GET INVOLVED
Book an Adult Workshop
Gain new skills and knowledge with the Compost Education Centre! Learn more about our classes. Looking to register for one of our public workshops? Click here.
We are happy to come to your organization and share knowledge about the topics listed below. Online options are also possible, and workshops can be delivered to your group on Wednesdays through Saturdays. Daytime offerings are preferred, but evenings are also possible.
Custom workshops are also available. Please be in touch using the form below to share what you are looking for. Composting Basics, Worm Composting, and Soil Life workshops can be shortened for a one hour-long “lunch and learn” format.
Workshops
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Join Us For Rainwater Harvesting Education Day on April 18th!
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Nov 8th is Mushroom Education Day
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Compost Educator Training this September!
The Basics: The Compost Educator Program (CEP) is a comprehensive volunteer training program that has been offered by the Centre since 1992. The CEP includes 10 hours of classroom, practical, and hands-on instruction. It is spread over the course of two Saturdays. The next session will take place on Saturday September 20 from 10am-3pm and Saturday…
The Basics:
The Compost Educator Program (CEP) is a comprehensive volunteer training program that has been offered by the Centre since 1992.The CEP includes 10 hours of classroom, practical, and hands-on instruction. It is spread over the course of two Saturdays.
The next session will take place on Saturday September 20 from 10am-3pm and Saturday September 27 from 10am-3pm.
Space is limited to 15 participants per session.
Cost is $50.
To reserve your space in the Compost Educator Program, please email Clare at education (a) compost.bc.ca or register online HERE.
Features of the training:
- Site tour, Centre services & staff orientation
- Composting systems & methods
- Compost pile maintenance & troubleshooting
- Worm-bins & indoor composting
- Answers for the public’s Compost FAQ
- Hot compost pile building
- Community educational outreach skills
- Intro to permaculture principles & application
- Organic gardening & soil building
- Comprehensive compost manual that is yours to keep
- Potluck lunches!
Following the training course, volunteers can lend their skills to the Centre as community educators and site volunteers.
Volunteer opportunities include:
Community outreach volunteering involves staffing the Compost Education Centre mobile displays when we attend different events throughout the CRD, such as:- Moss St. Market
Seedy Saturday
Organic Islands Festival
Community outreach is a powerful tool to spread the ‘dirt’ on composting. It’s a great experience for all involved.
Garden volunteering is a great opportunity to learn new skills and help out in the gardens at the Compost Ed Centre! Work bees are held on the first Saturday of every month from 12:30-3:30. Each one is focused on a relevant task in the garden for that month of the growing season. We begin with a short theory lesson to give some background on the task and then get dirty applying the new knowledge in the garden. -
August is ‘bring a friend for free’ month!
We are excited to offer a 2-for-1 special on our August workshops! For the month of August, all Compost Club members who take a workshop can bring a friend along for free. When registering online, simply purchase your workshop ticket as you usually do, then choose the option to bring along a friend at no…
We are excited to offer a 2-for-1 special on our August workshops! For the month of August, all Compost Club members who take a workshop can bring a friend along for free. When registering online, simply purchase your workshop ticket as you usually do, then choose the option to bring along a friend at no cost. Looking forward to seeing you and your pals at these fantastic events!
You can choose from two awesome August workshops for the promotion:
Natural Beekeeping
1:00pm-4:00pm
August 9th
Are you curious about how to get started with natural backyard beekeeping? Join Tara Beninger, local beekeeper extraordinaire, to learn all about effective and natural beekeeping. Topics will include advantages of different hive designs, how to build an effective hive for our specific climate, natural approaches to bee health, bee-friendly hive management, and more! To register, click here.
Aquaponics
1:00pm-4:00pm
August 23rdAquaponics is an efficient, sustainable system that produces both fish and hydroponic vegetables! We will examine the development of aquaponics, techniques, new innovations and home-scale projects for the sustainable urban gardener. A range of potential crops and fish will be discussed, and we will also cover different materials and where to source them. The main focus will be on freshwater home systems, with the Compost Centre’s demonstration garden providing a practical example. We will also take a tour of the large-scale aquaponics system at Mason Street City Farm just a few blocks away from the Compost Education Centre! To register, click here.
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Pollination Education Day on June 14th!
Without pollinators, humans and wildlife wouldn’t have much to eat! Bees, butterflies, wasps and even bats, ants, birds and beetles pollinate over 90% of the planet’s flowering plants and over 75% of human food crops. Join us on Saturday June 14th from 10am-2pm for a day of education about creating habitat for pollinators, and what…
Without pollinators, humans and wildlife wouldn’t have much to eat! Bees, butterflies, wasps and even bats, ants, birds and beetles pollinate over 90% of the planet’s flowering plants and over 75% of human food crops.
Join us on Saturday June 14th from 10am-2pm for a day of education about creating habitat for pollinators, and what to plant in your garden to attract these valuable animals and insects.
We will also be hosting two free workshops:
Mason Bees from 10:00am-11:00am
Natural Beekeeping from 1:00pm-2:00pm
No registration is necessary, just come by and enjoy learning from local experts!
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Join us for Rainy Days on Sat April 12th!
If the rainy days of early spring are getting you down, try thinking about rainwater as your friend and ally in the garden! In Victoria, we receive an average of 2 feet of rainfall each year. Most of the rain that hits our properties and streets is flushed away through a complex stormwater collection infrastructure…
If the rainy days of early spring are getting you down, try thinking about rainwater as your friend and ally in the garden! In Victoria, we receive an average of 2 feet of rainfall each year. Most of the rain that hits our properties and streets is flushed away through a complex stormwater collection infrastructure and pours into harbours, lakes and river systems, often taking harmful pollutants and heavy metals with it. By collecting and storing rainwater in your property, you can help prevent these pollutants from entering our waterways and treat rainwater as the precious resource it is.
Rainwater collected from a rooftop can be a high quality water source, as it contains none of the chlorine found in centralized water supplies and is the perfect temperature for plants, which makes it ideal for use in the garden. Stored rainwater provides an ideal source of readily available water, particularly during long dry summers or in locations facing declining groundwater levels. Rain gardens, permeable paving, green roofs, rain barrels, cisterns and infiltration chambers are all examples of rainwater management methods. They can create natural, beautiful landscapes and public spaces.
Join us in our fabulous demonstration gardens to learn more about rainwater harvesting systems and practices in your community. In partnership with the CRD, we’ll be bringing together community and municipal groups involved in rainwater management, as well as hosting two free workshops about stormwater education, rainwater harvesting, and choosing the right systems. You will be entered to win a free rain barrel too!
Register for a FREE rainwater harvesting workshop here!
Rainy Days has received generous support from RBC and is proudly supported by the CRD.
Subsidized rain cisterns will be available on a first come first serve basis, with 10 of each size available for purchase. Limit one per household, payment options include credit card, debit, cash or cheque. Pick-up of the cisterns will be at Van Isle Water Systems with proof of purchase – 461 Dupplin Road, Victoria Store Hours: 7.30am-5.00pm Weekdays, 8.00am-Noon Saturdays.
100 Gallon (455 Liters) Rain Barrel complete with easy to install Diverter System with Overflow and Drain Kit. Cost $202.92 Savings of over 60%! 
400 Gallon (1818 Liters) Slimline Rain Tank complete with All-in-One Downspout
400 Gallon (1818 Liters) Slimline Rain Tank complete with All-in-One Downspout Diverter with 6’ of Flex Pipe and easy to install Overflow and Drain Kit / Cost $587.72. Savings of over 60%!
