Tag Archive for: Environment

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Greening Our Communities: Taking Local Action

By incorporating nature into our urban infrastructure, we increase biodiversity, and make communities cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer in the face of extreme weather events such as heat domes and atmospheric rivers. We need to move from cities that contain nature to cities embedded in nature. Join us at this informative session to learn about what that means in practise!

 

Michelle Sheardown is a RegenerateBC facilitator from North Vancouver. She has a professional background in economics, law, and education. Michelle regularly presents on climate solutions to groups on the North Shore, including hosting a monthly session at her local library in Lynn Valley. Michelle enjoys daily walks in the nearby forest with her dog and tending to her rewilded garden.

 

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Gardening: Worm Composting

Join Neill McCallum for a workshop on the essentials and benefits of worm composting—a highly efficient method for creating vibrant, thriving gardens that outperforms traditional composting. Under Neill’s guidance, discover how worm composting produces nutrient-rich vermicompost using household organic waste. Learn to reduce waste, enrich soil biodiversity, and support a flourishing ecosystem through the power of microorganisms.

Watch worms in action and gain hands-on knowledge as Neill provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to building your own affordable worm composting system.

Neill McCallum is a science teacher and environmental educator with a background in Biology and Education, and graduate studies in Education. Neill shares his hands-on experience with vermicomposting, gardening, and being environmentally conscious. Neill is passionate about helping people of all ages better understand where their food comes from and how everyday actions can support healthy ecosystems. His work bridges classroom learning with real-world environmental practices, empowering communities to compost waste, grow food, and care for local biodiversity.

 

This event will also be streamed live via Zoom. All registered attendees will receive the Zoom link before the session. The session will not be recorded.

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Good News on Climate: Emerging Trends and Surprising Solutions

What is new and exciting in the world of climate solutions? Recent years have seen huge developments such as global renewable energy production surpassing coal for the first time in 2025. What does this mean for the climate fight? What other good news is there that we are not hearing about in the headlines?

Presenter Dave Hunter will share the latest information on topics such as solar panels, microgrids, geothermal, wind, vertical greenhouses, aquaculture, green bricks, and more, plus a perspective on carbon capture and storage.

 

Dave Hunter has had an international career working for IBM and other software companies. His science and technology background has equipped him in his retirement to become a facilitator with Regenerate BC working on climate action. He loves the environment, hiking on the North Shore and camping around BC.

 

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Climate Café

Confused about climate change and solutions? Feeling left out of climate conversations? Want to talk about what climate change means for New Westminster? Or how to plan your life or raise your kids in an uncertain future? This is the session for you! Led by Programming Librarian, Caitlin MacRae and Karen Crosby, organizer and leader of the New Westminster Climate Action Hub, this climate café is a space to ask questions, talk about your concerns, possible actions you may take, get connected to community groups or information, and help you feel less alone with this issue. In a relaxed atmosphere we will talk about how we get through our days, what brings glimmers of hope or joy, and how we can come together to help our whole community.

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Talking Climate: How to Have Conversations that Connect

Did you know that a broad majority of Canadians are alarmed or concerned about climate change and that having conversations with our neighbours about climate solutions is one of the best ways to alleviate some of this anxiety? But how do you start those conversations? What if you feel you don’t know enough, or don’t know your neighbours well enough to begin? Join Karen Crosby and Kristen Andrews from the New Westminster Climate Action Hub to learn about how to start. She’ll share best practices for starting solutions-focused conversations and talk about her own journey as a climate communicator.

Here’s to trying new things in the new year and creating community along the way!

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Mayor’s Youth Climate Leadership Team

Join together with Mayor Patrick Johnstone and members of the Youth Climate Leadership Team to learn about this innovative process, the project the team activated, and how the city is supporting their efforts. There will be a chance to ask questions and find out next steps.

 

Light refreshments will be served.

 

This event is part of BC Library Association’s Climate Action Week, a province-wide initiative to highlight the ways communities and libraries are taking action in the climate crisis. Check out all the climate action events at the New Westminster Public Library from November 1-7! nwpl.ca/climate

Plot to Plate: Small-Space Food Gardening

Join Aiden Silzer-Hooker to learn about maximizing yield in your small space garden plot through natural methods. Aiden is an expert in food permaculture in urban areas, using everything from intercropping, companion planting, green manures and composts, to vertical growing. He focuses on increasing biodiversity, food security and creating a more sustainable food supply chain.

 

Aiden’s company, Front Yard Farms, aims to create a more sustainable food supply chain, while increasing food security, food sovereignty and biodiversity, while decreasing food waste and carbon footprints. Front Yard Farms uses only the best organic growing methods to bring you nutritious, delicious produce, year round.

Aiden Silzer-Hooker, is a Kwantlen Polytechnic University alumni, who graduated with his Bachelor of Horticulture Science, with a Major in Urban Ecosystems, a Diploma in Horticulture Technology, and he is also an ISA Certified Arborist. During his time at KPU, Aiden started asking the tough questions about how we get our food here in British Columbia, and Canada as a whole. Aiden decided to change the narrative surrounding food – where it comes from, how it’s produced, and how to create a more equitable food system for everyone.

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The Climate Cycle: Bicycles, History and the Road Ahead

The history of the bicycle is tied up in climate change – invented during a climate crisis, relied on in periods of austerity, and a key technology in a carbon-lite future, the bike is a great symbol of climate adaptation. Join Gordon Hobbis of Cap’s Bicycle Shop And DandyHorse Bicycle Society to learn about the history of bikes, their use in combating climate change, and potential future technologies.

This event is part of BC Library Association’s Climate Action Week, a province-wide initiative to highlight the ways communities and libraries are taking action in the climate crisis. Check out all the climate action events at the New Westminster Public Library from November 1-7! nwpl.ca/climate

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Joy At the End of the World: A Writing Workshop

The climate crisis is becoming more urgent every year, but it’s so big and scary that we often struggle with where to start. In this hands-on writing session, we’ll make space for our feelings and work toward achievable individual and collective ideas for healing ourselves and our planet. With a mix of small group discussion, journalling, meditation, and resources from the Climate Wayfinding program, come discover that joy is possible as we engage our imaginations to create a better, fairer, sustainable world for everyone to live in.

 

Please bring a notebook and pen.

 

Julianne Harvey is an author, innovator, and nurturer in South Surrey, BC, the traditional unceded territories of the Semiahmoo First Nation and the Coast Salish Peoples. She’s the author of six books and wrote film reviews for a weekly newspaper for four years. Her work has appeared in pulp Magazine, WestWord, Freelance, and UPPERCASE Magazine.

Julianne holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC, a BA in Creative Writing from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and a certificate in Counselling Skills from Vancouver Community College.

Julianne runs Ruby Finch Books and speaks at large conferences to thousands of writers and teachers on writing, resilience, risk, and creative practices. Her newest book, a post-apocalyptic climate novel called Post Civ, is available now. She loves to wrestle through the messy areas of life with those who long to dive below the surface chatter.

 

This event is part of BC Library Association’s Climate Action Week, a province-wide initiative to highlight the ways communities and libraries are taking action in the climate crisis. Check out all the climate action events at the New Westminster Public Library from November 1-7! nwpl.ca/climate

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Climate Films: Weathering the Future

Join us to watch a climate-themed movie and have a discussion about the issues raised. Free popcorn is provided!

Join us for our Climate Films Series! Each month we will screen a film about the climate crisis, focusing especially on existing, difference-making solutions. We will have a brief discussion after the film led by members of Regenerate BC and the New Westminster Climate Action Hub.

As extreme weather intensifies and also affects more and more people, how can we adapt? This episode of NOVA explores traditional knowledge and new solutions that can help us cope.

 

Popcorn will be provided! Bring your own bowl!

Ages 12+

This event is part of BC Library Association’s Climate Action Week, a province-wide initiative to highlight the ways communities and libraries are taking action in the climate crisis. Check out all the climate action events at the New Westminster Public Library from November 1-7! nwpl.ca/climate