annual report 2017

The Environmental Youth Alliance engages and empowers youth

to create meaningful, positive change for our community and

environmental health. Founded in 1989, our programs cultivate

transformative nature experiences for youth in urban spaces to

foster community connectedness, build ecological leadership

skills, and enhance well-being.

helping youth

discover their

inner nature

update from the board chair & executive directorThe past year has been a year of “firsts” for EYA: our first Strategic Plan, our first

Fundraising Plan, our first biodiversity-focused school program, and our first time sharing

o%ce space with other youth-focussed non-profits.

Over the course of the past year, EYA has undergone some organizational soul-

searching and taken steps towards becoming a more strategic, forward-thinking

organization in order to help more children and youth discover their inner nature. The

Board and ED have participated in several training and development programs through

Vantage Point, a local organization with a mission to develop non-profit leadership. This

has included a Board-wide Roles and Responsibilities training session to help define

and clarify Board roles, and our ED Emily Keller being selected to participate in Vantage

Point’s Executive Lab program for non-profit EDs.

The past year also saw EYA develop its first Strategic Plan in many years. To ensure the

ongoing success of the organization, the EYA team wanted to confirm our identity,

mission and vision, and make a two-year plan for financial stability, impactful programs,

strong community connections, and e'ective operations. The strategic planning process

involved several sta' and Board facilitated workshops, with input from EYA youth

participants. The team worked together to review EYA’s identity, mission and vision;

assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; and define goals, objectives,

strategies and tactics. The resulting strategic plan is a living document that will guide

work priorities and project development and will be reviewed annually.

The past year also saw the Board overhaul its committee structure based on Vantage

Point best practice and to support the goals of the Strategic Plan. This included a new

Fundraising and Communications Committee, which is in the process of finalizing EYA’s

first Fundraising Plan. This will help guide the diversification of our funding sources with

a goal of improving financial resilience and ensuring sustainable growth. Recognizing

the need for expertise in this area, over the past year the Board successfully recruited

new Directors with experience in fundraising, donor stewardship, and communications.

Honouring EYA’s mission to inspire young environmental leaders through unique nature

experiences in urban spaces, we have continued to develop existing and new programs

for urban youth. Our Native Plant Nursery Program engaged youth volunteers to seed,

propagate and grow thousands of native plants, trees, and shrubs to support a network

of connected wildlife gardens in the city. Through the Pollinator Citizen Science

Program, dozens of youth volunteers helped survey the abundance and diversity of

wild pollinators in urban green spaces, informing land use practices. We also took the

first steps toward launching a new school program called Wild Mind with a curriculum-

aligned 4-series program for Science 9/10 classes.

Last summer EYA was chosen as one of the youth-focussed organizations to relocate

to a beautiful coworking space established by the SpencerCreo Foundation at 610

Main Street. Here we share o%ce facilities with other non-profits who share our value

of youth development while also being closer to our primary programming space at

Strathcona Gardens. From this new home we will continue to work towards our vision

of creating a world in which youth lead urban environmental stewardship, and thank

everyone who joins us on this exciting journey.

Rebecca Chaster, Board Chair

Emily Keller, Executive Director

overview

950 YOUTH

ENGAGED

8 MULTIWEEK

PROGRAMS

IN COMMUNITY

GARDENS

55 WORKSHOPS &

PLANT GIVE-AWAYS

100% OF

YOUTH SURVEYED

FELT INSPIRED TO

SPEND MORE TIME

IN NATURE

3000

NATIVE PLANTS & TREES

GROWN & DISTRIBUTED

15 COMMUNITY

PARTNERS RECEIVED

FREE NATIVE PLANTS &

MASON BEES

6 GREEN SPACES

MONITORED FOR

POLLINATOR HEALTH

355 HABITAT

GARDENS SUPPORTED

pollinator

citizen scienceIn summer 2017, EYA engaged local youth to monitor the health

of our urban pollinators, including bumblebees, hairy belly,

mining, mason, leafcutter, and wool carder bees.

Repeat surveys were completed in six green spaces: Oak

Meadows Park, Everett Crowley Park, 5th & Pine Pop Up Park,

Cedar Cottage Garden, Strathcona Garden, and UBC Farm.

Data was analyzed by a trained biologist and a final report will be

released this fall. Study results will help improve pollinator habitat

restoration work in the city.

– Kathryn, age 25

native plant nurseryThis year, we engaged dozens of youth volunteers to help seed, propagate, and

grow thousands of native perennial plants, shrubs, and trees at EYA's greenhouse

in Strathcona Community Gardens. Youth also learned to plant and maintain

habitat gardens for birds, bees, and other wildlife.

The plants grown by youth were distributed for free to schools, community

groups, and other partners creating native plant gardens. Hundreds of families also

received free plants through public give-away events, supporting the creation of a

city-wide backyard habitat network.

Native plants are essential to urban biodiversity, helping native birds, pollinators,

and other species live and thrive in our city--and supporting climate adaptation.

youth beekeeping

During summer 2017, EYA delivered two 3-month youth beekeeping courses

at our hives and honey house in Strathcona Community Garden, training and

motivating youth to begin breeding and managing honeybees.

Youth earned about bee anatomy, organic pest management, hive set-up and

maintenance, overwintering, and habitat stewardship, gaining skills to become

honeybee stewards in their local community.

wild mind

This year, we wrapped up a two-year pilot project to develop curriculum for a new

high school youth program called Wild Mind.

To test and finalize the curriculm, EYA hosted a series of 4 outdoor workshops

with Grade 11 classes at Eric Hamber and Britannia Secondary Schools, engaging

students in place-based, experiential learning on urban rewilding and monitoring

the impact of habitat restoration on wild pollinators and other urban wildlife.

This will be used to relaunch our school program next year.

I've been much more aware of nature in general. When I'm walking

outside, I take more time to appreciate all the insects I see on flowers.

I think this program has helped me appreciate the importance - and

beauty - of all the diverse pollinators you can find in the city. I've

been struggling a lot with anxiety... now that I'm able to appreciate

pollinators, and nature in general, it's been a little easier to get out and

spend some time outside.

– Bec, age 19

from the youth

"

I’m definitely more active in trying to get the community more involved in these types

of environmental projects. I feel more knowledgeable about native plants, and I’m more

appreciative of the environment around me. I feel more independent being able to work

in any garden space now. I love that I’ve met so many new friends from all over the Lower

Mainland. I think that, in general, the program has given me the opportunity to get creative

with how I envision my environment; I’ve started branching out, contacting other groups,

and taking on more individual projects to get the word out: our environment needs us and

we need our environment - getting active is where you start.

– Gegan, age 16

"

Anyone can see that EYA's beekeeping program teaches about

bees, honey, nature, agriculture, and ecosystems – and that's

wonderful! But make no mistake: it accomplishes all that and so

much more. It gives young people hands-on practice at taking

safe risks, getting organized, and working together with other

people to make big projects succeed.

– Jessica, age 27

"

Experiencing beautiful moments like walking around gardens...

was enriching and made me become more mature. It helped

me prepare for the future in a way that I could become more

independent and be more confident with the things I’ve learnt.

The program is wonderful as it is, a very inspirational and amazing

way to get youth to be more aware of the natural world. And a

great way to bring back our native plants!

– Olivia, age 15

"

500-610 Main St

Vancouver, BC

V6A 2V3

604-689-4446

info@eya.ca

Charitable Registration #: BN 892897166 RR0001

eya.ca

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