| Welcome to , a unique project inspired by and . I've moved my family into this community with my mission being to showcase the myriad of things that make it awesome by bringing you a weekly scoop! |
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the first published photo (below) of Gord and Downie, the two new resident chickens at the Ken Spencer Science Park at Science World. I've been meaning to author an #inthevillage piece about how awesome it is that Science World is literally only steps away from our home and I figured now that this new outdoor section is about to open this would be the perfect opportunity to share.
I've been bringing you news of backyard chickens for years now. Literally. Back in March of 2009, before it became legal to own them in Vancouver, I blogged about the rumour of someone lobbying the City to allow us to have backyard chickens and expressed how excited I was. Since the bylaw was passed I've continued to shine light on this story because to me the subject perfectly sums up the commitment to sustainability and food security that I often applaud the City for sticking with. It's pretty fantastic to see independent institutions like Science World raising the bar on this conversation about our sustainable future as urbanites, and it is SO AWESOME that there are now shared backyard chickens over there that I can walk over and visit any time.
If you're wondering how I got in to visit these chickens before the VIP launch, and before the media invites have even been sent out, it's simple: I volunteered to help build a roof for them. Projects in Place Society put out a call earlier this week for volunteers who could come in today and help install some green roofs, to plant some things, and to wield shovels so I signed up myself, my wife and our 3 year old son, Arlo (seen below holding one of Downie's feathers).
A boatload of other volunteers showed up, ING Direct facilitated and sponsored the entire build and Salt Spring Coffee kept us all caffeinated. Other sponsors included N.A.T.S. Nurseries, Horizon Landscape Contractors and West Coast Seeds.
Arlo and my wife, Katie, helped trim some of the dead matter off of some plants before they got transplanted and we did a walk around of a bunch of the different features.
There's a lot to see here. From the pond...
To the interactive crane feature showing how much garbage a family like ours produces every year...
The transportation piece is pretty sweet...
As is the interactive water feature showing how much water we use, ways and reasons to conserve, etc...
I'm not sure what this piece is, and it's not quite finished, but it's also a water feature...
Vertical gardens were being installed by volunteers...
And volunteers were also bringing in pieces of the green roof to assemble...
There are five different types of succulents that are being installed, and they were already attracting bees!
These photos barely scratch the surface of what you'll learn at this new, interactive science park that will be included in the admission to Science World. As I mentioned in the beginning it's not yet open to the public but we'll let you know the moment it is. I'll leave you with this photo taken just outside the gates of a new bike counter that will go into service in just a few short days once construction is complete!
Learn more at and stay tuned each week as I expose the unique qualities of our new community.
