The UVSP’s Ventures into Sustainable Recreation Campaign is a year-long initiative with multi-faceted objectives. This campaign aims to get students outside and on the land, moving their bodies and developing relationships—rooted in respect, honour, stewardship, curiosity, and a commitment to learning—with the unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən-Speaking Peoples, today known as the Songhees and Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ Nations, as well as the territories of the Quw'utsun and Pacheedaht Nations.
Through this campaign, we encourage students to develop their 'senses of place' and their capacity to care for and learn from these lands through recreation and community. We hope to provide opportunities for students to discuss issues of environmental degradation and environmental justice, inaccessibility, exclusion, barriers, oppression, and colonialism in relation to recreation. We will also facilitate opportunities for students to engage in community-led dialogues about the intersections of stewardship, decolonization, community, recreation, and sustainability. This campaign aims to create space for all students and individuals in recreational spaces and ensure easy access to these opportunities (through subsidization, commitments to inclusion and co-creating safe spaces for all, providing accessible transport and gear, etc).
In sum, through developing deeper understandings of the relationships between stewardship, decolonization, and recreation, we hope to support students in gaining skills and knowledge that will allow them to become responsible, critical, caring, and inclusive proponents of recreational sports and activities.
This year, the UVSP plans on hosting events related to: hiking, walking, cycling, bouldering, flat-water canoeing, birding, tide-pooling, and whitewater canoeing.
Through this campaign, we encourage students to develop their 'senses of place' and their capacity to care for and learn from these lands through recreation and community. We hope to provide opportunities for students to discuss issues of environmental degradation and environmental justice, inaccessibility, exclusion, barriers, oppression, and colonialism in relation to recreation. We will also facilitate opportunities for students to engage in community-led dialogues about the intersections of stewardship, decolonization, community, recreation, and sustainability. This campaign aims to create space for all students and individuals in recreational spaces and ensure easy access to these opportunities (through subsidization, commitments to inclusion and co-creating safe spaces for all, providing accessible transport and gear, etc).
In sum, through developing deeper understandings of the relationships between stewardship, decolonization, and recreation, we hope to support students in gaining skills and knowledge that will allow them to become responsible, critical, caring, and inclusive proponents of recreational sports and activities.
This year, the UVSP plans on hosting events related to: hiking, walking, cycling, bouldering, flat-water canoeing, birding, tide-pooling, and whitewater canoeing.
Upcoming events
Take a look at and sign-up for our upcoming events! More events and details will be coming soon—so stay tuned! Event participants can expect to receive emails detailing their participation in the event(s) they've signed-up for five days prior to each event. These emails will outline event schedules, participant expectations, and travel arrangements (if applicable), and will also remind participants to sign their event waivers (if applicable).
Getting around by bike: A day-ride on Victoria's dedicated bike pathsCurious about how to get around by bike in Victoria? The UVSP’s Getting Around by Bike ride might be up your alley!
From 10:00am to approximately 2:00pm on October 29th, we will be leading a cycling trip on the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, E&N Rail Trail, and Lochside Regional Trails—all of which are dedicated multi-use trails for cyclists and pedestrians! Our total ride time will be about 2 hours, and will be punctuated with lots of breaks—we’re not trying to win any races! We will meet outside the SUB at UVic at 10:00am and cycle as a group to Thetis Lake Regional Park along the Lochside and Galloping Goose trails, stopping for stop for lunch at the park. From there we will bike back to UVic, heading through Esquimalt on the E&N Rail Trail to loop back towards campus. The goal of this trip is to have a fun easy-paced ride with other students who enjoy cycling and familiarize students with the awesome cycling infrastructure that exists in the Greater Victoria area. Throughout our ride, we’ll also have some opportunities to chat about active transport, safe cycling, sustainability, and cycling accessibility. Participants will be required to wear a helmet while riding. Additionally, participants will need bring a lunch and water bottle for themselves in a bag that can be cycled with. The UVSP will provide snacks. |
All students who know how to ride a bicycle are welcome to participate in this event, even if you do not currently own one! The UVSP is partnering with the UVic BikeHUB for this event, making it possible for you to rent one of their bikes and helmets (as long as they have your size) for this event—free of charge!
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Intro to Tandem Lakewater Canoeing ClinicJoin the UVSP for a completely free tandem Lakewater Canoing Clinic on the Gorge on October 22nd!
In this clinic, you will learn about canoeing, basic paddle strokes, basic canoe safety, and will get to enjoy paddling on the Gorge. While paddling, you will also have opportunities to participate in dialogues centred in the intersections of recreation, stewardship, community, accessibility, decolonization, and sustainability. This clinic will also be an opportunity to develop deeper connections with the unceded territories and watersheds we paddle through. All the necessary gear and equipment for this clinic will be provided at zero cost to the participants. For this event, we will meet at 10:00am at the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club Clubhouse. This clinic will run until 2:30pm. Participants will be expected to bring a water bottle, a lunch and weather-appropriate clothing. Snacks, canoes, lifejackets, paddles, and safety equipment will be provided—again, totally free! This clinic only has room for 16 participants (because of canoe availability & instructor-student ratios), so make sure to sign-up quickly! |
Who is this campaign for?
The short answer is... all students! This campaign has been created with UVic undergraduate students in mind, but graduate students are also welcome to participate in events and follow along with the campaign on social media.
With this campaign, the UVSP wants to provide recreational opportunities for students who are:
This campaign has been created to benefit all students interested in or passionate about recreation. Whether you have previous experience with any form of recreation or not, the UVSP is committed to ensuring that the events we host as a part of our Ventures into Sustainable Recreation Campaign will be safe, learning-oriented, supportive, and inclusive spaces to learn, share your knowledge and skills, and gain new experiences.
Our campaign celebrates diversity and upholds inclusivity in recreational spaces and the outdoors, and strives to break down barriers and co-create safe spaces for students who self-identify as belonging to communities that have historically been excluded from these spaces.
If you are interested in participating in an event but have safety- or accessibility-related questions related to the event or require any accommodations, please reach out to us! We hope to make these events as accessible, safe, and welcoming as possible for all students.
With this campaign, the UVSP wants to provide recreational opportunities for students who are:
- Passionate about sustainability, environmental issues, and stewardship.
- Interested in recreation as a way to connect with land, be active, and support their mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health and wellbeing.
- Curious about and committed to recreating safely and responsibly, equipping them with the tools and training that will allow them to.
- Hoping to meet new, like-minded students and build community.
- Wanting to develop stronger relationships with these unceded territories, and wanting to learn how to respect, honour, and learn from them.
- Wanting to learn more about the intersections of recreation, decolonization, stewardship, and sustainability.
- Interested in building skills and feeling empowered through movement and recreation.
This campaign has been created to benefit all students interested in or passionate about recreation. Whether you have previous experience with any form of recreation or not, the UVSP is committed to ensuring that the events we host as a part of our Ventures into Sustainable Recreation Campaign will be safe, learning-oriented, supportive, and inclusive spaces to learn, share your knowledge and skills, and gain new experiences.
Our campaign celebrates diversity and upholds inclusivity in recreational spaces and the outdoors, and strives to break down barriers and co-create safe spaces for students who self-identify as belonging to communities that have historically been excluded from these spaces.
If you are interested in participating in an event but have safety- or accessibility-related questions related to the event or require any accommodations, please reach out to us! We hope to make these events as accessible, safe, and welcoming as possible for all students.
Our goals
The UVSP's Ventures into Sustainable Recreation Campaign seeks to:
- Centre decolonization and stewardship in responsible recreation, and support students in learning more about these intersections.
- Help students develop stronger relationships with the unceded territories upon which this campaign takes place, centring these relationships in learning how to respect, honour, and learn from the land, and Indigenous life-ways.
- Empower students through outdoor recreation.
- Promote recreational sports and activities, movement, exercise, and time spent in nature as ways to positively impact mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health.
- Support the creation of a culture of recreational stewardship and sustainable recreation.
- Build and grow community and community connections.
- Create a safe, supportive, welcoming, inclusive, learning-oriented, and accessible space for beginners (and people of all skills and abilities) to try out new sports and activities.
- Break down barriers to participation in recreational sports and activities, particularly for students who self-identify as belonging to communities that have historically been excluded from recreational spaces.
- Give students a basic understanding of the training, understandings, and gear required to recreate safely and sustainably, as well as where to obtain them accessibly and affordably.