By Olga Lansdorp Olga is the program manager for SPEC’s Climate Change Adaptation for Small Scale Farmers program. It was a cold, windy morning in late January, but that didn’t stop the farmers, presenters, volunteers, and other interested parties from coming to the Scandinavian Community Centre in Burnaby, BC. It promised to be a day filled with […]
Recap From the 2018 Small Scale Farmers’ Symposium Read More »
By Art Bomke and Wayne Temple Art Bomke is a SPEC Director and co-wrote this piece for the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust newsletter. You can find the complete article here. In the Beginning: It’s hard to believe that nearly 25 years have flown by since the inception of the Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust (DF&WT). In spite of
Lessons from the DFWT: A Model for Community Based Conservation Read More »
Presented by the SPEC Energy & Transportation Committee For Vancouver residents hoping to reduce energy consumption at home, switching from a clothes dryer to a clothesline is an easy and affordable option. Yet some residents hoping to use clotheslines are being denied their right to dry. If you live in a strata complex and have
Revitalizing the Right to Dry Campaign Read More »
This summer, Shambhala Music Festival celebrated their 20th year anniversary at Salmo River Ranch, and in honour of their anniversary Shambhala launched The Greater Good Contribution Contest. The Greater Good Contribution Contest celebrates Shambhala camps that make a positive impact on the Shambhala experience, local communities, or abroad. The three winners of the contest are
Party Pocket: Meet the Shambhala Music Festival Sustainability Superstars! Read More »
By Chris Gooderham, a member of SPEC’s Board and the Energy & Transportation Committee As road traffic in the Vancouver area increases with the use of more vehicles, bicycles, e-bikes, skateboards, and other modes of transportation, taking a good look at the “Motor Vehicle Act” is long overdue. Simply put, the Motor Vehicle Act needs to
Time to Update the Motor Vehicle Act Read More »
By Robin Hadac Robin has been SPEC’s outreach facilitator since January. She wrote this piece for her course on climate change. From the Elephant Hill Fire in the Ashcroft/Cache Creek area. Photo by Chris Gooderham. Be sure to check out the rest of the photos at the end of the blog piece. One summer evening
BC Wildfires in the Context of Climate Change Read More »
By Olga Lansdorp, Project Coordinator, Climate Change Adaptation for Small Scale Farmers, Society Promoting Environmental Conservation Have you ever had your eyes opened to a new way of seeing the world, to find that there is no turning back? I first experienced this when I was 18 and worked studying birds in the Rocky Mountains;
By Anna Suarez, a public health advocate focused on raising awareness about how the built environment and the presence of toxins can influence human health. Sustainability, or the ability to use resources without degrading them for future generations, has strong ties to public health. Despite being able to supercede certain aspects of the natural world,
Ensuring Environmental Health Means Addressing Asbestos Read More »
By Janey Lee, Teacher at Thunderbird Elementary, SPEC Fundraiser and Celebration Speech, Good evening everyone. My name is Janey Lee and for the past 19 years I have been proudly teaching at Thunderbird Elementary. Thunderbird is a Tier 1 inner city, east side school in Vancouver. Thunderbird is located across the street from the largest
On the Impact of SPEC’s School Gardens Program Read More »
By Dr. Art Bomke, SPEC Director The article in the September 8th Vancouver Sun refers to recent census data that is reflecting a loss of farms and fewer farmers in Metro Vancouver. It may seem odd that an urban-based environmental organization like SPEC would be engaged in supporting local farmers, however, our ongoing Climate Change Adaptation
Supporting Local Farmers in the Face of Changing Climate Read More »
