GET INVOLVED

Book a Child & Youth Workshop

Looking to bring hands-on environmental education into your classroom? Look no further than our workshops for children and youth!

Book a child and youth workshop in your classroom, or come visit our teaching gardens! We offer a variety of programming for learners from preschool to grade 12. Inquire about the possibility of French composting workshops for immersion classes from kindergarten to grade 8!

Accessibility Information

Our educators aim to make our workshops accessible and enjoyable for students with diverse needs. Get in touch if you have students who may benefit from accommodations so that we can best prepare for your workshop. For information about accessibility on our site during visits, see here.

Testimonials

“It was very apparent that the kids and their parents thoroughly enjoyed the program. The day after the program I had one little guy, who attended the program, ask me to find him books on composting as his family were going to build a compost!”

“I liked how experiential the tour was for the children. The facilitator was skilled at maintaining the children’s attention and keeping them interested.”

“Elora was very interactive, engaging, and fun! She noticed when the children needed to move and was willing to respond to many questions, comments, and student inquiries!”

Spring Plant Sale – May 9th, 2026

Save the Date! The Spring plant sale will be held on May 9th, 2026 from 10am-2pm. The plant sale will take place in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant…
Save the Date! The Spring plant sale will be held on May 9th, 2026 from 10am-2pm. The plant sale will take place in Haegert Park (1202 Yukon St.) one block from our site on North Park street. Bring a blanket or a picnic so you can enjoy the music in the shade of the giant Sequoia tree. Entry by donation. No one turned away from lack of funds. Dogs welcome.

The Spring Organic Plant Sale features local farmers offering a wide variety of organically grown vegetable, flower and herb seedlings to get you off to a successful start this growing season.

What you can look forward to:

• The largest selection of organically grown heirloom tomato varieties all in one place for easy shopping

• Organically grown vegetable starts from arugula to zucchini

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Culinary herbs like Genovese basil, dill and chives

• Companion plants like marigolds, sweet cicely and comfrey

Accessibility Information

The sale will be happening in Haegert park which is grassy and slightly sloped, there are curb cuts at various entrance points to get into the park.

Visitors can park at the Vic High parking lot between Gladstone Avenue and Grant St. The parking lot is a 200m walk from Haegert Park.

Thank you to our sponsors:
- Hatchet & Seed
- LADR Landscape Architects
- Biophilia Collective
- Country Grocer
- Cold Comfort
- Habit Coffee
- Patagonia Victoria
- The Private Network
- Zero Waste Emporium
- Chek News
- West Coast Seeds
The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Xwsepsum and Songhees Nations. These nations are two of many, made up of individuals who have lived within the porous boundaries of what is considered Coast Salish, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and Kwakwa’wakw Territory (Vancouver Island) since time immemorial. At the CEC we seek to respect, honour and continually grow our own understandings of Indigenous rights and history, and to fulfill our responsibilities as settlers, who live and work directly with the land and its complex, vital ecologies and our diverse, evolving communities.
2025 Seeds Now In Stock!

We are excited to once again stock seeds from Full Circle Seeds in Sooke. Since 1993, Full Circle Seeds has grown many heritage varieties selected by generations for their excellent flavour and pest resistance. More than 99% of Full Circle Seeds are grown at our farm, ALM Organic Farm in Sooke and are certified by…
We are excited to once again stock seeds from Full Circle Seeds in Sooke. Since 1993, Full Circle Seeds has grown many heritage varieties selected by generations for their excellent flavour and pest resistance. More than 99% of Full Circle Seeds are grown at our farm, ALM Organic Farm in Sooke and are certified by Islands Organic Producers Association. They have been offering open-pollinated, untreated seed grown without herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers since 1993.

2025 Seeds in stock:
- Annual Arugula
- Sylvetta Arugula
- Fortex pole beans
- Pencil pod golden wax bush beans
- Winterkeeper Beets
- Green Goliath Broccoli
- Dolciva Carrot
- Lacinato Kale
- Siberian Kale
- St. Victors Leek
- All Weather Lettuce
- Arctic King Lettuce
- Hot Weather Lettuce Blend
- Mixed Mustards
- Sugar Snap Pole Peas
- Sugar Ann Bush Peas
- Giant Winter Spinach
- Costa Romenesco Summer Squash
- Marketmore Cucumber
- Seed Potatoes
- Genovese Basil
- Cilantro
- Gardener’s Delight Cherry Tomatoes
- Matina Tomatoes
- Ardwyna Tomatoes
- Phacelia
- Nastursium
- Mixed Sunflowers
Farmer to Farmer 2025

On Thursday January 23, Site Manager and Education Director, Kayla had the opportunity to attend the Farmer-to-Farmer conference hosted by the South Island Farmers Institute. A weeklong conference, that consists of field trip days to tour local farming operations and learn on site. This event gave Kayla the chance to attend lectures by farmers, for…

On Thursday January 23, Site Manager and Education Director, Kayla had the opportunity to attend the Farmer-to-Farmer conference hosted by the South Island Farmers Institute. A weeklong conference, that consists of field trip days to tour local farming operations and learn on site. This event gave Kayla the chance to attend lectures by farmers, for farmers. As the main steward of the CEC demonstration gardens and seedling grower for our plant sales, Kayla found the company and information provided at different lectures, very supportive. The roundtable lunch time conversations were so helpful for hearing how other farmers steward their soil, grow their seedlings and have a productive farm business.

Kayla attended an interesting talk called “Floods, Fires, Storms and Heat: Can we manage risks in a changing climate?” where an expert instructor talked through the importance of managing risk, disaster possibility, and dramatic climate conditions in gardens, farms and landscapes. Later, Kayla confirmed some of what she held to be true in her soil microbiology knowledge by attending a talk called “The Essential Role of Microorganisms”. At lunch she learned a ton from other farmers with seedling operations (germination chambers, hoop houses, vermiculate, fans, times, oh my!). In the afternoon, more talk about soil stewardship came from a farmer with a large acreage. They conduct academic research on cover crops and best management practices for small scale farms on the coast. It was fascinating to hear so much about the benefits of cover cropping. Kayla wrapped up the educational portion of the day with a talk about emotional and mental resilience for farmers and growers – how to avoid burn out and bounce back from busy seasons. Not only did she learn tips and tricks for staying healthy through busy times, but she also enjoyed partnering up with other growers to hear how they take care of themselves during the busiest parts of their year. The day wrapped up with a jovial farmer trivia game! While the team Kayla was a part of did great, they didn’t win, but the laughs and challenge were very enjoyable.
Meet Cassidy!

We’re excited to welcome Cassidy Daskalchuk, one of the newest members of the Compost Education Centre’s board of directors! With a deep passion for soil health and a career rooted in sustainability and farming, Cassidy brings invaluable expertise and a hands-on perspective to the team. Her commitment to regenerative agriculture and fostering sustainable food systems…

We’re excited to welcome Cassidy Daskalchuk, one of the newest members of the Compost Education Centre’s board of directors! With a deep passion for soil health and a career rooted in sustainability and farming, Cassidy brings invaluable expertise and a hands-on perspective to the team. Her commitment to regenerative agriculture and fostering sustainable food systems aligns seamlessly with the CEC’s mission. We caught up with Cassidy to hear about her journey, her love for the land, and her hopes for inspiring more people to connect with the soil beneath their feet.

How would you introduce yourself at a dinner party?

Shyly and with a lot of sweet treats.

What made you interested in joining the board?

The CEC and all its members have built an integral community space that I wanted to contribute to and be a part of. I’m eager to learn & share with others in a space that is meaningful to so many!

What are you most excited to see more of at the CEC?

Sharing essential knowledge that spreads from person to person like mycelium!!

Any gardening tips for our CEC community?

Not a tip, but a fact that I love is that the smell of rain is the scent of a chemical released by soil-dwelling bacteria.

Go to camping meal?

A pot of beans ~ preferably cannellini with some really fresh bread.

What are you currently reading?

From the Ground Up: The Women Revolutionizing Regenerative Agriculture!!
Little Wrigglers Harvest (Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten)

1 hour | $75/workshop

In this follow-up workshop to Little Wrigglers at Work, we will re-cap and build on the knowledge from the previous workshop and harvest all the incredible worm castings from your bin.

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Little Site Tour (Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten)

1 hour | $75/workshop | Best booked April-September

Let us take you around the CEC gardens for a tour involving sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste! Explore the different ways that plants grow and get introduced to the world of compost.

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Little Spectacular Seeds (Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten)

1 hour | $75/workshop | Book anytime – pertinent in springtime!

Uncover the magic of how seeds travel and grow. Participants will plant their own seeds in egg cartons to take home or grow in the classroom.

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Little Wrigglers at Work (Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten)

1 hour | $75/workshop + $40 worm bin and worms | Book anytime!

Learn about the lives of worms, their role in composting, and how to set up a worm composting bin for your class.

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Little Corey’s Compost Story (Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten)

45 minutes | $75/ workshop | Book Anytime!

Meet Corey the Apple Core and his friends as we discover what compost is all about!

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Little Soil Superstars (Daycare, Preschool, and Kindergarten)

1 hour | $75/workshop | Book anytime!

What is soil made of? Why is soil important? What do worms do all day? Let’s dig in and find out!

Book Now