Village Vancouver Newsletter
May 2015
Spring into Summer with Village!
Volunteer Sunday, Stone Soup, Village Burnaby, 100 in 1 Day, the Aberthau Garden Project, and our Demo Sustainable Village at Main Street Car Free Day highlight our May and June activities
Come by and pick up some free seeds for gardening at our booth at the 20th Annual Stone Soup Festival on May 9. The following day, May 10, marks the start of VV Volunteer Sundays. Join us at a garden party, a permaculture project, a seed packet party, or a community potluck. The following week, Village Burnaby re-launches with a Drop in Spaghetti Night. Garden parties abound during the month, including a couple at our Aberthau Garden Project permaculture demonstration site.
May 29 marks the deadline for voting on the Transit Plebiscite. Thoughts from VV Transition Society's Board of Directors can found inWhat's New, and whether you're for or against, we encourage you to vote.
We have three exciting activities planned for 100 on 1 Day in early June - another Permaculture Blitz, a Marpole Neighbourhood Food network booth at Marpole Community Day, and a Seed Library Launch in Mt. Pleasant. (The latter is still to be confirmed.)
And last, but far from least, we looking for dozens of volunteers (and tents, tables, and chairs) for our 6th Annual Demonstration Sustainable Village at Main Street Car Free Day on June 21st.
Your May Newsletter Team,
Ross Moster, Bonita Jo Magee, Aska Djikia, and Simone Hoedel
Become a Society Member Today
Join the Village Vancouver Transition Society! The membership fee is based on a sliding scale (suggested dues are $25) and it helps us develop this Village and its community. Your annual membership will make our movement even stronger! It's easy to
join here.
Village Vancouver Volunteer Sunday May 10
Weekends are a great time to get involved with Village! Join 20 of your fellow villagers for fun volunteer activities on May, 10. You can come for one or more of the activities – whatever you decide. We will be starting the day at 10 am, and run through until 8:30 pm. Everyone is welcome!
Our itinerary includes a lot of time outdoors, in celebration of the great weather. It’s promising to be a sunny day, perfect for gardening activities. Join us for one or more of the following:
10 am – Working on the Plots:
We will begin the day by working on our plots at Cottonwood Garden (Permaculture plot, Inner City Village plot, Downtown East Side Neighbourhood House Plot, and Herb Spiral Plot). This fun and educational activity requires no previous experience!
12:30 pm and 1:30 pm – Kits Gardens:
Help maintain urban greenspace at the Kits Village Green Streets garden in Kits, followed by a work party at our collaborative garden at 1:30 in Kits Point.
4 pm – Seed Packet Party:
With the help of Village Volunteers, we’ve folded over one thousand seed packets for our seed libraries! Come out and help us pack seeds in them, and let’s grow our libraries together. As always, everyone is welcome and no experience is necessary.
7 pm – Potluck:
We'll end the day with potluck! Enjoy some good food and conversation and find out what's happening in Village Vancouver. We'll have the Kits Village Seed Library there – you can get some free seeds for your garden or swap or donate some seeds. Bring some food or drink to share!
We hope to see you Sunday!
Aberthau Garden Project 2015-17 -- VV Permaculture Blitz April 18 and May 2 ...and upcoming garden parties
Hosted by Village, and building on the last two year’s outdoor garden project, the 2015-17 Garden Project includes collaborations with local artists, community members and the WPG Preschool. Among our many offerings: free workshops open to all ages (please check the VV website for updates), and Aberthau Artists-in-Residence Rob Scharein and Laura Lee from LocoMotoArt will be collaborating on the Sunflower Garden - Placemaking with Children Project. For info on the garden's previous years Flax – Food - Fibre Project, go towww.Aberthauflaxfibrefood.blogspot.ca/.
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| March |
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| Blitz! |
APRIL 18
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| Good Morning |
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| Getting Started |
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| Path Building |
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| Creating the hugelkultur |
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| Lunch! |
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| Building the herb spiral |
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| Herb Spiral |
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| Big help from a little guy |
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| Planting |
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| Stretcharoo |
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| Facilitator Grant Watson planting beet seeds |
May 2
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| Cardboard for the paths |
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| Tools of the trade |
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| Borders |
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| Mulching |
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| Facilitator Ross Moster |
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| End of the day |
VV and the Transportation Plebiscite
As the local chapter of the Transition Town movement, Village Vancouver (VV) strongly supports low-carbon, healthy modes of transportation such as public transit and cycling, which are essential for a sustainable future. Despite the fact that the 2015 Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite is far less than perfect, the VV Board has nevertheless unanimously expressed support for a ‘yes’ vote for the Mayors’ Council proposed 0.5% sales tax. We believe that the transportation plan proposed by the Mayors of the region is generally good, and will benefit everyone by improving the regional transportation network. Village Vancouver has joined the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition along with some other 130 groups in the region that represent business, environmental organizations, unions, students and seniors, to support the YES campaign. For more information on this coalition, please see http://www.bettertransit.info/. Finally, this article in The Georgia Straight offers a useful perspective on why it matters to vote ‘yes’: "TransLink looks for a yes vote that will move Vancouver into the future" -- http://www.straight.com/news/393046/translink-looks-yes-vote-will-move-vancouver-future
100 in 1 Day in Vancouver
100 in 1 Day Vancouver, an annual and global civic engagement festival, returns on June 6 with a promise: small actions equal big change. Village Vancouver is pleased to be a Community Partner for 100 in 1 Day Vancouver and will also be hosting several events. Currently in its second year in Vancouver, this growing movement aims to change how people interact with their cities by connecting citizens in leading and joining small but powerful community interventions. In the past, 100 in 1 projects have ranged from beautifying the streets with urban gardens to meeting your neighbours in social events. The list of events this year includes playing a truth or dare game with strangers using cards placed around the city, learning to pack a go-bag in case of emergencies, and a nature walk to teach children about insects and our connectivity with them.Join hundreds in Vancouver and help spark change on June 6 – spread the word, sign up for one or more of hundreds of community projects, or pitch your own one-day intervention!
Click here to learn more about 100 in 1 Day Vancouver, follow their movement on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or their Blog, and use the hashtag #100in1DayVan.
Workshops Building up to 100 in 1 Day, people of all ages, backgrounds and locations across the city are invited to attend workshops to develop their interventions—from idea to execution. This workshop process is meant to inspire generative, creative and reflective interventions, and for you to share your ideas for making your city a better place to live.
During the workshops, participants will be asked:
- What is your dream?
- What do you wish your community to be like?
- What actions will improve the quality of life in your community, street and block?
The workshops will be a source of inspiration and resources to guide successful interventions across the city. Check the 100 in 1 Day website for information on when workshops are happening near you.
See below for a list of Village Vancouver 100 in 1 Day Interventions.
VV 100 in 1 Day Activities
11 am – 3 pm
Please join us at this family friendly neighbourhood festival on 100 in 1 Day. We'll have a seed library there, and will be doing our other usual tabling activities – telling folks about Village projects and activities, making new connections, and promoting the Marpole Neighbourhood Food Network, which is sponsored by Village. If you'd like to help table, please contact volunteer@villagevancouver.ca.
Kits Permaculture Blitz
10 am – 4 pm
10 am – 4 pm
Join us on 100 in 1 Day for a Permaculture Blitz Day – a KitsBlitz "barnraising" work party where we transform a space using Permaculture design principles. Up to 25 people at a time have participated in past VV garden blitzes.
This garden party will be held at a home near Cornwall and Arbutus, and we'll be re-designing an existing garden.
Everyone welcome and no experience necessary – it's fun and educational
Please RSVP here or to ross@villagevancouver.ca
This Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grant project is funded by the Vancouver Foundation and the City of Vancouver, and administered by Kits Neighbourhood House.
Responding to Abrupt Climate Change
Award-winning Conservation Biologist Dr. Guy McPherson to Speak in Vancouver.
Queens & Quirks from Vancouver Storytellers
Blogger Volunteers Needed
Are you familiar with Blogger and HTML? We need 2 more volunteers on our fabulous newsletter team! It's just 4 hours each month. Help format and insert photos in this awesome newsletter. Interested? Please email us at newsletter@villagevancouver.ca
VV 6th Annual Demo Sustainable Transition Village at Main St. Car Free Day
Imagine Your Ideal Neighbourhood: Cultivating Community Resilience. Sunday June 21st.
Call out for organizers, volunteers, tents and participants!
Our 30+ tent and open space Demo Sustainable Transition Village at and surrounding13th and Main will highlight what Village is up to, and, once again, we're inviting several other community groups to join us.
Want to help plan and organize the Demo Village? Team leaders needed for Transportation, Setup, Breakdown, and Info Booths. We 're holding planning meetings on May 27 and June 10. Please contact demovillageplanningteam@villagevancouver.ca.
Want to volunteer? We need 40-50 volunteers on the day of, and a few more before and after. If you'd like to help us with setup (9 am - noon), at a Village info table during the day (between noon and 7 pm), with breakdown, or with transportation, please contactvolunteer@villagevancouver.ca.
If you have have tables, chairs or tents we can borrow, please contact carfreedaystuffweneed@villagevancouver.ca.
If you're a group or individual who would like to promote/display a community project, group, or activity you're involved in, please contactross@villagevancouver.ca.
Call out for organizers, volunteers, tents and participants!
Our 30+ tent and open space Demo Sustainable Transition Village at and surrounding13th and Main will highlight what Village is up to, and, once again, we're inviting several other community groups to join us.
Want to help plan and organize the Demo Village? Team leaders needed for Transportation, Setup, Breakdown, and Info Booths. We 're holding planning meetings on May 27 and June 10. Please contact demovillageplanningteam@villagevancouver.ca.
Want to volunteer? We need 40-50 volunteers on the day of, and a few more before and after. If you'd like to help us with setup (9 am - noon), at a Village info table during the day (between noon and 7 pm), with breakdown, or with transportation, please contactvolunteer@villagevancouver.ca.
If you have have tables, chairs or tents we can borrow, please contact carfreedaystuffweneed@villagevancouver.ca.
If you're a group or individual who would like to promote/display a community project, group, or activity you're involved in, please contactross@villagevancouver.ca.
Transition Burnaby
Burnaby Village is re-animating itself on May 16th with a Drop in "Spaghetti" Dinner! Share a meal with people in the Burnaby community. The cost of the meal is covered by the neighbourhood small grants so all you need to bring is a healthy appetite! Hosted by John, there'll be a variety of food but I'll try to make something that vegetarian friendly (may contain a little milk and free-range eggs) Limited to 8 guests, first come first served but will tell you if you got on the list as soon as possible. The dinner will feature some food from Village gardens grown by Village members. Details here.
Apr 23 to May 28 - VV Spring 2015 Cultivating Food, Cultivating Community Series
Strathcona Community Centre
Apr 26 to May 3 - EAT! Vancouver
BC Place Stadium & Various Venues
May 1 to 3 - Jane's Walk (in honour of Jane Jacobs)
City-wide, Metro-wide
May 2 - Renew, Re-engage and Reconnect to Life
Stanley Park Ecology Centre
May 2 - Plant Sale
Delta Hospital Extended Care Unit
May 2 - VV Permaculture Blitz! (part 2)
Aberthau Mansion Garden
May 2 - Jane's Walk: An affordable alternative to the Broadway Subway
VCC Clark Skytrain Station
May 2- Seedy Saturday: Garden care and seed saving
VPL Kensington Branch
May 2 - Mastering Macro Photography
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 2- Let's Learn about Honeybees
Terry Alsman Branch Library (Hillcrest Community Centre complex)
May 2 - Jane's Walk: Renters' Union Guide to Mt Pleasant
Mount Pleasant Community Centre
May 2 to 30 - West End May Food Scrap Drop Spots
Gordon Neighbourhood House & West End Community Centre
May 3 - VV Permaculture Plot Work Party & Potluck
Cottonwood Community Gardens
May 3 - Jane's Walk: An affordable alternative to the Broadway Subway
VCC Clark Skytrain Station
May 3 - Kits Village Green Streets Garden Work Party
Kits, please RSVP for location
May 3 - Kits Village Collaborative Garden Work Party
Kits, near beach
May 3 - VV Seed Savers Volunteer Work Party (filling seed packets)
Kits, near beach
May 3 - Jane's Walk: An Archaeological Tour of the Habitat Forum 1976 site at Jericho Beach
Jericho Sailing Centre
May 3 - Kits Village Dinner Group #2 May Gathering
Kits
May 3 - VV Permaculture Plot Work Party & Potluck
Cottonwood Community Gardens
May 3 - Jane's Walk: An affordable alternative to the Broadway Subway
VCC Clark Skytrain Station
May 3 - Kits Village Green Streets Garden Work Party
Kits, please RSVP for location
May 3 - Kits Village Collaborative Garden Work Party
Kits, near beach
May 3 - VV Seed Savers Volunteer Work Party (filling seed packets)
Kits, near beach
May 3 - Jane's Walk: An Archaeological Tour of the Habitat Forum 1976 site at Jericho Beach
Jericho Sailing Centre
May 3 - Kits Village Dinner Group #2 May Gathering
Kits
May 3 - VV Potluck
Kits, near beach
May 5 - Main St Village Vancouver Monthly Potluck and Workshop
Little Mountain Neighbourhood House
May 7 - VV Transition Society May Board of Directors Meeting
Vancouver
May 9 - Introduction to Permaculture
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 9 - We Love Weeds - Foraging 101
Homesteaders Emporium, Strathcona
May 2 - Jane's Walk: Architectural Heritage and Human Scale Urbanism in Mt Pleasant
Quebec Manor in Mount Pleasant
May 9 - Stone Soup Festival - Village Vancouver Booth
Britannia Community Centre
May 9 - Stone Soup Festival
Britannia Community Centre
May 9 - Permaculture in the City
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 9 - KidsZone: Seed Ball Making
Kensington Branch Library
May 9 - Truth and Reconciliation in the Indigenous Land and Food System
Britannia Community Centre Library
May 10 - Village Vancouver Volunteer Sunday
Strathcona, Kits, Kits Point
May 10 - Village Vancouver Permaculture Plot Work Party
Cottonwood Community Garden
May 10 - Kits Village Green Streets Garden Work Party
Kits, please RSVP for location
May 10 - Village Vancouver Seed Savers Volunteer Work Party (filling seed packets)
Kits, near beach
May 10 - Kits Village May Potluck
Kits, near beach
May 10 - Deer Lake Walk with Dogs, Potluck & Permaculture
Deer Lake, Burnaby
May 12 - Nature at Work for Employee Wellness
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 13 - Gardening for Birds
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 14 - Kits Village May Plastic Recycling Depot
Location TBD
May 14 - Building Your Garden's Soil
West End Community Centre
May 14 - History of the Medicinal Garden
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 16 - Burnaby Village Drop-in Spaghetti Night
Willingdon Hastings Area, North Burnaby
May 17 - Village Vancouver Permaculture Plot Holiday Work Party
Cottonwood Community Garden
May 17 - West End Neighbourhood Food Network May Community Potluck
West End Community Centre
May 17 - Kits Village Green Streets Garden Holiday Work Party
Kits, please RSVP for location
May 17 - A Taste of Latin America - Pupusas
Britannia Community Centre
May 17 - Kits Village Collaborative Garden Holiday Work Party
Kits, near beach
May 21 - Rapt in Nature Tropical Walk
Bloedel Conservatory
May 21 - Commercial Drive Village Vancouver Potluck & Free Workshop
Rising Star Co-op
May 23 - Botanical Names Explained
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 23 - Britannia School Garden Fundraiser
Astorinos Hall
May 23 - West End Neighbourhood Food Network booth at Community Farmstead Day
Roedde House Museum
May 23 - Community Farmstead Day
Roedde House Museum
May 24 - Deadline for June Newsletter
May 24 - Village Vancouver Permaculture Plot Work Party
Cottonwood Community Garden
May 24 - Kits Village Green Streets Garden Work Party
Kits, please RSVP for location
May 24 - A Taste of Latin America - Tamales
Britannia Community Centre
May 24 - Kits Village Collaborative Garden Work Party
Kits, near beach
May 25 - Village Vancouver Transition Society May Board of Directors Meeting
Vancouver
May 26 - Helping Bees in your Urban Garden
VanDusen Botanical Garden
May 27 - Planning Meeting for VV Demo Sustainable Village at Main St. Car Free Day
Kits
May 27 - VV Admin Working Group Meeting
Kits
May 28 - Spring Slaw! Fermented Vegetables
Strathcona Community Centre
May 28 - Wine in the Garden
VanDusen Botanical Gardens BMO Great Hall
May 30 - Aberthau Garden Project: VV Demo Permaculture Garden Work Party and Potluck
Aberthau Manion Garden
May 31 - Village Vancouver Permaculture Plot Work Party
Cottonwood Community Garden
May 31 - Kits Village Green Streets Garden Work Party
Kits, please RSVP for location
May 31 - Kits Village Collaborative Garden Work Party
Kits, near beach
May 31 - Kits Village Dinner Group #1 May Gathering
Kits
Jun 2 - Main Street Village Vancouver Monthly Potluck and Workshop
Little Mountain Neighbourhood House
Jun 3 - How to Improve Wet Garden Zones
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Jun 4 - Capturing Summer with Watercolour
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Jun 6 - Village Vancouver 100 in 1 Day Intervention: VV Seed Sharing Library
Mt Pleasant
Jun 6 - 100 in 1 Day Vancouver
Vancouver
Jun 6 to 27 - West End June Food Scrap Drop Spots
West End Community Centre
Jun 6 - Village Vancouver 100 in 1 Day Intervention: Kits Permaculture Blitz
Kits
Jun 6 - Village Vancouver 100 in 1 Day Intervention: VV Marpole Neighbourhood Food Network Booth at Marpole Community Day
Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre
Jun 7 - Kits Village Dinner Group #2 June Gathering
Kits
Jun 10 - Planning Meeting for VV Demo Sustainable Village at Main St. Car Free Day
Kits
Jun 10 - VV Admin Working Group Meeting
Kits
Jun 12 - Responding to Abrupt Climate Change, with Guy McPherson
Heartwood Cafe
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