Environmental Learning in Botanical Gardens

Collaborator:  Vancouver Botanical Gardens Society  (VBGA)

Humans are living in the world unsustainably, changing the global climate, overconsuming, while remaining detached from the very ecosystems we are a part of.  This is especially true within large urban centres such as Vancouver where for many , meaningful access to natural spaces is made difficult or is constrained by cultural and /or economic factors.  Still, botanical gardens such as those managed by the VBGA have a unique opportunity to both develop and implement formal and informal programming to remedy this situation: having locations directly imbedded within the urban fabric of a major city while also benefitting from a wealth of biological and cultural diversity in their living collections.   With the establishment of the VBGA fellowship program (managed by SFU’s Institute for Environmental Learning), the VanDusen Gardens and the Bloedel Conservatory are unique sites for a vibrant and expanding research program which will study the potential and efficacy of using these unique spaces  as locations  for diverse and inclusive environmental learning (for both K-12 students and their teachers).  The project is undertaking community engaged research and works collaboratively with the VBGA to formulate a program of participatory action research.

Ocean Literacy: Evaluating Case Studies of Practice

Collaborator: Oceanwise

This study is to be conducted in collaboration with Oceanwise and its Youth leadership initiatives as well as with participating youth, students, and school staff  currently engaged with ocean literacy programming. The program of research aligns closely to other ecological literacy and environmental learning research conducted by the IEL and is approved by the Office of Research Ethics at SFU.  The research is also associated with a multi-jurisdictional research project funded by MITACS:  Evaluating Ocean Conservation Programs.  (this entry need to be revised)

Wild About Vancouver

Collaborator: Wild About Vancouver

Wild About Vancouver (WAV) is a free public outdoor education festival offering practical ways to get children (and adults) outdoors more regularly. WAV is open to the public and aims to unite and create long-term sustainable outdoor experiential learning networks for organizations, schools, youth programs, and the broader citizenry of Vancouver. WAV is totally de-centralized and organized by a collective of volunteers passionate about improving children’s lives, being outdoors, and building supportive communities. Everyone is invited to submit an event/lesson into the WAV festival; events must be educational, experiential, outdoors, and free.