Tag: news

Fall Plant Sale Fast Approaching!

July 25, 2024

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic Fall plant sale! August 10, 10am-12pm!

The plant sale will take place in our site at 1216 North Park street. Stay for a while and enjoy bike pedal-powered music in the garden. Entry by donation or free for CEC members. Dogs welcome.

The Fall Organic Plant sale features veggie starts that are perfect for your overwintering vegetable garden.

What you can look forward to:

• A selection of annual vegetables suitable for fall and winter growing

• Native plants for your low maintenance garden

• Perennial edibles like berry bushes and other fruiting shrubs

• Medicinal herbs like English lavender, chamomile and yarrow

• Live bicycle powered music!

The Compost Education Centre is located on unceded and occupied Indigenous territories, specifically the land of the Lekwungen speaking people—the Esquimalt 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.

Compost Education Centre memberships get you free workshops, discounts at garden centres around town and more great perks! Sign up or learn more on our website.

Accessibility Information

The Compost Education Centre is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for all our community members.

Getting to the Compost Education Centre

The Compost Education Centre is located at 1216 North Park St. The closest bus stops are:

• Pandora Ave at Chambers St (Stop ID: 100169) (300 meters away) served by Routes 2, 5, 27, and 28;
• Cook St at Balmoral Rd (Stop ID: 100160) (350 meters away) served by Routes 24 and 25;
• Fernwood Rd at Grant St (Stop ID: 100227) (450 meters away) served by Route 22; and
• Bay St at Cedar Hill (Stop ID: 103733) (750 meters away) served by Route 10.

A bus transit planner is available on the BC Transit website (https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/).

The Compost Education Centre is accessible by bicycle, and there is ample bike parking available. Bike routes are visible on the CRD website (https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap).

Parking

Parking is very limited. The closest parking options during the week are:

• Two 2-hour parking spots at the corner of North Park St and Chambers St (50 meters away);
• Three 2-hour parking spots at Haegert Park (100 meters away);
• One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of North Park St and Cook St (250 meters away);
• Multiple 1-hour parking spots on Gladstone Ave opposite the Fernwood Community Centre (300 meters away); and
• One 1-hour parking spot at the corner of Caledonia Ave and Cook St (350 meters away).

All other parking within 400 meters of the Compost Education Centre is residential-only. While construction is occurring adjacent to the Compost Education Centre at 1211 Gladstone Ave (projected to be complete in June 2025), parking is even more limited.

On Saturdays, parking is available in the Victoria High School parking lots that are accessible off Grant St and Gladstone Ave. From these parking lots, it is less than a 300 meter walk to the Compost Education Centre.

Site Accessibility

The Compost Education Centre site has paths made of wood chips. Mobility devices with wheels (such as wheelchairs, walkers etc.) are sometimes difficult to use on site. The Strawbale learning classroom is accessed via a wooden ramp, and it has a wide double door and a ramp leading up to it. Once inside the Strawbale, the floor is a level hard surface. There is a single-stall gender-neutral washroom on site. The washroom is not wheelchair accessible. There is a wooden ramp up to the washroom door and a small step over the doorframe into the washroom. The retail space is not wheelchair accessible; there are four steps up into our retail space.

We’re hiring a Site Assistant!

April 10, 2024

The Site Assistant reports to the Site Manager. The Site Assistant is responsible for the garden stewardship at the CEC’s demonstration gardens and various other urban gardens in the Victoria area in partnership with the CEC’s Site Manager as well as the coordination of the volunteer program across the organization.

Applications due May 26th

Interested in Applying? Click here

The Red Wriggler Revue movie night September 28

September 14, 2023

Mites! Camera! Action!

The Compost Education Centre will be hosting the first Red Wriggler Revue on September 28th from 6:30-9. Come by for a screening of the 1998 Pixar classic, A Bug’s Life! Admission is by donation and there will be popcorn for sale. We invite you to bring other snacks and wear something cozy.

Accessibility: The pathways of the garden are comprised of woodchips. There is also about a 1″ step between the bathroom platform and the bathroom. There is wheelchair-accessible parking located directly outside of the Centre along North Park Street. There are three hoses with potable water located on site. There is a ramp into the strawbale building, chairs will be provided.

May Plant Sale

April 5, 2023

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is hosting our annual all-organic Spring plant sale on May 13th from 10AM-2PM!

The plant sale will take place for the first time 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 or free for CEC members. 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.

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

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

• Live music!

Thank you to the City of Victoria and Cold Comfort Ice Cream for generously sponsoring this event.

Welcome, Claire!

March 1, 2023

Claire Remington has joined the Compost Education team as the Executive Director.

She is a settler with German, British, and Irish ancestry who has lived on Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territories for the past five years. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and grew up in Nairobi, Kenya where her parents worked for an international humanitarian agency. She holds a BA in Chemistry from Reed College in Portland, Oregon and a MASc in Civil Engineering from the University of Victoria.

Claire is an interdisciplinary researcher with a decade of work experience focused on improving communities’ sustainability and resilience. Before working for the CEC, Claire spent 8 years working for SOIL, a non-governmental organization that operates a household sanitation and thermophilic composting waste treatment service in Haiti. Her strengths include project management, financial analysis, stakeholder consultation, and technical communication. She has also taught university-level courses with a focus on sustainable natural resource management, public health engineering, and sustainable cities.

In her free time you’ll find Claire playing ultimate frisbee, reading a book, hiking, or playing board games with friends.

We’re Hiring!

September 30, 2022

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).

The CEC is seeking an Executive Director. The ideal candidate will have leadership experience in the non-profit sector, strong communication skills and a great capacity for innovative and strategic thinking.

Work Week: 32 hours per week to start, work week Tuesday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm. After 3-month training and probationary period, potential to expand the role to 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday 9:00am – 5:30pm. Occasional weekend and evening work.

Job Start Date: November 9th, 2022

Job Applications Due: October 17, 2022, 11:59PM

For More Details, Click the Link Provided Below.

Executive Director Job posting September 2022 – Compost Education Centre

The Compost Education Centre is seeking skilled leaders and innovators to serve on its Board of Directors.

The organization is looking to fill three positions at our AGM.  Ideal candidates will bring some experience to the table and share our passion for composting, waste diversion, ecological conservation and food justice.

Our mission is to create resilient communities, which support the land and all living beings to thrive, and we want you to join us in this objective!

The Compost Education Centre (CEC) is a project of the Victoria Compost and Conservation Education Society, a not-for-profit, charitable organization.  Since 1992, the CEC has provided in-school and community-centred educational programs for people of all ages throughout Greater Victoria and our Capital Regional District (CRD).  The CEC is mandated to provide practical, hands-on education around composting, waste diversion, soil conservation and environmental stewardship while also promoting organic and ecological gardening practices as a means of reducing the health and environmental effects of chemical gardening practices, which can be harmful to natural systems, as well as promoting the environmental and social benefits of local food production.

Benefits of Participating

• Fantastic opportunity to build experience in organizational growth, not-for-profit and charity work;
• Connect & collaborate with a dedicated team that is passionate about waste reduction, soil conservation and local food production, as well as the intersections between food, land, and environmental justice;
• Training and leadership development opportunities (soil conservation and composting, team building, social enterprise development, event coordination, sustainable living skills);
• Contribute to your community and to the wellbeing of local ecosystems and the broader environment.

Helpful skills and experience:

• Familiarity with not-for-profits;
• Leadership experience;
• Prior experience on or working with a Board of Directors;
• Financial or accounting experience;
• Team and/or project management experience
• A business background or experience in ethical/green entrepreneurship or circular economies;
• HR experience;
• Familiarity with social enterprises or revenue generation in non-profit structures;
• A love for composting, food & environmental justice, urban agriculture, waste diversion and of course, soil health!

Responsibilities

• Attend Board meetings throughout the year, usually held monthly from 6-7:30pm at the Centre 1216 North Park Street in Fernwood, or online via Zoom;
• Work as part of a dynamic team to maintain the successful long term operation of the CEC;
• Contribute 4-8 hours per month working in your area of focus;
• Commit to a 2 year term.

How to Apply: Please submit a PDF to Board Chair, Lisette Chevalier ([email protected]) containing a concise Letter of Interest, outlining skills, experience or interests you possess that could benefit the Compost Education Centre’s Board of Directors by Saturday, November 12th.

If you are interested in learning more about the CEC’s Board of Directors or about the organization before applying, please email Lisette Chevalier at at the previously listed contact.

To learn more about the Compost Education Centre and its programs visit our website www.compost.bc.ca

Board of Directors FAQ

What is the Board of Directors? The Board ensures that the Compost Education Centre is fulfilling its purpose and vision and oversees the society’s finances & human resources.

What do Board members do? They attend meetings every other month and join 1-3 committees: Policy, Finance & fundraising, Board Development – each with their own goals.

Can anyone become a Board Member? Yes! Anyone can buy a membership ($30) and express interest in being nominated to the Board of Directors at our AGM on Thursday, November 17, 2022. If cost is prohibitive to membership, please reach out, bursaries are available to cover membership cost.

What are the perks of joining the Board? Volunteering with a charitable non-profit org provides practical work skills. It’s also a way to meet like-minded folks from other professions and disciplines.

Are Board Members paid positions?  Unfortunately, no. The BC Societies Act prohibits us from paying Board Members. These positions are volunteer.

What is the orientation like? CEC board members are oriented to the society’s board work through a facilitated session led by Volunteer Victoria. Board Members have access to society docs that outline their roles and may also take free workshops. We also recommend reading the BC Societies Act.

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!

Summer Raffle

July 6, 2022

Did you hear? We’re having a raffle for a brand new cargo e-bike! 

In 2021 the Compost Education Centre began a concerted effort to expand and evolve our Child and Youth Education program, including the crucial addition of a second child and youth educator, Jeffrey Ellom. As a team, Jeffrey and Child & Youth Education Manager, Elora Adamson, have developed a host of new workshops and programs. These include one-off workshops like ‘Bees and Blossoms’, ‘Spectacular Seeds’, ‘Flawless Fungi’ and more! Fundraising from the Summer 2022 E-Bike Raffle will support not only the development of more relevant and exciting science and environmental resiliency workshops for young people, but will also contribute to new programming initiatives such as the ‘Parent-Child Workshop Series’.

Drop by in person, find us at events, or click here to grab your tickets to score this sweet ride.

Winner drawn in September. Thank you to @fairfieldbicycleshop for the generous donation.

1000 tickets, 1 for $2.00; 1500 tickets, 3 for $5.00; 3000 tickets, 10 for $15.00 | BC Gaming Event License #133883 | Winners consent to the release of their name by the licensee. 

*Participants must be 19+ and a resident of BC to enter