POLLEN PANTS, HAIRY BELLY POLLINTORS, AND WE'RE HIRING!
POLLEN PANTS, HAIRY BELLY POLLINTORS, AND WE'RE HIRING!
May 9, 2018
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Network Meeting Summary – May 2, 2018
Board Updates
Congratulations to Laura Kalina for being recognized by the City of Kamloops with the Overlander/Pioneer Spirit Award! This is a rare award, last given four years ago. The statue commemorates the arrival of the Overlanders in 1862 and depicts Catherine and Augustus Schubert and one of their seven children. It represents the pioneer spirit and the strength of character of those who built our community.
A Memorandum of Understanding is being developed between KFPC and the Public Health Association of BC that oversees the Farm to School Program.
On April 11, KFPC met with City of Kamloops planners to discuss the Agriculture Area Plan and progress to date. Several action items have been completed and discussions about how KFPC can participate also took place (see ideas generated below for agricultural points of interest around Kamloops).
There is an event at the end of May regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Details to come — all are invited!
An Annual Report was provided by staff in March, which celebrated all of the work that Staff and Board did over the past year. This will be shared at the AGM on August 1.
In preparation for the AGM, new Board Members are being recruited. The application can be found on the website, as well as terms of reference and the expectations for the Board. There will be no nominations from the floor at the AGM and applications are due June 20th.
Staff Update
Following a weekend website retreat, the new website is much closer to a soft launch. We’re aiming to bring it to the June Network Meeting for members to explore and provide feedback.
The Green Living Expo was a fantastic event, with many good connections made for the Seed Library and KFPC in general.
KFPC was one of the guests at the Farm to School (F2S) Celebration of Learning, where students met with local farmers to discuss sourcing more food locally, having a greater F2S presence at the Farmers’ Market, and assessing community needs.
Volunteers are needed for the Seed Library to help organize the library, helping to make decisions about the best way to run the library and best practices for saving seed, as well as increasing the number of seeds held in the library. For full information about the Seed Library, click here.
Kamloops Adult Learning Society (KALS) is offering a series of food security sessions in Kamloops. Shelaigh Garson will be providing an introduction to Permaculture and KFPC will present on harvesting seed and cleaning seed. KALS intends to offer five to six sessions through the fall and winter. Do you have any other ideas for presentation topics? If so, contact Sandra at gleaningabundance@gmail.com.
KFPC is hiring two summer students and a new staff member!
Gleaning Abundance Program Leader Job Posting
Social Enterprise Program Leader Job Posting
Social Enterprise Coordinator Job Posting
Community Spotlight Presentation
Citizen Science Pollinator Project with Elaine Sedgman, Master Gardener
From June to September 2017, 12 Kamloops citizens learned how to collect consistent, standardized observational data in their own gardens. They were counting the number of pollinators present over a 20 minute period in perfect conditions (e.g., around 20C, no wind or cloud cover). This was challenging last summer with the intense smoke due to fires, however some significant findings were made nonetheless.
At the same time that citizen scientists were collecting data, a TRU student was surveying natural areas that were close to the gardens being surveyed. Pollinators from seven guilds were being counted (honey bee, bumble bee, pollen pants bees, hairy belly bees, flies, wasps and other such as beetles and butterflies). In total, 4,120 pollinators were counted. One curious observation was that cultivated gardens had far greater pollinators in August compared with natural areas. These numbers dropped in September with an increased count in natural areas. One hypothesis for why this occurred was that cultivated gardens were more pollen-rich because they were watered consistently, whereas natural areas were very dry.
Observations & Recommendations
* A diversity of flowers rich in pollen and nectar are needed in gardens
* Plant flowers in such a way that they are in bloom consistently from spring to fall
* More ground nesting sites are needed (e.g., leave bunches of leaves for overwintering)
* Bumble bees might need garden refuge space in August
* In community gardens, save one plot for pollinators: 1/2 flowers, 1/2 nesting space for ground nesters
For the full report, click here.
May 17 (7 – 8:30 PM): Planting for Pollinators presentation through Parks and Rec (page 56); $15
May 26 & 27 (approx. 10 AM – 4 PM each day): Bee a Citizen Scientist Training for 2018
To become part of Bee a Citizen Scientist, participants need to attend the two day training session at TRU. As a trained Citizen Scientist, participants will take part in four group surveys, dates TBA, and survey their own garden, or a friend’s, once every month from June to September. Surveys take 20 minutes. To register for the 2018 Citizen Scientist Training, please email emsedgman@gmail.com
Events
Gardengate Plant Sales
May 12 & 19, 9 AM to 1 PM
*Cash and cheque only*
“Modified” Screening
May 30, 7 PM
Hosted by GE Free Kamloops and Films for Change
TRU Alumni Theatre
Free, however donations are gratefully accepted
Panel discussion to follow and there will be door prizes!
Kamloops Farmers’ Market 40th Season Celebration
June 23 @ the market, 8:30 – 12:30
Snacks, music and more!
Agricultural Points of Interest Responses
During the introductions at the beginning of the meeting, members were asked to generate ideas for agricultural points of interest around Kamloops that could serve as self-guided tour options. The City of Kamloops is looking into this as part of the Agricultural Area Plan. What a list! Check out the amazing places that Kamloops and area has to offer.
Gardens & Farms
* Live Love Laugh Wellness Gardens
* Community Gardens
* Public Produce Garden
* Douglas Street between 6th & 7th and other Italian family’s urban agricultural lots
* Thistle, SSOL, Tranquille Farm, Gardengate
* Public park planters
* MacDonald Park Demo Garden
* Sullindeo Farm
* Bee friendly gardens
* Secwepemc Museum
* Indigenous food tours
* Salmon runs/habitat
* Rooftop bees and farming
* Amy Gibbens Community Orchids
* Consult Buy Local Map
* Identify the following in parks/yards: fruit trees, veggie hanging baskets, worm holder planters
* Rayleigh food forests
Value-Added, Trails and Historical Locations
* Breweries and wineries
* Goji Trail
* Tomato canneries and processing
* Hops farms
* Kamloops Farmers’ Market
* Beekeepers provide tours (e.g., hives near Airport Trail)
* Restaurants which profile local food (e.g., Terra, Brownstone)
* Bike tours of farms (e.g., Country Garden Greenhouse, bike campground)
Who’s Who
ASK Wellness
City of Kamloops
Food Share
Friends of Kamloops
Gardengate
Go Forth Compost Services
JUMP
KFPC
Kamloops Naturalist Club
Kamloops Organic Buying Club
Lived Experience Committee
Live Love Laugh Wellness
My Place
Thompson Shuswap Master Gardeners
UBCO
Next Meeting: June 20, 2018, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Chair: Donovan Cavers
Minute Taker: Michelle Tsutsumi
Set Up: Rachelle Totten, Teresa Shayler
Clean Up: Rachelle Totten, Teresa Shayler, Ben Traeger
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