Blog

In a world where disposability often reigns, the rise of Repair Cafés stands as a beacon of hope for a more sustainable future. These community-driven spaces, such as SPEC’s Repair Cafés in Vancouver, play a vital role in promoting the circular economy – an economic model focused on reducing waste and promoting resource efficiency.

October 16, 2023 Vancouver Landmarks Turning Green for Waste Reduction Week Celebrating waste reduction for a  brighter future The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) is proud to announce a captivating initiative in honor of Waste Reduction Week. Several iconic landmarks across Vancouver, including City Hall, Burrard Bridge, Vancouver Convention Center, the Olympic Torch, and BC […]

September 29, 2023 Saturday September 30th is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. This day provides an opportunity to learn, reflect, and acknowledge our role and responsibility in reconciliation.   We’ve put together a list of resources to consider on Saturday, but please consider exploring beyond this list.   Indigenous CanadaA free online 12 […]

September 18, 2023 Dr. Carole Christopher,  SPEC Guiding Elder and long standing board member, reflects on a recent Repair Cafe which served the most vulnerable Vancouverites at Union Gospel Mission in the Downtown East Side. Over the past year, SPEC has offered monthly Repair Cafes with invitations to bring your electronics,  clothing, and small household […]

By Dr. Carole Christopher Four years ago I stepped down as the president of SPEC* and was given the title, Guiding Elder. I liked it but I wasn’t sure what it meant.  Since then, I ask myself frequently, “What would a Guiding Elder do or say about this? “ As I’ve explored and grown in […]

In June 2023, SPEC Guiding Elder Carole Christopher, along with two SPEC members, had the privilege of meeting with MP Joyce Murray. The focal point of the discussion centered around the SPEC Elders Circle, delve deeper into its purpose and significance. Additionally, the opportunity was seized to align this program within the broader spectrum of SPEC's initiatives, engaging in fruitful...

Donate Now!

We’ve rounded up 10+ events from local organizations doing great things in our community and environment As we navigate the challenges posed by a changing climate, it becomes increasingly important to find moments of serenity and inspiration in nature. From guided nature walks to eco-friendly workshops and immersive outdoor experiences, these events offer a unique […]

Vancouver, BC – April 18, 2023 – The Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) is excited to announce the release of the updated version of the “South Coastal BC Compost Guide”, a comprehensive resource aimed at providing information to farmers about locally available composts. Purpose of the Guide The “South Coastal BC Compost Guide” is designed […]

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 […]

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 […]

Written by Sharlene Singh, SPEC School Gardens Program Coordinator As a Garden Educator, I’m an advocate for Ecological Literacy education, for every school aged child and youth to learn in an unstructured environment, often revealed by the natural world through interactions with wildlife, insects, plants, seeds, soil, and weather. I’m amazed by the resilience, empathy […]

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 […]

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 […]

Written by Annie McLeod, School Gardens Program Assistant “We may think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.” – Jenny Uglow (British Historian and Garden Advocate. MY CHILDHOOD IN THE GARDEN I grew up in the garden. My favourite memories, songs, words and stories made their […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Please note that the views and opinions expressed in our guest content is theirs, and does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of our organization Have you ever thought about reducing your carbon footprint? Magali Vander Vorst, a SPEC volunteer sits down with Holden Bonwit, an Engineer and Business Consultant on his experience […]

Written by Robin Hadac. Robin is an incoming board member and former Communications Coordinator at SPEC. She is passionate about environmental causes and loves inspiring others through storytelling. After Cyber Monday is Giving Tuesday, also known as National Giving Day. Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving and volunteering, during a time of year when charities, […]

By Ella Kim-Marriott Ella is a second year UBC student from Vancouver, BC studying sociology and geography with hopes of furthering research on the topic of consumerism. She currently works at the package-free grocery store Nada, and volunteers for various environmental organizations such as Greenpeace. Recently in the media, there has been a lot of […]

This article was originally posed on Reel Causes, the host of this event. On April 17th, Reel Causes is screening Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, a cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive reengineering of the planet, and following it with a panel discussion addressing waste reduction with community cause Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC), the oldest environmental non-profit in Canada. Daniel […]

By Alice Robertson Decluttering is a growing trend, but are Canadians truly committing to a minimalist lifestyle or is decluttering just an excuse to clear up space for more stuff? Image via Unsplash There are real benefits to a clutter-free home. Not only does your home look better when it’s neatly-organized, but a clutter-free home also promotes focus […]

Members’ Corner is a monthly blog series where SPEC members share their favourite sustainability-related resources. You should watch: Can Sustainable Plastics Save Us?  featuring Dr. Love-Ese Chile – Webcast  Daniel Rotman, Co-Chair – Waste Committee & SPEC Board Member There is a lot of mis- and incorrect information on bioplastics and plastics in general, and this […]

By Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President We’re told that sharing our intentions with friends may influence their decision about whether to vote and how to vote in the referendum on Proportional Representation.  With that in mind, and knowing that good hearted people can disagree, I’d like to ask you to vote for Proportional Representation.   The easy […]

By Ali Dawson Living in the city, it’s not every day that you get a chance to connect with nature. Spending too much time living in the concrete jungle can have an adverse effect on your health. It’s important to spend some time around nature every once in a while. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you […]

By: Steve Fetterly, P.Eng., SPEC Energy and Transportation Committee On a Saturday in mid-September, BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) hosted an annual event with this year’s theme focused on BC’s transition to clean transportation (learn more here). A number of representatives from the public, private and non-profit sectors excitedly came together to share past lessons learned […]

Members’ Corner is a monthly blog series where SPEC members share their favourite sustainability-related resources. You should read: the article “The Future of Cities” by Taras Grescoe Art Bomke, SPEC Board of Director and Food & Environment Committee Co-Chair I think this is especially relevant in Metro Vancouver as we approach the October 20th municipal elections […]

By Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President Ballots will arrive in October for the referendum on Proportional Representation (PR.) It’s an opportunity to express your point of view on whether to change our electoral system from first-past-the-post (FPTP) to proportional representation (PR).   Both Systems have their proponents and their critics. Under FPTP, “the winner takes all,” […]

By SPEC President, Dr. Carole Christopher Fireworks. I found myself consciously not watching the fireworks this year. A couple of decades ago in the early years of this annual event, I went with friends to Vanier Park to see the fireworks. I was hoping to reconnect with an awesome experience in 1976 in Riverside Park, […]

An inside look on how Emily Carr Elementary completely revamped their waste system and diverted 800 pounds of recyclables from the landfill. Teacher Cadine (left) with the team of student volunteers that sort classroom waste and recycling. Emily Carr Elementary School is on a mission. Two years ago, the school took the Zero Waste Challenge […]

Members’ Corner is a new, monthly blog series where SPEC members share our favourite sustainability-related resources. You should watch: Merchants of Doubt Amarita Pooni, Westside Community Food Market Coordinator A documentary that looks at pundits-for-hire who present themselves as scientific authorities as they speak about topics like toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change. It is really […]

We recently posted a blog post by SPEC’s President, Dr. Carole Christopher, on creating dialogue and building solidarity across differences. While the post mentions the Kinder Morgan Pipeline issue that seems to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, the arguments raised in the blog post are just as relevant for the fight against Site […]

By Robin Hadac and Nikoo Boroumand At the Farm to School BC Spring Celebration, one of the schools SPEC works with, John Norquay Elementary, was awarded the highest award for a school garden. The Farm to School BC Pollinator Award recognizes Farm to School programs and school teams that act as pollinators within their community: […]

By Olga Lansdorp, Tara Moreau, and Robin Hadac Today, there is a group of individuals representing educational institutions, non-profit organizations, cooperatives, and other groups with a focus on small-scale, diversified agriculture, who are all aware of what the other organizations strive to accomplish over the next five years. They are also aware of the funding […]

By Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President & Elder Image: Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain Expansion construction. From Burnaby Now. SPEC opposes the local pipeline expansion on the basis of environmental risk. But we also believe that the deeply polarized public discourse around this and similar projects is a major factor stalling efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate […]

By Magali Vander Vorst, SPEC Board Member Image: Regan in the Tupper Secondary School’s Teaching Kitchen Patricia Regan is the chef and teacher at the Tupper Secondary School’s Teaching Kitchen, where they serve 120 to 140 meals a day and barely use any single-use plastic. Regan is a passionate educator who brings her sustainability values to […]

Members’ Corner is a new, monthly list of recommendations on our favourite sustainability-related resources. You Should Read: How To Have a Zero Waste Kitchen, by Tony Naylor at The Guardian Ruth Briggs, member of SPEC’s Board and Energy and Transportation Committee Are you sure you can’t eat that? Food waste is a huge problem globally, and […]

By Andre Jankowski, from SPEC Energy Committee Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular in Vancouver. The annual sales of EVs are rapidly increasing reflecting the growing desire among the population to switch over from gas and diesel-powered cars to EVs powered by clean electricity. The most commonly cited concerns inhibiting decisions to purchase an […]

By Carole Christopher Carole is SPEC’s President and sits on the Food and Environment Committee. She is also an important part of SPEC’s Elder’s Circle program. Now that you know how much energy clothes dryers use, perhaps you’re motivated to try more energy efficient options. Here’s a few tips that will save energy and save your […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

By Daniel Rotman. Daniel is a co-facilitator of Master Recycler Vancouver. I’m a strong believer in the idea that sustainability requires us (all of us) to reach beyond our circles and networks and biases to empower change. It won’t be easy and it won’t look like we think it will. Take ZooShare for example. This new project […]

By Amrita Pooni Amrita is a student entering her final year of university. She is majoring in a B.A. of International Relations at the University of British Columbia. She is currently interning with the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC) ​as the facilitator of the annual Westside Community Food Market (a partnership with Kitsilano Neighbourhood House)​.  As a student, working on the Westside Community Food Market has […]

Did you know that the BC Motor Vehicle Act here is 60 years old?  The way the roads are being used has changed, and so should the rules that govern them. Please take action today. Check out what our friends at the HUB are proposing, lets make our voices heard, and ask our government to take action. Let’s be part of […]

The City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Coastal Health combine to host discussions on catalyzing social connections In 2012, the Vancouver Foundation presented the results of a survey of metro Vancouver revealing that people in the region identified their greatest concern as a growing sense of isolation. You can read the entire study at: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca//sites/default/files/documents/VanFdn-SurveyResults-Report.pdf Since that study, […]

Jess Metter holding Betsy Fox “She was the most dedicated admin volunteer I have ever encountered.” Former SPEC Director Dan Rogers All volunteers are precious to community groups because they come with the gift of their person, their skills and dedication. Jess stood out for several reasons. First, she came in every week to provide […]

Article from Vancouver-Point Grey Community Office Fall 2016 Newsletter, David Eby, MLA We had a quick chat with Oliver Lane, Exec Director of SPEC on the role of this great organization in the community. Q. What’s the best thing about working with SPEC?A. The people. It is a pleasure to work with staff and volunteers that bring such a […]

Written by Karla Olson Why did you become a farmer? “I used to work in a government office doing IT and found myself looking out the window all the time longing to be in the fresh air and sunshine. I started volunteering with the permaculture Vancouver meet-up group and loved the experience of gardening and […]

Written by Karla Olsen Why did you become a farmer? “I left my office job to look for more fulfilling work in the environmental sector and through volunteering discovered that organic farming satisfied the environmentalist in me as well as giving me a sense of satisfaction that comes with hard, physical work, and seeing concrete […]

Written by Karla Olson It has been a fruitful, and veggieful, year at the school gardens!Thanks to the School Gardens Program, we have seen that the best way to get kids excited about eating vegetables is to have them grow them! This year, with the support of our generous donors, 12 schools across Vancouver were able […]

Written by Carole Christopher, SPEC President The SPEC Elders Circle is a new initiative within SPEC that’s rooted in the belief that elders and society have much to gain by elders embracing their wisdom role and offering insight and knowledge to younger generations drawn from life experience and accumulated learning.  When I was about 55, (I’m now […]

Written by SPEC Intern Jamie As an intern at SPEC, I´ve received so much information about everything environmental. And there is something important I would like to share with you. Monsters are real. For this year’s 2016 Earth Day Celebration, four of us (SPEC volunteers Carol, Hisayo, and Shona) took part in two events. The […]

SPEC just received a small, but significant grant, to start the Environmental Elders Engagement Initiative, or the SPEC Elders Project, for short. In a recent interview on CBC, David Suzuki, considered one of Canada’s most dedicated defenders of the environment, spoke about his determination to awaken elders to the power of their wisdom role in society. (David […]

“Who’s the guy with the afro?” This iconic picture of SPEC’s early days often draws that question. His name is Gary Gallon. For us, his name stands for leadership and passion, and he’s remembered as a lively, intelligent, energetic, and dedicated young man with a huge capacity to motivate and lead. His sense of direction […]

In the beautiful Botanical Garden at UBC, SPEC co-hosted a Water Day Event on March 22, in which everyone had the opportunity to hear more about water conservation. The evening started with Steve Litke from the Fraser Basin Council. He gave an interesting overview of the new BC Water Act. He talked about the progress […]

How to communicate with our audience? As many other charities and environmental organizations, we look for ways to communicate to the public the issues and solutions we think are important. One of our supporters, Rick Pollay, who is an expert in marketing and advertising, brought this recent ad to our attention and shared with us […]

Hello fellow SPEC friends, donors and volunteers, Jamie here. I started my internship at SPEC about a week ago.. I am a student from Sweden, and I´m on my last semester in school. Doing an internship is mandatory, and I wanted to do something different. Coming to Vancouver was easy to decide when I started to read about […]

Why is chocolate an environmental issue? Because palm oil, an ingredient used in some chocolates, is the main driver behind much of the deforestation happening in tropical peat forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, among other places. Tropical peat forests are home to a diversity of plant and animal species, and are important carbon sinks, which means they have […]

Written by Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President Phantom leaks occur when microwaves, computers, TVs, and other electrical devices continue to draw energy even when they’re turned off, up to 15%. The solution—unplug them.  A convenient way to do that is to plug devices, such as your computer, and their peripherals, printers, speakers, monitors, etc. into a power bar […]

By Dr. Carole Christopher, SPEC President Last year, in preparation for our 45th anniversary celebration, I reviewed SPEC’s historical campaigns (1) and successfully connected with nearly 100 SPEC activists from the early days.  As I gathered names, one that repeatedly came up was Terry Chantler so I called him to see what I could learn about […]

By Kimi Hendess from Farmwatch BC The Fraser River needs your help.  LNG, Coal, Jet Fuel… numerous proposed industrial projects in this sensitive estuary hinge on tankers gaining access up-river of the George Massey Tunnel, over which only shallow or partially loaded ships can pass.  Access to Information requests have revealed that Port Metro Vancouver […]

Vancouver and Surrey ranked lowest Vancouver, BC – 2015 May 12 – SPEC (Society Promoting Environmental Conservation) has released the first ranking of  Canadian cities-based on solar energy policy.  Amongst the large Canadian cities – Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto were ranked best, with Surrey and Vancouver  at the bottom of the list. The ranking which looked at the […]

By now, most people have seen photos and read news accounts of the fuel spill that occurred on April 8th, 2015 in English Bay, the impacts of which are still being determined. It is important to note that Vancouver’s waters are under federal jurisdiction and are overseen by the Vancouver Port Authority while the Canadian Coast Guard is tasked […]

These past weeks what we’ve been dreading has come to pass.  The gardens, so lovingly built and tended, so integral to the community gardening legacy of Vancouver, have been ripped out.  These gardens, built over several decades going back to WWII Victory Gardens, were allowed by CPR from 1952-2001 – the entire time it ran […]

A SPEC hosted forum on March 26th Between March 16 and May 29, 2015, Metro Vancouverites will be facing one of the most important regional decisions affecting our and future generations: whether to approve or reject a 0.5 per cent increase in the provincial sales tax (PST) to support the implementation of multiple transit projects throughout Metro Vancouver.  Increasing the […]