Free Workshops in 2020/21. All members of the community welcome!
Our monthly free workshops are back! Join us in a safe, online or in person environment as we learn about the nature in our cities. We are excited to announce that we are transitioning back to in person workshops! Safety is our number one priority. In person workshops may have to switch to online depending on current PHO's.
Our Monthly Monday workshops will be held on the last Monday of every month. If you can't join the live event make sure to check out our YouTube channel where we have a wide variety of lessons available to you anytime!
May 30, 2022
May is Invasive Species Awareness Month so we are offering not one, but TWO FREE workshops!
Workshop 1: Tracking an Invasive Beetle
For the past two years IUE has been tracking the spread of a newly introduced beetle species across the province. Come learn more about this fairly invasive species (Nebria brevicollis) and other native beetle species you can find in your urban ecosystem.
Workshop 1 will be happening on the last Monday of the month, May 30, 2022, at our Coquitlam campus (1250 Pinetree Way) from 3:00-4:30pm PST.
This workshop is an inclusive, FREE event. All are welcome! Registration is required. Email iue@douglascollege.ca to register or for more information.
Workshop 2: Invasive Plant Removal
Learn how to properly identify, remove and prevent the spread of invasive plants! We'll be actively removing invasive plants from the Hoy Creek Watershed so come dressed to work!
Workshop 2 will be happening on the last Monday of the month, May 30, 2022, at our Coquitlam campus (1250 Pinetree Way) from 5:00-6:30pm PST.
This workshop is an inclusive, FREE event. All are welcome (limit 20 people)! Registration is required. Email iue@douglascollege.ca to register or for more information.
We hope to see you there!
Past Events
April 25, 2022
This Monthly Monday, we are hosting a Build Your Own Bee House Workshop!
You'll get to build your own bee house to take home and learn all about the types of bees that may use it! Participants will need to bring a clean and empty 2L pop bottle or juice carton. We will supply everything else!
This is a hands on, build it workshop so participating in person is most beneficial. The event may be streamed over Zoom as well but you will need to source out your own building supplies. The workshop will be happening on the last Monday of the month, April 25, 2022, at our Coquitlam campus (1250 Pinetree Way) from 5:00-6:00pm PST and also maybe Zoom.
This is an inclusive, FREE event. All are welcome! Registration is required. Email iue@douglascollege.ca to sign up or for more information.
We hope to see you there!
February 28, 2022
In our Sustainability, Outreach and Learning (Sol) Garden we discourage using chemical fertilizers and pesticides as these can run off and pollute our surrounding, natural habitat. Companion planting has the potential to improve your garden's vigor more naturally but the science behind these theories is not well tested. You can run your own companion planting experiment at home using seeds provided by us!
This is a FREE event, open to all members of the public. Depending on the current PHO's this event may be held online or in person at our Coquitlam campus.
Date: February 28, 2022. 5-6pm.
Registration is required. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca for more information.
January 31, 2022 Growing native plants over exotic ornamentals has many benefits for the environment and us! Home gardeners are starting to catch on to this trend and we want to help. Native plant seeds often need to undergo some sort of pretreatment such as cold stratification before germinating. At this workshop you will learn more about various cold stratifying techniques while preparing your own collection of seeds to grow at home! We have a wide variety of seeds to choose from and the workshop and your seeds are absolutely FREE! Depending on the current PHO's this workshop may be held online. All members of the public are welcome! Registration is required. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca
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January 31, 2022
Growing native plants over exotic ornamentals has many benefits for the environment and us! Home gardeners are starting to catch on to this trend and we want to help. Native plant seeds often need to undergo some sort of pretreatment such as cold stratification before germinating. At this workshop you will learn more about various cold stratifying techniques while preparing your own collection of seeds to grow at home! We have a wide variety of seeds to choose from and the workshop and your seeds are absolutely FREE!
Depending on the current PHO's this workshop may be held online. All members of the public are welcome! Registration is required. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca
November 29, 2021 Back by popular demand, it's our herbal tea workshop! Weeds are wonderful but over the years society has given them a bad reputation. It's time we stop fighting and start embracing the benefits of these wonderful flowers, including which common weeds you can use to make herbal tea right from your own backyard! Free workshop, open to all! November 29, 2021, 5-6pm. Registration is required. This event will take place at our Coquitlam campus located at 1250 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca to register or for more information. |
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 October 25, 2021One Little brown bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitos per hour! It is also on the verge of extinction. These misunderstood creatures often get a bad reputation but the rumours are not true! Come learn the truth about bats and build your very own bat house to take home and help save our BC bats! Free workshop, open to all! October 25, 2021, 5-6pm. Registration is required. This event will take place outside in our Sol Garden located at our Coquitlam campus. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca to register or for more information. |
September 20, 2021 (note, this is a week earlier than usual)This Monthly Monday, we are hosting a workshop on urban salmon streams! |
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August 30, 2021We are very excited to welcome FarmFolk CityFolk to the Sol Garden this month! Together we are going to learn various seed saving techniques so you can start your very own seed library at home! You can get started by bringing home some seeds from our garden! |
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July 26, 2021Location, 1250 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam BC. FREE environmental workshop for all people (any age, no experience necessary). Back in May we held an online workshop about Invasive Plants. This month, on July 26 from 5-6pm, we will meet in person to actively remove invasive plants from the Hoy-Scott Watershed. Registration is required. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca for more details. |
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June 28, 2021We are excited to announce that we are transitioning back to in person workshops! This month join us IN PERSON (location 1250 Pinetree way, Coquitlam BC) or on Zoom for our next FREE workshop! On June 28th, 5-6pm join Dr. Rob McGregor as he teaches us all about biological pest control in the urban garden! Registration is required. Please email iue@douglascollege.ca for details. |
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May 31, 2021 Invasive species can cause some pretty serious damage to our local ecosystems. Yes, even an invasive plant can be dangerous! Join us this month to learn about some of the lower mainlands most common invasive plants, what problems they cause, how to properly remove them and some eco-friendly plant alternatives. |
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April 26, 2021 Now that spring has sprung, this month’s workshop is all about bees! We’ll teach you about BC’s native bees, why they need your help, and what you can do to lend a hand. One thing you can do is provide a bee house for them, which we will teach you how to make yourself during our workshop out of affordable and repurposed materials! **Note: you will have to provide your own materials if you would like to participate in the bee house making during the workshop. They are listed in the second photo and below. Materials:
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March 29, 2021Back by popular demand! Our herbal tea workshop features:
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February 22, 2021Design your own companion planting experiment! We'll discuss some of the theories of companion planting and mail you a FREE seed package to start your own experiment at home! |
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January 25, 2021Citizen Scientists Needed! Join the Beetle Watch 2020/21 team! Help us collect data for a real research project! No experience necessary! We started this project in the fall of 2020. With the help of our 75+ citizen scientists we were able to gather an amazing amount of data! It's not too late for you to join too. Attend our Zoom meeting on January 25th, 2021 to find out what we've discovered so far and where the project is headed next. |
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March 12, 2020Don't Mess With Bugs! Hunting a Garden Killer. Is it spring yet? As the flowers begin to bloom, join us in the Sol garden to learn about our insect friends and foes. Event will happen rain or shine, meet at our Sol garden out front of the David Lam campus and then we will move indoors for a presentation by Dr. McGregor. |
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February 20, 2020Free Movie Night Open to All. Did you know Vancouver Island's west coast is home to one incredibly unique ecosystem? The coastal temperate rain forest surrounds the beautiful beach towns of Tofino, Ucluelet and more. Join us for a FREE screening of "Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, British Columbia" a documentary about this one of a kind ecosystem and what the people living there are doing to help protect it. You don't have to be a student to attend our free workshops! Hope to see you there! |
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January 16, 20202020 NY Resolution, No More Plastic. Did you resolve to make a difference this year? Do you want to help the environment and cut back on the amount of waste humans dump into landfills each year? Come learn about bees, the environment and plastic pollution at our first workshop of the new year! |
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November 21, 2019Herbal Teas From Your BackyardGOT WEEDS?!?! Don't fret, weeds are our friends and we'll show you why! Food for pollinators, teas and more! Let's make weeds great again! |
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October 17, 2019Bats Are Going Extinct |
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September 19, 2019Sol Garden: Sustainability, Outreach and Learning |
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November 15, 2018 From Paper to Nature: Make Homemade Seed PaperBrighten up your day with a free workshop on seed paper making. You can grow your own beautiful flower bed or gift them to a friend! |
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October 18, 2018Birds Of WinterDid you know that some birds stay here for our Canadian winters? Hosted by the Institute of Urban Ecology at Douglas College, in this workshop, we will have a short talk about the different types of birds that live with us during the winter. After which, participants may make suet-type birdfeeders to take home. Join us in Room C1008 and help make things a little easier for our Feathery Friends |
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September 20, 2018Aboriginal Culture; Herbal Teas And Sweet GrassCelebrate Aboriginal culture at the Sol Garden! In this hands-on workshop, learn how to use native plants to make traditional herbal teas and sweet grass smudge braids with our guest speakers, renowned Aboriginal herbalist, Lori Snyder and Douglas College alumni and cultural expert, Rae-Anne LeBrun. This is a FREE workshop and everyone is welcome. Light refreshments will be provided. |
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July 19, 2018A Walk To Remember - Hoy Creek Salmon Hatchery TourJoin IUE – the Institute of Urban Ecology - at Hoy Scott Watershed Society for a casual and interactive tour of their salmon hatchery. Observe and admire the beautiful salmon and hatchlings in the creek! Conclude the tour with a wonderful walk down Hoy Creek Trail. This event is family friendly, so everyone is welcome! |
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June 21, 2018
Celebrate the Solstice!
Join IUE- the Institute of Urban Ecology at Douglas College in the Sol Garden- at a free workshop where you'll learn about the ecology of native BC plants and their indigenous uses by Aboriginal peoples. This workshop will feature our guest speaker, Lori Snyder, a renowned Aboriginal herbalist. We will also be celebrating National Aboriginal Day 2018!
This event is family friendly, so everyone is welcome!
March 8, 2017
How to Make Bee Water
While bees are busy pollinating our flowers we often forget they need to stay hydrated. A great way to ensure the bees working in your garden stay hydrated is to create a bee waterer.
What you need:
- Pie tin
- Marbles
- Water
Put the marbles and water in the tin and voila you have a safe space for your bees drink.
March 6, 2017
Seed Paper Workshop
Are you looking for a creative way to recycle paper? Then the seed paper making workshop is for you. Seed paper is a great gift idea or activity to do with friends and family. During this workshop you will learn how to re-purpose paper in a brand new and sustainable way. The waste paper you have accumulated will be used to create new paper with embedded seeds. The possibilities are endless: you can create bookmarks, cards, posters, notepads and much more. Once you are finished with your creation, go ahead and plant it and watch it grow!
August 15, 2016
Winding Down for the Summer
It's that time of year again; UNIBUG is transitioning from our busy, active summer to a busy, active fall. For a few weeks, we'll be pretty quiet with someone in the office only sporadically. Call or e-mail ahead if you need to get in contact. We really appreciate your patience; we'll be back in September to tell you more about native and local pollinators, beneficial insects, and the joys of gardens.