There is a wheelchair accessible ramp for access into the Glendale Gardens. Inside the Gardens there are two main areas of the festival: The Gathering Place and The Village (please click here to see the map for details). A golf cart will be available to transport people needing assistance between The Village and The Gathering Place. There are very accessible crushed gravel paths throughout The Gathering Place suitable for wheelchair, scooter or walker use. The Village is located in a grassy field and may be challenging to access. However, there will be volunteers available for assistance if needed.

There are three handicapped portable washrooms available at the festival. The first is located near the entrance to the Gardens by the Greenhouse. The second is located near The Soccer Zone in the Children’s Village and the third is located in The Village.

Volunteers will be available throughout the festival grounds if you have any questions or require assistance.

We’re looking for an organized, responsible and creative individual to join our volunteer captain team in the capacity of Eco-KidsZone Coordinator.

The ideal candidate has a strong and successful background working with children, experience planning and supervising children’s events, and is committed to educating children through enriching, hands-on learning activities and healthy, fun entertainment. S/he must be creative, reliable, able to develop partnerships with community organizations, able to see the festival experience from the perspective of a child, has experience supervising others including youth volunteers and strong interpersonal skills.

Qualifications

Technical:

• demonstrated education, skills and experience in planning and supervising healthy, safe and inspiring events for children
• knowledge of first aid
• fluent in use of e-mail a must, familiarity with Facebook an asset

Administrative and Organizational:

• strong organizational and planning skills
• high attention to detail
• ability to supervise volunteers, including youth volunteers (ages 11+)
• demonstrated experience collaborating with community organizations

Interpersonal and Personal:

• excellent written and verbal communication skills
• excellent team skills; work collaboratively and effectively with others to plan, resolve problems, and make decisions
• self-directed, with vision and a balance of creativity and practicality
• experience working in a volunteer-based environment
• maintain positive, professional working relationships with others, both internally and externally
• anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of guest educators, presenters, artists and entertainers
• values in-line with health and sustainability

Application:

If this opportunity inspires you, please e-mail your cover letter and resume, subject “Children’s Village Coordinator”, outlining how your skills, experience and interests fit the position, to HR/Volunteer Manager, voluntering(AT)organicislands.ca A detailed list of duties is available. Please drop a line to the above e-mail to request it.

No, we don’t want our signs blocking out the scenery. That’s why we are looking for a volunteer Signage Manager for this year’s Organic Islands Festival.

Do you enjoy telling people where to go? Are you the person friends and family ask to find out the best route to where they are going? Look no further – we have a great volunteer job for you!

If you …

• have experience placing and removing logistical signage for events

• have other logistical work, experience and/or training that would translate to the skills required in this position

• are conscientious, reliable, and detail-oriented, and

• believe in sustainability and would like to contribute to the festival by making it easy for our visitors to find their way to and around the Festival site,

… then consider this volunteer opportunity.

Reporting to the Production Manager, you will implement a plan for placing signage at key locations throughout the festival grounds area, and locations on the different street routes leading into Glendale Gardens. You will collaborate with members of the Festival team to ensure all of the signage requirements are thought through and incorporated into the plan. With the help of some volunteer assistants you will:

• post/set up the signage on Friday July 9

• check that all signs are still in place on the mornings of July 10 and 11

• remove all signs beginning at 5pm on Sunday July 11.

• make sure all signs have been removed before the day’s end, and returned to the Festival Office for storage.

If you would like to be part of the wonderful volunteer team at this year’s Festival and if this position interests you, send an e-mail letter of interest, outlining how your experience, skills and interests fit this position, subject “Signage Manager” to HR/Volunteer Manager: volunteering(AT)organicislands.ca or contact the festival office 250-658-8148.

Organic Islands Festival & Sustainability Expo is seeking a calm and capable leader with a mind that is programmed for logistics to manage the parking function for this year’s festival.

If you:

• Have experience doing this work at other events and festivals
• Have logistics training and experience
• Have other logistics work and/or volunteer experience that would translate to the skills required for this position
• Have strong leadership skills that include staying calm and being able to problem solve under pressure, clear and effective communications, and diplomacy
• Believe in sustainability and would like to contribute in a key function to making the festival experience a positive one for our guests

Consider this volunteer position.

As Parking Manager, you will manage several parking teams for our vehicle and bike parking lots. Reporting to the Festival Production Manager, you will work with him to develop the overall parking layout and traffic flow plan, identify parking supplies and signage requirements, and ensure parking procedures are communicated to key Festival and Glendale Gardens staff. You will train team captains and team members on parking procedures, and be present to resolve any issues as they arise. You will ensure that positive relations are maintained between the Festival, its guests and the residents living in the surrounding neighbourhood. The HR/Volunteer Manager will recruit and schedule the parking team captains and volunteers whom you will lead.

Qualifications

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Strong organization, coordination and collaboration skills

• Passion for planning and implementing logistics

• Strong leadership skills including the ability to train and delegate, while being available to handle problems as they arise

• Strong observational skills and attention to detail

• Calm, clear and concise communication skills

• Diplomacy

• E-mail and MS Word skills essential

• Access to a vehicle and a current valid driver’s license essential

• Values in-line with health and sustainability

• Previous attendance at Organic Islands Festival is an asset but not mandatory.

Benefits

This is an unpaid volunteer position. In exchange for your work you will receive mentoring and a reference letter. Other benefits include:

• A Festival pass for yourself and a guest
• Volunteer Lounge access: organic beverages, fruit and munchies
• Volunteer Appreciation Party
• The opportunity to be part of a great team and contribute to a sustainable future!

Hours, Location and Work Conditions

Work in this capacity begins early to mid May. During the months of May and June, work is primarily done from home, via e-mail and telephone. The incumbent will be required to attend some meetings (approximately 3) at the Festival Office and on-site at Glendale Gardens. The Parking Manager will be present on-site on set-up day, Friday July 9, and at the Festival on July 10 and 11.

Application

Please email your cover letter and resume asap, subject “Parking Manager”, outlining how your skills, experience and interests fit this position:

Sonya Kofler

HR/Volunteer Manager

e: volunteeringATorganicislands.ca

ph: 250-590-0133 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              250-590-0133      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

In addition to regular blog postings there will be a team of volunteer live bloggers on site for the the two-days of the festival. They will be talking to festival attendees and exhibitors as well as attending demo’s and panel discussions and blogging about their experiences.

We will also be “tweeting” from the festival via Twitter. So if you are on Twitter you can follow us here.

I would like to thank Deb Morse and the rest of the festival organizers for putting on such an extraordinary and worthwhile event. I would also like to thank the blog volunteers for helping make this happen. Thanks to:

• Rebecca Kennel
• Anthony Sanna
• Terri Davies
• Catherine Novak
• Steven Zussino
• Greg Aspa (photographer)

The bloggers will be wearing badges to identify themselves so if you see one of us please feel free to stop and say hello and let us know what you think of the festival, what you’ve learned, your favourite green idea or whatever else is on your mind.

I look forward to meeting you along the way.

Written by Chris Burdge (BWEST Interactive)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The first ever ‘Organic Islands’ branded T-shirts have arrived, and they look fabulous!

Thanks to Jen Cizman, Volunteer Manager at Organic Islands and to sponsors including, LifeStyle Markets, BACKFit Spinal Health & Fitness , Coast VI and Island Displays, who made it possible for us to purchase the partially-sponsored American Apparel organic cotton t-shirts for volunteers.

The ‘Organic Islands’ branding was done by ITG – Imagine that Graphics on Saltspring Island, a green print, graphic and web design studio run by Tina Kempling –  a festival partner and supplier of most of our 100% recycled print materials.

The T-Shirt design and silk-screening was done by Greenprint Studio & Little Inkers in Lake Cowichan, an exhibitor at the festival. They use an eco-friendly silk screening process that is solvent-free. Volunteers can pick up their  T-shirts when signing in for their shift, and a limited number of T-shirts will be for sale at the festival.

Volunteer Orientation 2009

Volunteers are the best! Last night they gathered for the Volunteer Orientation, about 75 lovely people, with Jen Cizman, Volunteer Manager, and the rest of the Organic Islands Team to find out about festival plans, and tour the gardens. This dedicated group has already been helping out in the office, at the farmers’ markets, and with postering. We’ve had the pleasure of working with Heather Fisher (Children’s Village Coordinator), Neil Comer, Dusty, Beatrice, Amber Peterson, Megan Cohoe, Dianne, and April.

This year we need over 150 volunteers to assist with everything from implementing the festival’s Green Commitment (near zero waste, solar energy, etc), to set-up, take-down, traffic flow, front gate, info booth, headquarters, strike team and the Children’s Village etc. We have an additional parking lot we need volunteers to assist with — last year we ran out so we’re preparing in advance. Volunteers will be part of an upbeat, proactive team leading the way in creating sustainable change. For more information, and list of perks visit the Volunteering info page.