Sustainable youth programs empowering environmental leaders
Discover how we are supporting the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) in Vancouver, BC, through sustainable youth programs.As part of our commitment to 1% for the Planet, the Alvéole team in Vancouver is introducing young people to the world of urban beekeeping and supporting EYA’s re-greening efforts.
Meet Environmental Youth Alliance
We’re shining the spotlight on Environmental Youth Alliance, a Vancouver-based charity that helps BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) youth connect with nature through sustainable youth programs to become environmental stewards and community leaders. Their programming includes native plant gardening, traditional Indigenous plant use, pollinator conservation, and habitat restoration.
Protecting Vancouver’s pollinators
Our 1% for the Planet donation supports EYA’s Native Plant Nursery, a program where young people learn to grow pollinator-friendly native plants to ensure there’s plenty of food for the city’s diverse pollinator population.
“I learned about EYA through social media and really liked what they stood for and their impact on youth and the urban landscape. I immediately had them in mind when the opportunity came up to partner with them for 1% for the Planet.” – Tanya Drapeau, Alvéole Beekeeping Team Manager
This past summer, as part of our partnership, our Vancouver beekeeping team met up with EYA’s Youth Habitat Crew and Native Plant Nursery teams to lead a Hive to Honey Jar workshop. We discussed sustainable youth programs focused on beekeeping, urban agriculture, and the importance of preserving a safe habitat for all bees. Everyone got to participate in a honey extraction.
As a thank you for everything they do to support the local flora, the group got to leave with their very own jars of honey, which likely contained nectar from EYA’s nearby pollinator gardens. The honey produced by our strong Vancouver hives is a direct result of the increase of pollinator-friendly plants EYA has brought into the city. What a sweet reward for their hard work!
“I enjoyed the honey bee workshop because I have a passion for learning more about bees. I loved getting taught about honey bee colonies and how they go about making honey and beeswax. My favourite part was getting hands-on experience with harvesting honey and the beekeepers letting us keep some jars of the local honey!” – Cheris, Youth Habitat Crew member
We and the bees are so grateful for EYA’s work towards habitat preservation. Thank you for making Vancouver a better place for all pollinators!
ABOUT 1% FOR THE PLANET
In 2021, Alvéole joined 1% for the Planet, an international movement of organizations that donate 1% of their annual sales to nonprofits working to protect the environment.
