Site Events

2012 Birdwatch – 8:00 am

Meet at the A Rocha Brooksdale Environmental Centre at 8:00 am, Mon. May 21st.

The Birdwatch is for beginner and expert birders alike. This year Lower Mainland residents can join us at five locations in the Little Campbell River Watershed, then return to Brooksdale to tally the birdcounts. Bring a bag lunch. Drinks will be provided.

For more information contact british.columbia@arocha.ca

Spring Festival & Native Plant Sale – 1:00 pm

Join us, this Victoria Day Monday, for a guided naturalist walk of the Little Campbell River portion of the Brooksdale Environmental Centre, site tours, conservation themed public talk (with Mike Pearson a local biologist), native plant sale at The River Tree Store and more family friendly activities like hayrides, face painting and live music.

This year, kids can participate in Surrey’s Environmental Extravaganza program (kids get a passport and stamps at different events over the month of May). Also, the theme for this year is Survivors–Mike Pearson will be highlighting species at risk in the Lower Mainland and A Rocha will be showcasing our conservation efforts on species at risk in the Little Campbell River watershed.

Feel free to bring dessert treats ready to share.

Dress for the weather – the event will be rain or shine.

For more information contact british.columbia@arocha.ca

Come lend a hand, find the perfect native plant for your garden and then enjoy a free, local meal!

Join us rain or shine Saturday, May 12th to help with special projects at A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre. Our native plant nursery will also be stocked with new and colourful plants for sale for the gardening season (read more).

10:00am – Work begins
12:30pm – A Rocha Centre tour
1:00pm – Free lunch for volunteers
2:30pm – Native plant sale ends

To RSVP or arrange for large groups, please email british.columbia@arocha.ca or call 604.542.9006

Please enjoy browsing the newly renovated River Tree Store! Also, special offer discount on plantable wildflower seed coasters (0.50 cents each).

Are you excited about following Christ and caring for creation?  The Earthkeeping Institutes are a chance to learn more and go deeper!  Join us for a weekend of biblical teaching, discussion, sharing meals, and hands-on environmental stewardship.  Bring home a new perspective and new practices to care for creation in your own backyard.

Food and Faith: Eating as Earthkeeping

July 6 – 9, 2012

This summer’s Earthkeeping Institute offers four full days of exploring diverse ways in which food links us to Creation and to the life of faith. Theory and praxis will come together as we go from morning bible studies into the garden to get our hands dirty and into the kitchen to prepare meals together. Participants will engage with all aspects of ‘food’ during the course – growing, weeding, harvesting, preparing, cooking, and most vitally – enjoying! We will explore not only the theological and practical but also the social, cultural, historical, and agricultural dimensions of food. Join us as we learn to live more faithfully as good stewards of our food.

Costs

(Includes 3 nights of accommodation, 4 days of garden-fresh meals, teaching, hands on activities, time for reflection, and an unforgettable experience)

Guest House: $450 (for shared accommodation in the guesthouse – space is limited)
Camping: $375 (participants will provide their own camping equipment)
Commuter: $300 (does not include accommodation)

Location

A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre is a beautiful heritage estate made up of pasture, gardens, and trails alongside the Little Campbell River. It’s a unique setting that makes for a restorative and unforgettable experience. For information and photos please browse our website and Click here for address and map.

REGISTER NOW

Click here to be taken to a registration page.  Online payment should be made upon registration online or call 604.542.9022 to pay by phone or email us if you are mailing in a cheque.

All God’s Creatures: Biodiversity, Species at Risk, and Care for Creation

October 26 – 28, 2012

Our Fall Earthkeeping Institute will highlight some of the ongoing work of A Rocha in the Little Campbell River Watershed to protect species at risk within the wider framework of global biodiversity. We are called to care for the diversity of our local ecology within the context of a biblical framework of God’s love and care for all creation. Participants will spend the weekend in our guesthouse participating in morning bible studies, spending afternoons exploring the watershed and enjoying community meals in between.

Costs

Includes 2 nights of accommodation, garden-fresh meals, teaching, hands on activities, time for reflection, and a great experience

Guest House: $350 (for shared accommodation)
Commuter: $250

Location

A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre is a beautiful heritage estate made up of pasture, gardens, and trails alongside the Little Campbell River. It’s a unique setting that makes for a restorative and unforgettable experience. For information and photos please browse our website and Click here for address and map.

REGISTER NOW

Click here to be taken to a registration page.  Online payment should be made upon registration online or call 604.542.9022 to pay by phone or email us if you are mailing in a cheque.

We have great prices and a wide selection of native plants for your garden!  Also included is an optional tour at 12:30 of our Brooksdale Centre property (located on 16th Ave & 192nd St in South Surrey).  Plant sale times for both days: 10 AM – 2:30 PM.

When?
Saturday April 14th from 10:00am – 2:30pm
Saturday May 12th from 10:00am – 2:30pm

Where?
A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre

19353 16th Ave

Surrey, BC V3S 9V2

What?
Variety of native plants like….

Pacific Rhododendron
Huckleberry
Blueberry
Coastal Strawberry
Maidenhair fern
Deer fern
Bleeding Heart
Oregon Grape
Indian Plum
Oregon Iris
Lupine
Pacific Dogwood
Vine Maple

Finding A Way: Our journey toward creation care

Mike and Danae Yankoski share their story of moving from not caring at all about creation toward seeking to raise awareness and live more integrated lives.

Bio

Mike is an Author, Speaker and Photographer. He and his wife Danae live in Vancouver B.C. and are graduate students at Regent College. Mike spends much of his time speaking to audiences across the United States and Canada, presenting a Christ centered response to our world’s great needs. When he is not studying, speaking or writing, he loves spending time outdoors. Mike also serves on the Board of Directors of World Vision US, the Advisory Board of Kilns College, and is the author of Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America (Multnomah, 2010) and My 30 Days Under the Overpass: Not Your Ordinary Devotional (Multnomah, 2006). He and Danae are the executive editors of Zealous Love: A Practical Guide to Social Justice (Zondervan, 2010).

Where?

A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre (Address)

Begin, or continue your quest toward a more “whole” involvement with food. This workshop will cover one aspect of the many ways to incorporate hands-on food initiatives.

Along with Tiina Hildebrand, we are embarking on A Rocha’s 4th Cheese making workshop…

An afternoon of creative whey’s with Milk: a.k.a. Cheesy business!

Saturday afternoon, April 21st, 12:30 to 5:30 pm.

We will make: ROMANO CHEESE, WHEY RICOTTA, COTTAGE CHEESE, QUESO BLANCO, BUTTER

*** Coffee, Tea and an afternoon snack will be provided. Suggested Donation: $40.00

What’s happening Saturday April 14th at A Rocha BC Brooksdale?

The next Fun on the Farm!

Bring the whole family to garden, cook, learn about nutrition and play games.

Learn more about farm life and the environment through games, crafts and music. Learning is interactive and the memories made last a lifetime.
Fun on the Farm is an ongoing program happening on the second and fourth Saturday of each month (unless otherwise stated).

TO RSVP Call 604.542.9006 or email us at fotf@arocha.ca.  Transportation assistance available.

Upcoming

April 14th – All about Chickens–10:00am – 1:30pm

April 28th – Building Garden Boxes–10:00am – 1:30pm

More about Fun on the Farm

Twice a month on Saturday’s, the A Rocha Brooksdale Environmental Centre plays host to a troop of kids and their families who come to collect eggs, plant gardens, make bread, and explore creation. Some are refugee families just finding their footing in Canada, others are single parent families living on low income—all are looking for some good ol’ fun on a farm! Run in partnership with World Vision, A Rocha’s Fun on the Farm project is entering its second season of interactive and experiential learning, opening the world of creation and sustainable agriculture to those who might otherwise not be able to enjoy it.

Proudly Sponsored by:

Interested in starting a community garden this year? Learn about how your garden will address food insecurity in our city. Registration Form here.

Our ‘The Plot Thickens’ Community Gardening Workshop will give you a good start! It will be given by A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening friends, partners and trained community organizers. Vancouver ‘Plot Thickens’ Poster, May 5th 2012

Our workshop covers: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-tos, facing challenges and more. Participants will receive a community gardening manual, monthly gardening emails, an online space to connect and a webpage for profiling your new community garden. Our goal is to partner with you and your Christian community as you develop a garden to support local food production and facilitate community outreach.

Organizational Partner:

City Gate Leadership Forum as the main Coordinator of the Christian Food Security Network in Metro Vancouver wants to help you connect your garden to local organizations who could benefit from sharing your produce harvests.

City Gate Leadership Forum exists to inform, equip, and coordinate organizations and leaders for the spiritual and social renewal of Metro Vancouver, envisioning a future where the church is a valued leader in fostering vibrant, sustainable cities.

Contact:  T 604 484 8629, office@cglf.ca

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 The Story of Anita’s Organic Mill: developing a business philosophy from the ground up

John Mackenzie–President, Anita’s Organic Mill

Where: A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre

When: Wednesday, March 28th @ 7pm

RSVP: matt.humphrey@arocha.ca or just show up!

BIO:

John has a BSc from Trinity Western University in Biology. During that time he studied at Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies where, after graduating, joined the staff for 2 years. In 2002, he went to Washington State University to complete a Masters degree in Entomology studying chemical ecology of the European paper wasp. In the fall of 2005 he bought Anita’s Organic Grain & Flour Mill and jumped into business with a steep learning curve. Anita’s is a manufacturer of whole grain flour, cereals, and mixes produced in Chilliwack, products are sold commercially as well as to the retail marketplace. John has been married for 13 years and has 2 boys and is living back in his hometown of Abbotsford.

Marine mammals from the tropics to the arctic: connecting science and faith

Rowenna Gryba, Marine Biologist Wednesday, March 14, 2012 7 PM

BIO: Rowenna has her BSc from University of British Columbia in Biological Oceanography. She then recieved her MSc from Manchester Metropolotin University in Geographic Information Science where her thesis focused on predicting distributions of sea lion prey. Rowenna has had the oporunity to participate in field research programs for the University of Alaska where she helped tag ringed seals in the Arctic and for Cayetano Heredia University in Peru, where she assisted with research on fur seals. Rowenna has continued to conduct research for the University of British Columbia on sea lion prey and for SciTech Environmental Consulting researching critical habitat for several marine species, and different ways of assessing areas for conservation.