Fall 2022 Vancouver Park Stewardship Newsletter
 
Fall 2022
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 Park Board Newsletter
Stewardship, Local Food, Arts   Culture
The Park Board Newsletter is dedicated to sharing events and resources for all ages. This season we're sharing several opportunities for online and in-person community events. 

Stewardship, Local Food, and Decolonization, Arts & Culture staff have collaborated to offer a broader look into the work that community organizations do to support individual wellbeing, community connection, a thriving arts and culture sector, and resilient urban ecosystems in Vancouver parks alongside sharing Park Board initiatives and updates.

The City of Vancouver and its parks are on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

 

 

 

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A season of abundance

The cool, crisp days of fall are upon us, but Vancouver's parks and natural areas are still bustling with activity. Community gardens are harvesting food and celebrating cultural exchange, stewardship partners are preparing for fall plantings, salmon will soon be spawning, and there are new opportunities to get involved with your local arts and culture scene.

Read on to learn more about park stewardship opportunities this fall, alongside local food and culture events in parks, updates from Park Board staff, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Highlights
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Urban meadows project receives international recognition

We're pleased to share that the Park Board-led pollinator meadow initiative has been honoured with a Certificate of Merit as a part of the global World Green City Awards 2022.

Led by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), the World Green City Awards aims to celebrate and champion ambitious nature-oriented approaches to city design and operation. The awards recognize initiatives that leverage plants and nature to improve local environmental, social and economic resilience. 

The urban meadows pilot project has been a deeply interdisciplinary and collaborative project involving professionals from a wide range of City departments. We are proud of all of the staff that have contributed to this vision by planning, advocating for, planting, and maintaining pollinator meadows throughout the city's parks and boulevards!

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Neighbourhood Matching Fund

 

 

 

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Accepting Application Inquiries

The Neighbourhood Matching Fund provides support for community groups to build community and neighbourhood connections while enhancing parks or other public spaces. We can provide funds up to $10,000 to match volunteer time and donated contributions from the community.

Projects must actively involve the local community and build neighborhood connections. Examples of community participation include:
• Participatory installation
• Collaborative painting 
• Cultural knowledge sharing 
• Design and learning workshops

PROCESS AND KEY DATES
Please contact nmf@vancouver.ca to confirm eligibility before October 14th
Final applications due October 28th, for projects starting in winter/spring of 2023.


 

 

 

Free wood offer

The Great Northern Way Scene Shop has generously offered free wood to community gardens or other park partners who may be interested. The shop specializes in custom and scenic wood working, metal fabrication (steel and aluminum), and scenic painting (faux finishing, murals, and scenic drops).

Guy Fauchon from the shop notes, "We often have off-cuts and wood from the demolition of projects. There is no guarantee of supply, but we do like to set up relationships whereby we can keep such materials out of the landfill!"

To request materials, e-mail Guy at guy@gnwshop.ca with a wish list. Any materials are free and need to be picked up. Delivery can be arranged, at a cost of about $200.

Free compost offer

EverGen Infrastructure Corp has generously offered a donation of compost to interested community food, culture and learning gardens in Vancouver parks.

EverGen owns and operates three organic waste recycling facilities where the received material is processed into high quality compost with a focus on reducing carbon emissions, improving food security and strengthening the local circular economy. Their compost is Class A and OMRI certified organic.

To request a compost donation, e-mail Laura at laura@evergeninfra.com noting your name, the garden you work with, and the amount of compost you'd like.

 

 

 

Environment   Stewardship Events

Stanley Park EcoStewards

LOCATION
Volunteers always meet at 10:00am at the
SPES Office - 610 Pipeline Rd, Vancouver, BC 

DATES
Saturday, October 15th
Saturday, November 5th
Saturday, November 19th
Saturday, December 3rd
Saturday, December 17th
and into 2023!
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DESCRIPTION
Come volunteer to help the Stanley Park ecosystem by managing and removing invasive plant species. You will learn about local ecology and conservation issues, take part in hands-on invasive species removal, and make an important contribution to habitat conservation and restoration in Stanley Park. 

*EcoStewards and DIRT do similar work, but DIRT meets more consistently whereas EcoStewards is a drop-in program.

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Everett Crowley Park Stewardship Volunteering

LOCATION
Meet at the front doors of the Champlain Heights Community Centre (3350 Maquinna Dr, Vancouver, BC V5S 4C6). 

DATES
Invasive pulls: Saturday Oct 15th, Nov 19th, Dec 10th at 10-12:30am
Planting: Sunday Oct 16th at 1-4pm

DESCRIPTION
Get dirty, have fun and help the environment! Join the ECP Committee [champlainheightscc.ca] for monthly stewardship events to remove invasive plants, to rewild native species, and to learn more about the unique history and ecology of Everett Crowley Park. Gloves, tools and light refreshments are provided. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy, close-toed shoes. Weather permitting.

To sign up, use the link below or contact ECPC at ecpcstewards@gmail.com.

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Stanley Park DIRT (Dedicated Invasive Removal Team)

LOCATION
Volunteers always meet at 10:00am at the
SPES Office - 610 Pipeline Rd, Vancouver, BC 

DATES
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00am - 1:00pm

DESCRIPTION
Join this dedicated group of volunteers and help manage invasive plant species in Stanley Park. You will learn about local ecology and conservation issues, take part in hands-on invasive species removal and make an important contribution to habitat conservation and restoration in Stanley Park. Opportunities to develop leadership skills are also available as part of this program.

Volunteers are welcome to join us three days a week or as often as available.

*EcoStewards and DIRT do similar work, but DIRT meets more consistently whereas EcoStewards is a drop-in program.



 

 

 

Arts   Culture Events

Ancestral Food Ways Festival:
"Day of the Dead" Sharing the Harvest with the Ancestors

LOCATION
Strathcona Field House (Skwachays)
857 Malkin Ave, Vancouver, BC V6A 2K5

DATES
November 2nd, 2022 - 4:00pm - 8:00pm

DESCRIPTION
As the growing season comes to the end, we invite community members to come and gather with our ancestors to share in the abundance and gifts of the harvest season. It will be the coming together of Inter-Tribal Relations where we celebrate and honour the “Dia de muertos” in Host Nations Territory. 

There are other events planned as a part of the Ancestral Ways Food Festival this year, in Vancouver and surrounding communities.

Click "More Info" below or reach out to German Ocampo at german.ocampo@wgifs.org to get connected and learn more.

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Dancing the Parenting: Creative dance program for parents/caregivers with children 0-5 years

LOCATION
Creekside Community Center (1 Athletes Way, Vancouver)

DATES
In-person: Mondays from 9:30am to 10:30am starting September 19th 2022 until April 17th 2023.
Online (Zoom): Five sessions between November 14th to December 12th 2022 

DESCRIPTION
Foolish Operations is happy to offer its bilingual French-English program, Dancing the Parenting, in person again after two years online!

We are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, as well as creative
dance, improvisation, neuro motor development and attachment theories. During Dancing the
Parenting classes, parents/caregivers practice their own dancing just as much as the children. No
experience necessary - abilities to move easily from ground to standing recommended.

Registration is free, thanks to the support of the City of Vancouver and the Department of Canadian
Heritage with essential partners such as Creekside Community and Recreation Centre, The
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and Trout Lake Community Centre.

Dancing the Parenting classes accept new participants at any time during our season, although
registration is required. 

For children 0-5 yrs old, with their adult(s).       Photo credit: Yvonne Chew.

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Masterclass Series with Music Off the Page

LOCATION
West Point Grey Community Centre, 4379 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC

DATES
October 9th, 23rd - 3:00pm - 4:00pm 
November 6th, 20th - 3:00pm - 4:00pm

DESCRIPTION
Join Fellowship members for a riveting series of masterclasses on special topics of interest from songwriting to "teacherpreneurship"!

All masterclasses are all ages, accessible and by donation. Register by emailing musicoffthepage2@gmail.com

 

 

 

What we're working on
Park Board staff are working hard on a variety of projects you might find interesting, related to arts, culture, decolonization, environment and more. Here's a snapshot of what our Environment team has been up to recently!

Water Conservation in Action

Vancouver may be known as “Rain City”, but our summers are becoming hotter and drier due to climate change. Our limited drinking water resources are needed to cool and hydrate our rapidly growing population, water plants and to prevent fires.

Municipal and City by-laws prohibit the use of water features that do not re-use water in an effort not to waste this valuable limited resource. Often, when the potable water feeds to aesthetic features are turned off during periods of water scarcity, the Park Board and the City receive many requests to turn the features back on. In some cases, these requests are rooted in misconceptions about the habitat value of these features, or the true environmental costs of keeping them running.

Many of our water features appear natural; however, the water level of those features have been sustained using our limited drinking water resources. Though not harmful to people at the concentrations found in our water, many fish and amphibians can be harmed by the chlorine levels found in tap water. 
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Charles Park pond after re-naturalization can be seen in the above photos. The potable water input pipe can be seen in the photo on the right.  
In an effort to conserve water and to re-naturalize ecosystems, several natural-looking features that are currently fed by potable water will be transitioned into seasonal wetlands. Seasonal wetlands are natural ecosystems that fill with rainwater during the winter months and dry out each summer. They provide habitat for native biodiversity and are more resistant to invasive species like the American Bullfrog. 

Some naturalized pond areas within the City of Vancouver include Avalon Pond at Everett Crowley Park and the pond at Jericho Beach Park.

More recently we have also transitioned to seasonal wetlands at the duck pond at Queen Elizabeth Park, Charles Park Pond, and the ponds at Vanier Park. At Vanier Park, this transition will help to save roughly 4 million litres of water per year.

Each of these sites have or will undergo planting plans to continue to provide aesthetic value for residents, while improving the habitat value for urban wildlife including amphibians, fish, birds and pollinators.

Spanish Banks Stream Restoration

Recently, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) conducted stream restoration works in Spanish Banks Creek.

Spanish Banks Creek was restored in 1999 and is celebrated as a successful stream daylighting project. Over the years, the creek became filled with sediment, making passage for salmon fry difficult. Sedimentation causes shallower water depth and leaves salmon fry exposed to predation. Deepening the pools by removing sediment has provided more areas for fish to rest and hide.

Spanish Banks is one of few locations in Vancouver where you can watch salmon return to their ancestral streams every year in the fall. As directed by the Park Board in late 2021, staff are working on plans, permits, and funding assistance applications to also daylight Canyon Creek in the same park. Lessons learned from restoring the Spanish Banks and Salish Creeks are helping to inform our plans to daylight Canyon Creek.

Keep an eye on our social media pages and reach out to the Spanish Banks Streamkeepers to learn more about salmon spawning and opportunities to care for this important urban stream!
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Vancouver Park Board Community Supports

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Fieldhouse Activation

Vancouver Park Board's Fieldhouse Activation Program transforms former caretakers‘ suites in parks across Vancouver into active spaces for community engaged creative practices including arts, culture, local food,  and environmental programming.

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Neighbourhood Matching Fund

The Neighbourhood Matching Fund supports neighbourhood-based groups who want to creatively enhance parks or other public lands through community art, environmental stewardship, or garden projects.


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Artists in Communities

The Vancouver Park Board Artists in Communities program builds connection by making art together using principles of community cultural development. We host artist residencies each year in participating community centres and other park facilities.

Check out the following Vancouver Park Board & City strategies for more information

 

 

 

Header photos taken at Stanley Park and Jericho forest. Dancer Melissa Panetta photographed by Brenda Kent
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