Courses and Workshops
How can we contribute to food security in a changing climate? What food should we grow in response to the changing climate? How is the ecological system around us changing due to Climate Change? What alternatives do we have to current energy sources? How does our carbon footprint relate to global GHG emissions? Explore the answers to these and other questions related to Climate Change in the Gulf Islands.
Well monitoring workshop
Sunday, May 17th, 1 pm – 2:30 pm
Although we get plenty of rain, Gabriola has significant water-supply issues, and so it is important for Gabriolans to know what’s happening with the water that they use. One way is to monitor the water table in our wells. In this Blue Heron Learning Society workshop we’ll show you how to construct, install and use a simple well-level monitor that can be made using readily available tools and parts that cost under $100.
If you are interested in participating, please let us know by emailing us at info@blueheronlearning.ca.
Intro to Solar power
The course is oriented to those interested in learning the basics of solar power and how it can be used to reduce one’s BC Hydro bills or provide electricity when BC Hydro isn’t available. Topics:
- What is solar power and how does it work?
- What can you expect to do with solar energy on Gabriola?
- Grid-tied systems: What they are, equipment and expertise required to set them up, how to go about implementing.
- Off-grid systems: What they are, equipment and expertise required to set them up, how to go about implementing.
- Visit to an on-site off-grid solar system.
Instructor: Bob McKechnie. Tentatively scheduled from 1:30 – 3:00 on an afternoon in May. Date will be determined once names of those interested are known.
If you are interested in participating, please let us know by emailing us at info@blueheronlearning.ca.
Blue Heron Writing Workshop
Starting January 19, 2026
At this monthly writer’s workshop, we invite you to experiment with short pieces about personal or community shifts related to environment, social and other issues of relevance to the Gabriola region. All forms are acceptable, non-fiction, creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry etc.
The sessions will be 2 hours long. The very first session, which may be shorter than 2 hours, would be devoted to making decisions about how it should work and to give a writing prompt for the second session.
If you are interested in participating, please let us know by emailing us at info@blueheronlearning.ca.
Food Security Gardening Club
We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month from 3 – 4 pm, at 110 McConvey. Everyone welcome.
Discussion: Planning for spring and other garden tasks. Plus a recap of how it’s going with the things we planted earlier.
For more info please call Mary Wilson at 250-247-0242 , or email info@blueheronlearning.ca.
To see the club notes go to our RESOURCES page.
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Living here, we can have gardens that are productive and provide us with food all year round. Would you like to be better at winter gardening? We would too!
Blue Heron Learning Society is starting a peer-to-peer winter gardening club, to meet once a month, sharing seeds, plant starts, and ideas. Learning together through successes and failures, we’ll follow the expert advice of Linda Gilkeson, a noted gardening expert who lives on Saltspring Island in an ecosystem similar to Gabriola’s. Her book, Backyard Bounty is a great guide for us, and she maintains an email list that we will follow giving tips, when to plant advice, and what to do when it’s very dry, wet, hot or cold.
Biochar Workshops & Community Kiln
Blue Heron Learning Society has launched a community biochar kiln! Would you like to see the kiln in action? At the workshop you’ll learn how to operate the kiln to do a burn to make biochar, the kinds of materials that are needed, and about the fire regulations that govern it’s use. You will also learn about the citizen science project to investigate the effectiveness of biochar in local gardens. After taking a workshop, you are eligible to borrow the kiln to do your own burn. Workshop dates are subject to weather and suitable ventilation index and will be confirmed a day or two ahead of the burn.
- NEXT FREE WORKSHOP: Watch this space for upcoming date in spring 2026. For more information and to register please contact Blue Heron at info@blueheronlearning.ca. The workshop is approximately 2 to 4 hours long and outside.
Biochar is an ancient approach to increasing the nutrients and productivity in the soil through creating biochar by charring waste wood, grinding and inoculating it, and then adding it to garden soil. It is also an efficient way to sequester carbon to mitigate the effects of Climate Change.
Once you have taken a workshop you are eligible to borrow the kiln (a donation of $10 is requested) and do your own burn.
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How to borrow the Biochar Kiln.
Blue Heron Guide: Biochar 101.
Contact Blue Heron: info@blueheronlearning.ca