2015 Wild About Vancouver Festival Report April 16-22, 2015

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1 Overview The inaugural Wild About Vancouver (WAV- pronounced wave) Outdoor Education festival took place. 50 different events were included as part of this festival, offer by 38 different community organizations who hosted a wide range of outdoor learning activities across the city. The WAV festival engaged over 1500 adults, youth, and children in its first year. Events included kayaking, outdoor yoga, orienteering, music, gardening, nature discovery, outdoor skills, and much more. WAV also hosted its own featured event, Tidal WAV, to screen the film Project Wild Thing, for an audience of over 60 people, and included 8 community organizations that shared information on their projects and activities. This included a key- note by Dr. Mariana Brussoni and a commissioned poem from the Vancouver Poet Laureate, Rachel Rose. The purpose of WAV is to unite and create long- term sustainable Outdoor Experiential Learning (OEL) networks for organizations, schools, youth programs, and the broader citizenry (including youth and First Nations) of Vancouver. WAV s Outdoor Education Festival addressed children s increasingly limited time spent outdoors by offering free practical and cost effective local outdoor learning activities. Festival Sponsors- Thank you!! Highlights 50 free WAV events 37 WAV event hosts 1,500+ participants 25 different Vancouver locations 8 different activity categories Ecomarine Paddlesports Photo credit Ada Smith Successes Wild About Vancouver s 50 events highlighted the many different opportunities in Vancouver for people to engage in outdoor activities, with a wide range of offerings for all ages, abilities, backgrounds and interests. Many of the events were part of ongoing organizational activities, which participants can continue to access and be involved with. Through WAV, schools and community members were introduced to new outdoor learning activities, taught new outdoor skills, and encouraged to go on to share these skills with others. This festival also created links between the many different community organizations engaged in outdoor and/or environmental activities. The grassroots nature of the festival demonstrated an ability to create strong networks and collaboration. WAV also connected teachers and schools with opportunities to bring their classes on field trips, and demonstrated new ways for teachers to use outdoor learning with their students. Events Kits Space Outdoor Yoga Photo credit Caleigh Mayer

2 WAV Festival Events Nature Discovery & Plant/Wildlife Programs Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society Nature Walk & Workshop Northwest Wildlife Preservation Society Wildlife in Schools Program Pacific Spirit Park Society Take Another Look Fresh Air Learning/Soaring Eagle Nature School Family Fun in the Forest Salish Sea Spiritual Ecology Society Tree & Shrub Walkabout Evergreen BC Uncover Your Creeks Stanley Park Ecology Society Environmental Art Invasive Plant Weaving Lower Mainland Green Team Invasive Species Removal The Vowel House Can You Find a Conker? Vancouver Aquarium School Beachwalk Gaia Garden Herbal Dispensary Herb Walk Champlain Heights Community Association Earth Day Prep Invasive Species Removal Stanley Park Ecology Society Invasive Species Weaving Photo credit Karly Pinch Sports & Outdoor Experiential Learning Ecomarine Paddlesport Centre Explore the Ocean by Kayak Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club Queen Elizabeth Park Intro to Orienteering Running Room 5k Run/walk Vancouver Ultimate League Adults Intro to Ultimate Frisbee Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai Chi Society Intro to Taoist Tai Chi Jericho Sailing Centre English Bay Sailing Safety Seminar Kits Space Project Outdoor Yoga Ecomarine Paddlesport Centres Explore the Ocean by Kayak Photo credit Ada Smith Music Programs New Orchestra Workshop Society Music NOW! In the Trees Brahm s Tams Drum Circle Indigenous Programs Medicine Collective Medicine Walk with Musqueam Elder at UBC Farm Medicine Collective Medicine Walk with Musqueam Elder at UBC Farm Photo credit Hannah Lewis

3 Outdoor Skills Development Outdoor Council of Canada Intro to OCC Field Leadership Training Program UBC Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education Outdoor Learning in the School Yard National Outdoor Leadership School Leadership Navigation Challenge Trek Program Half Day Field Trip for Elementary Classes Outward Bound Camp Cooking & Primitive Skills Gardening Skills Development Hives for Humanity Pollinator Workshop UBC Farm Farm Tour & Seeding Activity Environmental Youth Alliance Volunteer Garden Session Environmental Youth Alliance Compost Magic in a Beautiful Garden Village Vancouver Permaculture Blitz Society Promoting Environmental Conservation Go Solar Tours Photo credit Karly Pinch Community Development & Engagement Take a Hike Foundation/Vancouver Aquarium Shoreline Clean- up UHill Elementary Earth Day BBQ Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House Eco- mmunity Space Celebration Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Blossom Bollywood & Kite Dance Other Programs Society Promoting Environmental Conservation Go Solar Tour UBC Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education Tent Show & Shine Vancouver Recreation Association Discovering Spanish Banks Suzuki Elders for the Environment Playing Without Plastic: Living Better with Less Tidal WAV WAV sponsored featured event screening of Project Wild Thing, speakers, community tables Additional Tim Gill Keynote Popping the Bubble Wrap & Reclaiming Risky Play for Children (May 5, indoors, sponsored by WAV) Q: What do you feel the WAV Festival was most successful in? Tidal WAV Photo credit Ada Smith

4 WAV Goals and Outcomes WAV Goals: to promote Outdoor and Experiential Learning opportunities throughout Vancouver to the citizens of the city; to unite and foster sustainable networks between organizations and a broader citizenry (including families, youth, first- nations, seniors, new Canadians, schools and so on) with respect to Outdoor and Experiential Learning; to create an annually sustainable outdoor education festival event in Vancouver, BC. Shoreline Clean up Photo credit Jaydeen WIlliams WAV Outcomes: Learning Outside the Classroom Photo credit Katie Maziarski highlight Outdoor and Experiential Learning opportunities for all Vancouverites; create strong grass- roots connections between local Outdoor and Experiential Learning organizations, particularly with the Faculty of Education at UBC; generate opportunities to learn more about the value of outdoor experiential learning in relation to health and well- being; produce rich networks between outdoor experiential activators involved in a wide- range of outdoor education pursuits, including environmental education, experiential education, heath education, indigenous education, outdoor education, physical education, sustainability education, youth engagement and others WAV Participant Testimonials Making connections. Bring together organisations that provide outdoor experiences Promotion and the diversity of events and activities. Bringing together people in the outdoor ed community Providing FREE events! Promotion and getting the word out" Getting everything organized. Connecting community activities which share a common thread of purpose The passion and commitment to the concept. Very visible in the organizers! Making it a legitimate act for teachers in K- 12 education to take kids outside. A great idea that will only grow and improve! The WAV Festival presented a wonderful opportunity for people from different demographics to experience the outdoors together. Mentorship and community building Having everything online. The fact that it happened! As a first run, I think it went very well. Loved it! Very grateful for the opportunity. It was great to have youth involved in planning an event for the community.

5 WAV Financials INCOME BUDGET 2015 ACTUAL 2015 Grants $9, $9, Sponsorship Corporate $3, $1, Sponsorship Community $1, $1, Sponsorship Individual $1, $ Raffle $0.00 $ Miscellaneous $0.00 $ TOTAL INCOME $15, $14, EXPENSES Project Coordination $4, $4, Publicity - Advertising $2, $1, Web Site Project $ $ Events $ $ Administration $0.00 $0.00 Meetings $50.00 $35.00 Travel $0.00 $0.00 Insurance $0.00 $0.00 Honoraria $ $ Tent and Chairs $1, $1, GS Ads $ $ Portable toilets $ $ Fresh Air Cinema $1, $1, TOTAL EXPENSES $12, $11, Net Total Income $14, Total Expenses $11, Net Profit $2,028.86

6 WAV Steering Committee, Coordinator and Volunteers WAV is a volunteer driven initiative. In 2015 the steering committee was comprised of 9 individuals. These folks contributed countless (we did not even try to count) hours to the success of the festival. The passion and commitment of this small group of dedicated individuals was the essence from which the WAV festival occurred. WAV seeks new members to join the steering committee. If you are interested, please contact us. WAV hired a part- time WAV Coordinator from January to May 2015 to help ensure festival success. The WAV Coordinator was able to unify the efforts of the steering committee and make them real. Karly Pinch was the first WAV Coordinator and her efforts were invaluable in the success of the festival. WAV had various volunteers help with specific tasks, such as: photogrpahy, social media, event planning, and youth engagement. As WAV is a volunteer- driven festival, the efforts of the Hive Pollinator Workshop Photo credit Hartley Banack volunteers were crucial in the festival s ability broadly engage citizens. WAV wishes to give a HUGE thank you to our volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering with WAV, please contact us. WAV Contact Information Please reach out and say, hello. WAV wants to stay in touch. You can join our list on the website- or you can us at info [at] wildaboutvancouver [dot] com.