Shedding Light: Speaker Series
About
Still Moon is hosting monthly talks as part of our Shedding Light, Still Creek Restoration Project. Shedding Light not only gives community members the opportunity to participate in Hands-on Restoration, but to learn from environmental experts discussing topics such as land and habitat restoration, water quality, wildlife populations or indigenous perspectives on the environment. Everyone is welcome to attend!
Shedding Light brings together community members, experts, and youth to engage in grassroots environmental protection, specifically in improving the health of Still Creek and its watershed. The aim for these talks is to increase community knowledge and empower neighbours to take action in the Renfrew-Collingwood community and beyond.
Please note that some of the topics below are tentative. We will keep this page updated throughout the year as speakers are confirmed.
EVENTS LIST
Past Event:
Watershed Management from Various Perspectives
Date: December 1st, 2022
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Collingwood Neighbourhood House – Annex [3690 Vanness Avenue Vancouver, BC V5R 5B6] Google Maps.
Active stakeholders are invited to a roundtable to share their perspectives on holistic watershed management.
Speakers:
- Jimmy Zammar – Director, Urban Watersheds, Sewers, and Drainage, City of Vancouver
- Amir Taleghani – Senior Flood and Drainage Planning Engineer, City of Vancouver
- Emily Pearson – Foodlands Coordinator, Rivershed Society
- Andrew Egan – Keynote Scientist, Instructor of Environmental Studies at Langara College
- Carmen Rosen – Founder & Artistic Director, Still Moon Arts Society
Read Event Information
Join Still Moon’s final Shedding Light Talk for the year! Watershed Management from Varying Perspectives. Active stakeholders are invited to a roundtable to share their perspectives on holistic watershed management.
What to Expect:
The evening will focus on the Vancouver-local watershed for which the event host, Still Moon Arts Society, works in: The Still Creek Watershed.
Learn about the organization’s journey advocating for its prioritization of its health by activating, restoring, and using arts as a means of connecting the community to their environment.
Roundtable Purpose:
You will hear from local non-profits, the City of Vancouver, and scientists on how watershed planning and management can be integrated into urban planning, and how watershed management can support the creation of resilient, healthy and liveable cities!
The evening will focus on:
- Community involvement in watershed restoration
- Key players in watershed management
- How art and creative expression can be a bridge to watershed engagement on the community level
- Policies that support or hinder watershed management
- Benefits and threats that watershed planning can have on ecosystems
Together, we will envision what the Still Creek watershed could look like in the next 50 years, and discuss a road map for achieving this vision.
The evening will focus on the Vancouver-local watershed for which the event host, Still Moon Arts Society, works in: The Still Creek Watershed.
In Parallel: Organic food, Diaspora, and East Vancouver’s Food Systems
Date: March 23rd, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Gillian Der 謝美華
Description
Join Gillian Der 謝美華, coordinator from Renfrew Collingwood Food Justice in a deep dive on the food systems of East Vancouver. We will study how things have changed today from 200 years ago on topics of organic farming, solidarity and distribution systems. We will also be looking at how policy and legislation has transformed our food system into having both a mainstream and parallel food system. Moreover, Gillian will address how racism, xenophobia, and public policy intersects with the ways we navigate our sustainable food resources today whether that’s through local farmers, grocery stores, seed sharing, or community gardens.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
February – Targeted Browsing Using Goats
Date: February 23rd, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Natasha Murphy
Description
In this talk, we will explore an alternative method of controlling invasive plant species – with goats! Natasha will touch on the benefits and drawbacks of using goats for invasive species management. We will look at plant species goats enjoy, and note those that can be dangerous. Natasha will also be talking about how she became involved with goats, results of her projects and business, community involvement and hopeful potential for goats in the city.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
January – Building Awareness and Support for Bats in the Greater Vancouver Area
Date: January 23rd, 7:00-8:30pm
Speakers: Danielle Dagenais
Description
This Shedding Light talk features Danielle Dagenais. Danielle Dagenais has been working and volunteering on bat projects since 2011. She completed a Master of Science in 2016 assessing bat foraging activity over vineyards in the Okanagan Valley using an array of unique bat microphones and radar. She has many hats when it comes to bats. She is a Regional Coordinator for the Community Bat Programs of BC (bcbats.ca), the Outreach Coordinator for the South Coast Bat Conservation Society (scbats.org), and has her own consulting company (EcoEd). Her work helps with local bat management and conservation.
Danielle will discuss her roles in the Greater Vancouver Area, and explain the importance of bat work. She will provide an overview of local bats, discuss myths around bats, and identify how you can enjoy and help bats in your local area.
December – Adapatation to Climate Change
Date: December 7th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speakers: Deborah Harford
Description
This Shedding Light talk features Deborah Harford, who will be speaking about her work as the executive director of SFU Faculty of Environment’s Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT). ACT is dedicated to research on climate change impacts on water and food security, infrastructure, energy, biodiversity, population displacement and more, as well as research on adaptations to these impacts. Further, ACT research outlines concrete actions to build climate change resilience.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
November – Salmon Habitat Restoration in the Fraser River Estuary
Date: November 3rd, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Dave Scott
Description
In this talk, salmon biologist and Still Creek Streamkeeper, Dave Scott will discuss his work with Raincoast Conservation Foundation on a large scale salmon habitat restoration project in the Fraser River estuary, including the results from a major connectivity project and goals for the future. The Fraser River estuary supports all five species of Pacific salmon, as well as many species at risk, and is the largest salmon river flowing into the Salish Sea.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
October – Mycology Walk (In-person)
Date: October 26th, 7:00-8:30pm
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
September – Ecological Restoration in the Community
Date: September 28th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speakers: Krystal Brennan and Deanna MacTavish – Wildcoast Ecological Society
Description
For this month’s Shedding Light talk, we will hear from Krystal Brennan and Deanna MacTavish of Wildcoast Ecological Society, a non-profit organization conducting research, environmental restoration, and stewardship on the southern coast of BC. We will learn about Wildcoast’s community engagement approach to restoration, and hear more about their work in municipal parks such as Trout Lake and MacKay Creek.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
August – Native Bees in the City: Identification & Stewardship
Date: August 18th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Marika van Reeuwyk – Environmental Youth Alliance
Description
This month’s talk is presented by local bee expert, Marika van Reeuwyk of the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA). Marika will introduce us to native pollinators and discuss their importance in our local ecosystems. In addition, she will share insights from her work leading youth in community science monitoring of bees.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
July – Brunette Watershed Storytelling and Photography
Date: July 20th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: John Preissl
Description
John Preissl will give an engaging talk highlighting his 30 years of experience as a Brunette Watershed steward and streamkeeper, and intersperse his talk with his professional wildlife photography and traditional stories about the local lakes and streams he learned from his parents and grandparents.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
June – Indigenous Eco-Cultural Restoration – The Basis of Environmental Conservation
Date: June 29th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Dawn Morrison – Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Wild Salmon Caravan
Description
This talk explores the vital need to learn from Indigenous ecological knowledge, wisdom and values in moving towards a regenerative future, as well as the intimate connection between habitat restoration and Indigenous food sovereignty.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
Description
May is bird month in Vancouver, so join us and local Bird Language teacher Sara Ross to learn about who is singing so early in the morning, and what they are singing about.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
April – Knotweed Forum
Date: April 27th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speakers: Tasha Murray – Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver, Amy Hendel and Fiona Steele – Diamond Head Consulting, and Krista Voth – Vancouver Park Board
Description
Knotweed is a plant that is considered invasive and grows in disturbed natural areas as well as on private property. It is very difficult to remove as it has an extensive root system and can quickly regenerate. This forum explores management strategies for private property, as well as plans for management in Renfrew Ravine.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
March – Indigenous Eco-Cultural Restoration – The Basis of Environmental Conservation
Date: March 23rd, 7:00-8:30pm (POSTPONED)
Speaker: Dawn Morrison – Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Wild Salmon Caravan
Description
This talk explores the vital need to learn from Indigenous ecological knowledge, wisdom and values in moving towards a regenerative future, as well as the intimate connection between habitat restoration and Indigenous food sovereignty.
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
February – Green Infrastructure
Date: February 24th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Kacia Tolsma
Description
This talk is about green infrastructure, an approach to water management which restores or mimics natural systems through restored ecosystems and built structures such as green roofs, bioswales, rain gardens, and rehabilitated wetlands.
January – Rain City Strategy
Date: January 27th, 7:00-8:30pm
Speaker: Melina Scholefield – City of Vancouver
Description
In November 2019, Vancouver City Council approved the Rain City Strategy, a comprehensive plan for rainwater management in Vancouver. Come learn about the key pieces of the plan, including its implementation by the City and how it will impact natural and urban ecosystems.
Listen to the full talk here
If you have questions regarding our Shedding Light Speaker Series, please email Adrian Avendaño, Stewardship Programs Manager at adrian@stillmoonarts.ca. To learn about Still Moon’s other events check out our Events Calendar.
About Still Creek
Still Creek is one of the few remaining open streams in the City of Vancouver, once home to a vast stream system supporting Pacific salmon species and Indigenous communities. With the majority of the streams piped underground, Still Creek is one of the few remaining places where communities can connect with and appreciate the natural stream system of the land. It is a place to find peace within the Renfrew-Collingwood urban landscape.
PROJECT FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS
