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Spring 2023 Vancouver Park Stewardship Newsletter |
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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.
Have something to share in our next newsletter? E-mail parkstewards@vancouver.ca for more information about how to submit content!
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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Spring has sprung It's finally spring in Vancouver - birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and longer days are upon us. This season, we're sharing information about native and invasive plants, challenges facing wildlife this season, and a number of opportunities to get your hands dirty while caring for nature in Vancouver parks.
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Above: Three of the 22 plants features in the Indigenous Plant Guide. To learn their names in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, click the "More Info" button to visit the Museum of Vancouver's webpage for the project.
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Indigenous Plant Guide The Pacific Northwest is the most biodiverse region in Canada. The xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples have been stewards of these lands and waters since time immemorial. Stewardship and Local Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) relating to Indigenous plants in the region continues to be utilized by members of the host nations for technology, food, medicine and ceremony.
The Unity Indigenous Plant Garden-A Living Exhibition the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) was created by the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) and the Vancouver Park Board. This garden connects two MOV exhibition projects:
“Wild Things: The Power of Nature in Our Lives (2018-2020)” and “That Which Sustains Us (opened in 2020),” both featuring traditional knowledge from the Nations.
As part of this project, an Indigenous Plant Guide was developed which shares information and pronunciation guides in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish language) and hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (spoken by Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh) for 22 prominent indigenous plants that can be found in the MOV Unity Indigenous Plant Garden and in Vancouver parks.
If you use this guide for learning or translation, please make sure to cite the guide and thank its creators.
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| VUFFF's Earth Day Weekend Workshops
LOCATION Burrard View Park Fieldhouse - 545 North Slocan Street, Vancouver, BC
DATES Friday, April 21 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm (Culture Container Gardens) Saturday, April 22 - 10:00am - 12:00pm (Origami Seed Envelopes and Seed Bomb Making) Sunday, April 23 - 1:00pm - 3:00pm (Community Herb Garden workshop)
DESCRIPTION Come celebrate Mother Earth with the Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (VUFFF)! VUFFF will be hosting a series of workshops from the Burrard View Park Fieldhouse for Earth Day.
Connect with your ancestors and grow cultural food plants during their "Culture Container Gardens" workshop on Friday, April 21st, craft wildflower seed bombs and seed envelopes on April 22nd, and/or learn abut successional planting of edible and medicinal herbs on April 23!
There is no experience required
for any of these workshops and they are all free. You do not need to register but if you would like to note your interest or receive more information please contact VUFFF at info@vufff.org.
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Earth Day at Templeton Welcome Garden
LOCATION Templeton Park Indigenous Welcome Garden - Templeton Park Pool
DATES Saturday, April 22 - 1:00pm - 5:00pm
DESCRIPTION Join artists in residence Lori and Laura for Earth Day celebrations at the Indigenous Welcome Garden at Templeton Park Pool. From 1pm-5pm they will host a variety of activities including a plant and bird walk, music and dance party, seed gifting, storytelling, rock and garden sign painting for kids, and more! Bring your own tea cup and picnic blanket.
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Digging In: Collaborative Conversations for Community Gardeners
LOCATIONCreekside Community Recreation Center - Multipurpose Room 4 1 Athlete's Way, Vancouver, BC DATESSunday, April 30th from 10:00am - 12:00pm DESCRIPTIONThe Creekside Community Garden Society invites all community garden organizers and members to a networking event at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre. The goal of this event is to share knowledge, experiences, successes and learn from one another to strengthen the local food community and community garden efforts in the city. The event will include a seed swap, coffee/snacks, and a panel discussion with local food leaders from Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation
( VUFFF), Cottonwood Community Garden, and Vancouver Master Gardeners. The event's capacity is 100 people, so please RSVP!
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| Brewery Creek Community Garden collaborate on Wild Spaces project to combat "plant blindness" in Mount Pleasant In 2022, the Brewery Creek Community Garden in Dude Chilling (Guelph) Park collaborated with Rithika Rajamohan on an educational signage project to raise awareness and plant literacy with visitors and gardeners. This initiative was one of a series in the "Wild Spaces" project which strives to address the issue of "plant blindness": a common phenomena where people are unable to recognize, remember and/or notice the plants around them. While this may not seem a pressing issue, it also snowballs into a widespread societal problem where we underappreciate the role plants and natural ecosystems play in our lives. To learn more about Rithika's work and the Wild Spaces project, check out her consultancy firm, V6A Collaborative or contact her at rithikharajamohan@gmail.com. As for the Brewery
Creek Community Garden (brewerycreekgarden@gmail.com), their garden coordinator Cheryl considers this the first step in a broader plan to include more inviting and inclusive signage in their garden, and intend to add more signage related to their communal food and pollinator gardens in the future.
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Sunset Park Garden Work-a-thon
LOCATION Prince Edward Street at East 53rd Ave
DATES Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23 10:00am - 2:00pm
DESCRIPTION Celebrate Earth Day by getting your hands in some dirt at Sunset Park community garden! Participants will be laying down bark mulch, pruning and moving pollinator plants, planting vegetables, and enhancing the space!
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| Bats need your help! Fungus that causes white nose syndrome detected in BC The fungus that causes white nose syndrome in bats has been detected in British Columbia. The deadly fungus was first detected on the west coast of the United States in 2016, and the Province, in collaboration with multiple government and community partners, has been monitoring for its presence. White nose syndrome is responsible for rendering three Canadian bat species endangered. It does not affect humans, but we can spread the fungus when we move vehicles, clothing, gear, ourselves, or bats.
The public is asked to contact the BC Community Bat Program or the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship with any information on the location of winter bat roosting sites, unusual behaviour, such as flying during the day, and observations of dead bats.
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Tell us about your research! Are you a researcher at an NGO, university, or government who has conducted environmental or socio-ecological research in a Vancouver park or other urban area? We want to hear from you!
We are collecting information about past and current research in parks and urban areas of Vancouver to support planning for a connected ecological network in Vancouver. If you've collected data in (or about) Vancouver parks about species, environmental quality, green space, ethno-cultural ways of knowing, or the relationship between people and nature, please consider taking our survey.
The knowledge generated from this survey can help us make data-informed decisions about green space, development and policies in ways that might better support the environment and wildlife in Vancouver.
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Sign up for Meetup to get involved in stewardship around the city! Do you want to get involved with nature? Help restore Vancouver's biggest parks?
Then join us every month at various parks throughout Vancouver to help restore our green spaces to their natural potential!
This Meetup page is managed by volunteers from environmental stewardship groups throughout the city. By joining the group, you can view events and get notifications about environmental stewardship activities happening in the city.
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Everett Crowley Park Stewardship Volunteering
LOCATIONMeet at the front doors of the Champlain Heights Community Centre (3350 Maquinna Dr, Vancouver, BC V5S 4C6). DATESSaturday, April 15th, 10:00am Saturday, May 13th, 10:00am DESCRIPTIONGet dirty, have fun and help the environment! Join the
ECP Committee 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 "Sign Up" link below or contact ECPC at ecpcstewards@gmail.com.
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SeaSmart Summer Camps
LOCATION Kitsilano Beach or Trout Lake
DATES July 4th - August 28th, 2023, 9:00am - 4:00pm Monday through Friday
DESCRIPTION Looking for a way to keep your child engaged this summer? Hoping to inspire them to explore the world around them? Join us at the beach for some fun learning!
Sea Smart’s summer camps encourage children ages 6-10 to explore nature in a safe and fun outdoor environment. From developing scientific skills and identifying cool critters, to conducting research projects - our engaging and friendly Ocean Educators will help them learn about different marine ecosystems and the impact human activity has on them. They’ll walk away with new friends and knowledge, and will be able to help advocate for and protect our oceans so that the next generation can enjoy them, too!
Financial
support is available. Click the "More Info" button to learn more about the various camps, registration timelines, costs, and bursaries.
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New Brighton Park Stewardship with Nature Vancouver
LOCATION New Brighton Park
DATES Contact Nigel Peck at nigel@naturevancouver.ca to get involved or learn more!
DESCRIPTION Join the growing Nature Vancouver stewardship team to remove blackberry, scotch broom and other invasive species from this beautiful coastal park. Tools and treats provided.
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Jericho Stewardship Group - Celebrating successes Jericho Stewardship Group has kicked off the spring season with a flurry of activities worth celebrating. They received a generous donation of 200 seedlings from Arbutus Arborist - 100 Douglas Fir and 100 Western Red Cedar. With a group from Nature Kids BC, on March 26 they planted them all along the park's south boundary, and also had a special Ivy Pull Day with kids and families from the Bayview Outdoor Pre-School on March 24th.
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Still Moon Arts Society - AGM and Spring Fundraiser
LOCATION Hybrid (in-person at 3690 Vanness Ave, Vancouver & online on Zoom)
DATES Wednesday, April 19th - 6:30pm to 8:45pm
DESCRIPTION In alignment with the week of Earth Day, you‘re invited to join Still Moon Arts Society‘s 19th Annual General Meeting, followed by an evening of Live Music by Madelyn Read, Mindfulness Practices & Storytelling by Quantum Care, a Silent Auction featuring diverse local businesses and experiences, and most importantly, a like-minded community with a shared passion for the environment, arts and community connections.
Come and support the growth of a local Ecological Arts community organization, and their ongoing work in Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood and the Still Creek Watershed.
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Still Moon Stewardship Work Party
LOCATION Renfrew Ravine Park
DATES Saturday, April 29th - 10:00am - 1:00pm
DESCRIPTION Join Still Moon to continuing removing English ivy around the native plants, and clean up garbage from the site and the creek. Learn or refresh your memory about the native and introduced plants we have in the area.
Along the way, you'll enjoy an active walk & talk about the upcoming Moon Festival, Ecological Arts & Stewardship projects at Still Moon.
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| Earth Fest 2023 at Everett Crowley Park
LOCATION Everett Crowley Park - follow signs posted throughout the park.
DATES Saturday, April 22nd, 11:00am - 3:00pm
DESCRIPTION Join the community for the Earth Day 2022 celebration in Everett Crowley Park! Plant native species and seed wildflowers to help grow an urban forest in this fun, family friendly event. Enjoy the festivities and get hands-on with sustainability, from plant weaving, mason bee care, nature talks, creating seed “bombs”, and more exciting environmental booth activities. No registration required!
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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.
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Invasive species Invasive species are those that occur outside of their natural range and cause significant ecological, social, cultural, and/or economic harm once established. Certain invasive species pose a significant risk to human and animal health (eg. Giant Hogweed). Introduced (i.e. ’non-native‘ or ’alien‘) species are common in modified or disturbed landscapes. Many were intentionally established in the region during settler colonization to replicate European landscapes. Not all introduced species are considered invasive, but a minority of them are, because they are able to flourish and spread rapidly in the absence of natural predators and other controls, and cause significant harmful impacts.
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According to the World Conservation Union, invasive alien species are the second most significant threat to biodiversity, after habitat loss.
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Invasive species reduce overall biodiversity by displacing and degrading natural habitats and ecosystems. Removal of invasive species and restoration are critical to the long-term sustainability and ecological functionality of these ecosystems. Ecological restoration is also essential to the local Indigenous people, including the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, who rely on healthy ecosystems for cultural practices and traditional economies.
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Learn to identify invasives The Invasive Species Council of British Columbia (ISCBC) has a great visual guide to help people learn to identify invasive species. You may be surprised to learn that many of the most common invasive plants are being sold at your local garden centre! Knowing how to spot an invasive can help prevent their spread. Click the "Learn more" button below to visit ISCBC's website to view their guide.
| If you see an invasive species... Take a photo, and report it! The Province of BC has developed a mobile app and online reporting form that you can use to report sightings of invasive plants and animals anywhere in BC. An online reporting form is also available. Sightings are reviewed by an invasive species specialist at the Province of BC who then coordinates follow-up activities.
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Pictured above are just a small sample of the different invasive species that have been observed in Vancouver: Italian Arum (left), European Rabbit (centre) and Popillia japonica (right).
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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!
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Watershed restoration projects We are delighted to announce that the City and Park Board have received a federal Natural Infrastructure Fund grant to enhance 28,700 square meters of natural infrastructure throughout the entire city. The money will be used on a variety of projects that will enhance parks and other public spaces, including rain gardens, stream restoration, tree trenches, permeable pavements and other green rainwater infrastructure.
Green rainwater infrastructure focuses on capturing rainwater closer to where it falls, using ecological processes to remove pollution from urban runoff, and allowing it to be absorbed back in to the ground, returned to the atmosphere or harvested for reuse. This is in contrast to practices that move rainwater away as quickly as possible, into our underground sewer and
drainage system, then out to receiving waterbodies where it can be harmful to aquatic environments that support various species, and Indigenous food fisheries and cultural practices.
Apart from these practical stormwater management benefits, these projects will provide many other benefits, including providing refuge and habitat for biodiversity, cooling down public spaces during the hot summer months and providing access to nature for residents.
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Above: On March 16th, Park Board Chair Scott Jensen (at podium, left), alongside MP for Vancouver Granville Taleeb Noormohamed (centre) and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim (right), announced the joint investment of more than $36.2 million towards the City of Vancouver’s Rain City Strategy.
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Above: A design rendering for the St. George Rainway, one of the natural infrastructure projects that will be partially funded through the natural infrastructure grant.
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Canada geese management Canada geese are an iconic bird, but did you know many of the geese in Vancouver are introduced? City parks and lawns, with their abundant grass and shorelines, make great habitat for these birds. Because of that, Vancouver's geese do not migrate, but stick around in our city all year. With excellent habitat and few predators in the city, the goose population is growing and having negative impacts on parks and urban ecosystems. They eat young grass, dig holes around water infrastructure, and leave droppings on beaches, pool decks, and picnic areas, which can present health and sanitation risks. A goose's inefficient digestive system means they poop every 12 minutes! One of the things the Park Board does to manage population growth is egg addling, which is a SPCA-supported,
humane way to prevent eggs from hatching. This involves switching freshly laid eggs for previously frozen ones. Once the clutch fails to hatch, the goose leaves the nest. You might see our staff out an about in parks and working with building managers to access nests doing this work in April and May. The Board will soon consider options to expand goose management tactics in parks. What can you do to help? If you see a nest, please report it to Van311 or geese@vancouver.ca; this will help staff with population control. Do not feed geese. Supplementing their diet with human food is not healthy for them and feeding them encourages them to congregate, increasing likelihood of conflict between geese and humans or pets.
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Vancouver Park Board Community Supports
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Check out the following Vancouver Park Board & City strategies for more information
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Header photos taken at Stanley Park and Jericho forest. Dancer Melissa Panetta photographed by Brenda Kent
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Share this email with others who may be interested!
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