
The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) is currently seeking passionate and engaged individuals to join our volunteer board of directors. We invite those interested in environmental conservation, resilient community building, and the promotion of urban sustainability to apply. ABOUT SPEC The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) is a non-profit charitable organization that addresses urban sustainability
SPEC is Searching for Volunteer Board Members Read More »
Written by Teresa Porter, Farmland Ecosystem Services Project Coordinator World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5th to highlight the importance of healthy soils. This year’s theme is ‘Soil: Where Food Begins’. Given that roughly 95% of our food comes from the soil, healthy soils are integral to our food systems! Plants obtain
Happy World Soil Day! Read More »
Over the weekend of October 7th-9th, 2022, 50 individuals were honored for their exceptional contribution to Canada’s clean economy. The honorees contributed to sixteen key sectors, including clean technology, manufacturing, renewable energy, research and development, and lifetime achievement. In a time of climate crisis and uncertainty, the ingenuity and passion shown by these Canadian leaders
Celebrating Green Successes in Canada at the Clean 50 Summit Read More »
Written by Tiffany Li , School Gardens Summer Intern This past summer, working with SPEC as the School Gardens Program Intern, I had the invaluable opportunity to slow down and reflect on the past year as a full time online student. Being outside in the gardens was a sharp contrast to the fifteen hours of daily
Why Open Interactive Environments Can Foster a More Authentic Learning Experience Read More »
There are many problems in today’s world, and two of the most pressing are climate change and species extinctions. It is easy to lose hope; when unable to imagine a happy healthy future, many of us throw our hands in the air. At SPEC however, we work with a group of people who instead throw
Ecosystem Services Are Important Read More »
Written by Christina Papadatos-Dupont (Farm-to-Plate Marketing Manager) In Canada, $8.11 billion worth of food is wasted every year at the distribution and retail stages of our food supply chain (source: The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste: Technical Report). This does not include unavoidable, byproduct waste (such as animal bones); this speaks strictly of avoidable wasted food. When apples are
Farm to Plate Marketplace – Rethinking Our Food Systems Read More »
Written By Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC Guiding Elder and Director I met Patricia (Patty to me) 35 years ago when she was a lawyer with the BC Federation of Labour and I coordinated an ecumenical Centre for Justice & Peace. We bonded around shared faith, a core belief in the common good, and a commitment to
Reflections on a Village Elder: Patricia Lane and the Ethics of Service Read More »
Written by Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC Guiding Elder, Director, Master Gardener It’s mid November and we are in the middle of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot of people took up food gardening this Spring and I know that gardening is an amazing passion but also has discouraging surprises, especially for new
Fall Garden Maintenance Read More »
Written by Nicole Greig This fall, I am starting my 3rd term at University of British Columbia (UBC) in the Behavioural Neuroscience program. The key thing I’ve learned in university is how essential taking care of your mental health is! Between the last minute scramble to answer questions on my exam to sprinting to a
The Neuroscience of Gardening Read More »
