Category: News

Annual August Plant Sale + 30th Birthday Party

July 14, 2022

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our 11th Annual August Plant Sale! This event features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown annual overwintering vegetables and perennials to keep you eating through the winter. And to celebrate our 30th birthday as an organization we’ll also have live music, cake, artisan vendors, an e-bike raffle, a bean counting contest, and more!

The plant sale will take place for the first time in Haegert Park one block from our site on North Park street. Bring blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music under the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

There will also be a Parent-Child workshop ‘Composting 101’ taking place during the sale, so bring the whole family and learn about composting while you’re here!

Resource for National Pollinator Week

June 24, 2022

This week we are highlighting How to continue in the climate apocalypse with bugs and flowers, a zine by CEC staff member Zoe-Blue Coates. This project highlights the importance of insects in our community and their ability to be our greatest allies in the face of climate emergency.

“This zine is a love note to the wasps, bees, flies, worms, beetles, and others that have taught me how to be gentle in this world despite the destruction & death. I hope you will be inspired to find something that will fill you with hope though this climate apocalypse.” – Zoe-Blue

read the zine

We’re Hiring: Marketing and Communications Assistant (Funding Dependent)

March 31, 2022

Please note: This position is dependent upon Canada Summer Jobs Funding.

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is a charitable, not for profit organization that provides composting, organic gardening and conservation education to residents of the Capital Regional District (CRD).

Work Week:  The workweek is currently Wednesday-Saturday, 9:00am – 4:30pm, (30-hour per week with a paid 30-minute lunch break; 60 hr pay period).

Job Start Date: April 27, 2022, runs for 16 weeks.

Job End Date: August 14, 2022

A total of: 480 hours

Wage: $19.39 p/hr

For More Details, Click the Link Provided Below. 

Marketing and Communications Assistant Co-op Job Description 2022

This month we’d also like to share a read along of Charlie’s Dirt Day by Andrew Larson, with illustrations by Jacqueline Huson-Verrelli. This is one of our favourite compost-related kids’s books here at the CEC, for younger primary school aged children. It’s about a boy who discovers that compost can help him grow fruits and vegetables in containers on his balcony! This book is suitable for children ages 3-7.

If you know of any child and/or youth resources (books, zines, videos, workshops, ect.) that would pique our young audiences interests, please let Elora know via email at [email protected].

Community Announcement: Food & Farm Heritage Programs Coordinator

October 28, 2021

Pender Islands Community Hall is looking for a Food & Farm Heritage Programs Coordinator! This is a great opportunity for a person interested in food, farming, gardening, heritage, research and activity programming.

Full time until March 31, flexible hours, some virtual hours.

Click this link to find learn more and how to apply: 2021 – 2022 Food & Farm Heritage Programs Coordinator

In 2021 the Food Security Connections Video came together as a collaborative project of the Food Literacy Working Group of the Good Food Network and the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CRFAIR). This project was funded by an Island Health, Community Wellness Grant and supported by the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable (CRFAIR).

The video is meant to spur dialogues and discussions around food insecurity, hear stories from people in our community and from individuals and organizations that are working to alleviate food insecurity through food justice efforts.

Video Production UATE Storied Learning | www.uatestories.com/

Locations in Video The Compost Education Centre www.compost.bc.ca

Victoria Native Friendship Centre www.vnfc.ca/

Saanich Neighbourhood Place www.saanichneighbourhoodplace.com/

Food Rescue Project of the Food Share Network(Capital Region) www.foodsharenetwork.com/-

To learn more about the Food Security Connections Video and it’s complimentary education package please visit www.crfair.ca

What’s all the buzz about bees? Join the Compost Education Centre and the Greater Victoria Public Library to learn about the importance of pollinators and discover little known facts about native bees and the integral role they play in our local ecosystem! We’ll chat about how you can help care for bees, and demonstrate a fun and simple way to make your yard and garden more bee friendly!

BioDiversity Vol.2

August 31, 2021

Volume 2 of our Biodiversity Zine is now published! This new volume is focused on Indigenous Ecological Stewardship and explores stories of 6 Indigenous folks, and the relationship and connection they have with land. 

The Biodiversity zine is written and created for youth by CEC staff member Zoe-Blue! It’s a great resource to explore Indigenous Ecological Stewardship with your children, or as a self guided resource for older youth. The current volume looks at invasive and native plants, remediation, Indigenous plant knowledge and how we can better care for the land we are living on. Click here to view the PDF version of the zine. The Zine is also available for pickup at the CEC, or via mail, both by donation. 

Know of other great resources for child and youth education relating to composting, soil health, or ecology/sustainability more broadly? We would love to hear about them and continue to share these resources. Please feel free to share any resources you encounter with our Child & Youth Education Coordinator Elora at [email protected]

Loving the Land Zine

August 31, 2021

This month we are highlighting another great zine made in the community. The “Loving the Land” zine was made by the Youth Food Justice Group this summer and is a great resource for youth, as well as people of any age! The zine is filled to the brim with ideas for interactive activities, reflection exercises, games and more. It’s a great zine to use for guided exploration. It’s available for download here. I encourage everyone to explore it with your children, or take a look through yourself!