pollinators – Compost Education Centre

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.

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“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

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Posted in Blog, News, PollinatorsTagged bugs, free resource, insects, news, pollinators, zine

Bees & Pollen with the GVPL

October 22, 2021

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!

Posted in Blog, Featured, News, Partnerships, PollinatorsTagged announcement, learn, news, pollinators, videoLeave a Comment

Mason Bee Condos are in!

November 23, 2014

If you’re looking for a unique holiday gift for a friend or a way to attract native pollinators to your garden, check out these mason bee condos! These beauties are handmade by Gord Hutchings of Hutchings Bee Service after years of research and design refinement by Gord and his father. They are full of fantastic features like pull-out peekaboo trays to maximize bee health as well as giving you lots of chances to observe the bees. We have them in stock now and are selling them for $35.

We also offer classes from Gord to teach you more about how to care for your mason bees, how to attract native pollinators to your garden and more! Stay tuned for our 2015 workshop schedule for more details on our workshops.

If you’re excited to learn more about our wide variety of amazing native pollinators, Gord’s website is a wealth of information: https://sites.google.com/site/hutchingsbeeservice/home

Posted in Announcement, Blog, News, Organic Gardening, PollinatorsTagged announcement, mason bee condos, mason bees, news, pollinators, retailLeave a Comment

Solstice Beauty

June 23, 2014

June is the month where things settle into their boots (or roots, if you will) and start to show off everything they’ve got. I recently took a walk around the garden on the Summer Solstice to capture some of the sweet moments that are currently happening. Think nasturtiums, calendula, borage, phacelia, arugula flowers, Johnny Jump Ups and a king-size mullein! (Click on the photos for larger, more glorious images)

Many of the flowers pictured here are deliberately planted as companions for the vegetables nearby. Calendual and nasturtiums act as pest traps, attracting aphids away from squash and brassicas. Borage and phacelia attract pollinators (like the bumble bee doing the splits above!) to squash, tomato, and cucumber flowers. And Johnny Jump Ups and roses bring joy to pretty much anyone who stops to spy or sniff them. Welcome to summer everyone!

Posted in Blog, Featured, Organic Gardening, Pollinators, ReflectionsTagged flowers, organic gardening, organic pest management, photos, plants, pollinatorsLeave a Comment

Pollination Education Day on June 14th!

May 28, 2014

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!

Posted in Adult Education, Announcement, Blog, News, Organic Gardening, PollinatorsTagged adult education, announcement, event, free workshop, gardening for pollinators, news, organic gardening, pollinators, workshopLeave a Comment