Bowen in Transition (BIT) is pleased to announce the 2016 Sustainability Tour, set to go on Sunday, August 14. The tour includes a bus ride stopping at select locations where islanders are undertaking green initiatives, from sustainable agriculture to relying on alternative energy sources for home heating and electricity.
This is the fifth tour organized by BIT, a grassroots group that seeks to inspire, encourage and create awareness around activities that help build a more resilient island community. There are four stops along the route this year, plus a break for lunch, at the home of Shasta Martinuk and Brian Hoover.
Homeowners, Jeannette and Stefan Wrenshall have invited us to their property, which they describe as “a work in progress” and an experiment in living off grid with the help of a solar array. Jeanette and Stefan are also developing an extensive permaculture garden and food forest. They have several large hugelkulturs, which are raised beds that are built on decaying organic material. The process of natural decomposition of debris helps improve soil fertility and water retention.
We’ll be stopping in at Grafton Lake Commons, also a work in progress. There, Jessica Mitts will offer an overview of the project, which involves creating an inclusive and productive community garden. Jessica will explain how islanders can get involved and help grow local food. She’ll also walk us over to the White Swan Public Orchard, planted this spring and named after the swans that used to glide over Grafton Lake during Bowen’s earlier years.
Orchardists, John and Josephine Riley offered their expertise and guidance to ensure that the White Swan Public Orchard got off to a good start. They are certainly the experts, as can be evidenced at their own orchard, which is the next stop on the tour. The Rileys have nurtured and cultivated one of the most diverse orchards in Canada. The couple has extended enormous efforts in preserving heritage apple varieties, including those that were originally planted in Davies Orchard.
Finally, we’ll be off to the well-established and highly productive Home Farm Gardens. The industrious team at Endswell Farm is known for producing delicious organic vegetables, meat and dairy products. While strolling around the farm we’ll hear about the new system they have adopted, based on the work of Jean Martin Fortier and Maude-Hélène Desroches who run Les Jardins de la Grelinette in Quebec. The gardens are an internationally recognized 10-acre micro-farm that focuses on biologically intensive cropping practices. The Home Farm Garden’s Farm-gate Stand will be open during our tour, so if you wish to take home some fresh local food, bring a little spending money and a bag.
Seating is limited on the shuttle bus. To reserve a spot, contact Shasta at [email protected], or call 604.947.2283. Please arrive at 9:45 am for a 10 am departure on August 14, from the front of the Bowen Island Public Library. We will collect a $20 per person fee at that time to help cover the bus fare. Tour participants need to pack their own lunch and make sure they are wearing sturdy walking shoes. For more information about Bowen in Transition, visit our website at bowenintransition.com or join us on Facebook at Bowen in Transition.
