Swan Lake Nature House

Two very different but clearly unique habitats fall under the conservation of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. Swan Lake and its surrounding marsh grasses host an array of birds and small animals making it a naturalist's paradise. Christmas Hill, a rocky highland area surrounded by a bloom of wildflowers in the spring, provides breath-taking views from the hill-top. The two havens are connected by a 2.5 km loop trail including a floating boardwalk, and two wharves.

Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT)

The Gary Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team focuses on protecting and restoring Gary Oak Ecosystems within Canada. Gary Oak Ecosystems have been threatened and diminished through habitat loss and fragmentation due to human development. Volunteer opportunities are abound and donations are always welcome.

Lochside Regional Trail

The Lochside Trail is a picturesque multi–use trail, formerly a railway line, that stretches from Swartz Bay to Victoria, past beaches, farmland, and wetlands, down country lanes and beside suburban backyards. While some parts of the Lochside Trail are off-road and others downright pastoral, in some places trail visitors must share paved or gravel public roads with motor vehicles and farm vehicles. The Lochside Trail is 29km long and it runs through Saanich, Central Saanich, Sidney, and North Saanich.

Capital City Allotment Assocation (CCAA) Gardens

The Capital City Allotment Association (CCAA) is a non profit organization managing the community gardens located at 641 Kent Road in Saanich BC. The CCAA gardens have been around since the 1970s. It is located on land between the Pat Bay Highway and Carey Road with more than 140 plots (some shared as half plots) that are typically 90 sq. metres (1,000 sq. feet) in size. Read more about the CCAA gardens here.

Agnes Street Community Gardens

Located on a quiet residential street in Victoria, the Agnes Street Community Garden has been in continuous operation for over 30 years. Visitors to the site, who are always welcome, will find some 80 garden plots, with most plots 20 feet by 50 feet or 1,000 square feet in size. Gardeners rent plots for the calendar year and choose what garden plants to grow. Read more about the Agnes Street Community Garden on their website.

Saanich Community Food Bank Garden

Established in 2007, the Saanich Community Food Bank Garden provides fresh, nutritious food to the Mustard Seed Food Bank weekly or biweekly from May to October. The garden is on the Saanich Community Church's property in the Royal Oak area of Saanich and is associated with A Rocha Canada, a Christian conservation organization (www.arocha.org). For more information or to volunteer, contact Allison Gratz at saanichfoodbankgarden@gmail.com or 250-479-0410.

Hartland Landfill & Recycling Area

Hartland landfill and recycling facility is owned and operated by the Capital Regional District (CRD) and is a multi-purpose facility providing recycling, household hazardous waste collection, yard and garden waste collection and processing, controlled waste disposal and landfill services to commercial and residential customers.

Anti.Violence.Project (AVP)

The Anti.Violence.Project (AVP) is committed to addressing and ending gender-based violence. Located on UVic campus, AVP offers a variety of services to community members as well as UVic faculty and staff. You can also attend training and volunteer with AVP.

Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group (VIPIRG)

The Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group (VIPIRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to research, education, advocacy, and other action in the public interest. Located in the Student Union Building of the University of Victoria, VIPIRG is a place where students and community members connect to work together on social justice and environmental issues.

VIPIRG is located in the Student Union Building, room B122, on UVic Campus.

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Community Mapping Collaboratory

The vision of the Community Mapping Collaboratory (CMC) is to facilitate student learning, locally-based and globally-relevant research, community engagement, sustainable community development and planning through participatory campus-community mapping projects. The Collaboratory is a campus-community governed and led local-global partnership which supports the Common Ground Mapping Network and Global Green Map system.

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