Giving Tuesday: Stanley Park Ecology Society

Tuesday, November 29th is recognized as “Giving Tuesday“, opening the season of giving around the world following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday unites charities, companies and individuals in the spirit of giving and over the next few days I’ll be profiling a few local organizations that you can support on this day – and throughout the year.

Giving Tuesday

In 2006, 10% of Stanley Park’s 1000 acres were severely damaged by the a windstorm. But all of its forests, beaches and delicate wetlands are impacted by 9 million visitors annually.

Stanley Park Ecology Society

On Giving Tuesday, the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”) invites you to join them in supporting Vancouver’s most beloved park.

On December 15, 2006, 120 km/h winds pummeled Stanley Park. In the aftermath, 10,000 trees – some more than 500 years old – littered the forest floor. Ten years later, many of the 16,000 saplings planted are thriving in the blowdown sites, bird diversity has increased in the fresh shrubbery, and volunteers are aggressively attacking invasive plants. With the dedication of community volunteers, ecologists and government, Stanley Park is a decade strong in its renewal. The work continues, and they need your help.

How to Support SPES

In a decade since the storm, donations and grants to SPES have helped us support Stanley Park through:

5000 m3 of invasive plant biomass removed
98,692 volunteer hours dedicated to restoring habitat and monitoring wildlife
30,357 school children engaged with outdoor environmental education programs

Imagine what we can do in the next 10 years! Donate on Giving Tuesday for a healthy Stanley Park:

• $30 supports SPES’ wildlife monitoring programs that engage citizen scientists in collecting baseline data to track the impacts of habitat restoration efforts in Stanley Park.
• $75 subsidizes an elementary school class of 25 inner-city children to learn about the stewardship of nature in nature in Stanley Park.
• $160 supports the removal and management of invasive plants in blowdown areas and strategic sites throughout Stanley Park.
• $500 subsidizes the school program fee for one inner city class to participate in Nature Ninjas, an empowering, unforgettable overnight camping fieldtrip in Stanley Park

Check out my 6 Reasons to Become a Stanley Park Ecology Society Member and follow SPES on Twitter and Facebook.

Miss604 is a proud blog partner and member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society.