EcoUrbia Network

EcoUrbia is a not-for-profit organization advocating for local food and organics, extended producer responsibility, ethical e-waste recycling and waste reduction strategies. To this end, we are actively working to develop and deliver urban farming initiatives and public outreach programs specific to food and waste.

mission & vision

EcoUrbia is committed to creating, and facilitating, responsive, innovative, and empowering opportunities for mutigenerational engagement, learning, knowledge-sharing, leadership, and growth toward both social and material sustainability; to raise awareness, and be responsive to the social, environmental, and economic issues we currently face by engaging our neighbours, community, and local government in developing, and supporting, sustainability-driven initiatives that will enrich our lives, and give rise to greater resiliency.

We are guided by activities that will:

• Support initiatives with long-term vision & outcomes that will bring social, environmental & economic benefits;
• Promote small changes that can have a big impact when we operate as a network working together;
• Share what we've learned & what we can do to live a more sustainable life;
• Create & support opportunities in which local economies can thrive;
• Consistently practice & promote socially and environmentally responsible actions;
• Network & engage expertise in social, environmental and economic disciplines that will inform us;
• Participate in local activities that work to improve both social and material sustainability.

board of directors

Karen Morton, President & Founder
Karen is the creator and founder of the EcoUrbia Network, and is deeply committed to championing both social and material sustainability. In 2009, she organized an initiative on the north shore to educate and empower the public on the difference between ethical, and unethical e-waste recycling in an effort to stop the trickle effect of harm that the exporting of this toxic waste has upon developing countries; is committed to supporting  waste reduction strategies, a cradle to cradle approach, and actively promotes urban agriculture, and food security activities. Karen's groundbreaking work in creating and facilitating the Loutet Park Urban Agriculture Project in the City of North Vancouver, including civic, stakeholder, and community engagement, securing a site for the pilot project, and achieving a positive outcome to the public open house evolved into EcoUrbia's vision and model for community farming - a dual program for building a local green economy and servicing our communities to access locally grown and affordable organic food for generations to come.

Karen's background includes business management and project leadership within IT, enterprise sourcing strategies, and corporate communications for a Fortune 500 company, as well as community relations in the health care sector, and fundraising. She is also a strategic thinker and innovator, and a consensus builder in working with cross-organizational teams. Her recent accomplishments encompass IT lifecycle management from procurement through to disposal, having implemented a zero waste policy, and a computer donations program that extends a product's lifecycle by three years. Karen manages an active career, while pursuing her academic interests in the fields of critical thinking, public affairs, humanities, and sustainability management.

Melanie ter Borg, Vice President
Melanie is a cell biologist and is trained in sustainability management with experience in cleantech. She brings international experience in scientific research through her work with government, academia, and start-ups. Melanie's research in the fields of genes, proteins, stem cells, and cancer, and her interest in the unequal distribution of wealth, health, and opportunity, has led her to seek root causes rather than band-aid solutions . Her passions lie with using carbon management as a tool to induce social change and increase efficiency in order to thrive in our new green economy.

Warren McKay
Warren's career spans both private enterprise, and the public sector. As an entrepreneur, Warren started and grew a firm with offices on four continents, and a world-wide clientele of Fortune 500 companies. He brings this knowledge and C-Level experience in a five billion dollar utility to his interest, and concern for local issues regarding sustainability.  Warren worked with Karen in the creation of the Loutet Park urban farm project providing stewardship, and advice through the municipal approval process. His particular interests are food security within sustainable urban design, and organizational learning. On the weekends you can usually find him hiking the North Shore mountains or sailing the waters of English Bay.

Kevin Connery
Kevin is a registered landscape architect (BCSLA) with over 22 years experience in landscape architecture, and 18 years specifically investigating sustainable site planning, and design. He has been involved in a diverse range of notable sustainable design projects including the City of Santa Monica’s (California) Green Building Construction Guidelines (1997) one of the key predecessors to LEED, conceptual and detailed landscape design for the award winning projects Dockside Green (LEED Platinum) in Victoria, and the Olympic Village (LEED Platinum) in Vancouver. Kevin also has considerable experience with landscape based stormwater management practices, designing parks and open spaces, habitat enhancement, and urban agriculture.

Prior to establishing Blue+Green Design Studio in 2010, Kevin was PWL Partnership Ltd's Sustainability Director from 2006 to 2009. Between 2001 and 2005 Kevin taught at Lincoln University in New Zealand where he was responsible for sustainable design, landscape ecology, landscape analysis, and various design studios. In the 1990s he served as the Ecosystem Planner for the City of Burnaby where he participated in park master planning (Burnaby Lake Regional Nature Park, Burnaby Mountain Park,  integrated watershed planning work (Stoney Creek and Still Creek Brunette Basin Watersheds), and the development of the Foreshore and Upland Management Plan for North Burnaby - an area that includes a diverse range of land uses, parks and trails, natural areas and various fresh water and marine ecosystems. He has also written several articles and delivered numerous presentations on sustainable community planning and design.

Mel Phadtare
Mel is a sustainability strategist, writer and researcher. She has applied the principles of sustainability to local and international programs and partnerships for 15 years. Her background includes natural resource and change management, corporate social responsibility, climate change and disaster risk management. Mel has been responsible for policy, communications, and engagement across the private, and public sectors in Sydney (Australia), London (UK), and Vancouver. Mel recently relocated to Hue, Viet Nam, to build local resilience to climate change with other UN partners. As Hue's Climate Change Advisor, Mel is creating tools for communities to reduce disaster events, increase disaster response and explore clean development mechanisms and ecosystem services.

While living in Canada, Mel held a number of senior roles and numerous volunteer roles. She was a Director for Legacy North Shore Society, a Leadership Development Trainer for Vantage Point, and she developed and instructed repeat sustainability curriculums for UBC. She was former Acting Manager for Cool North Shore - and remains involved with the team. Mel is a current Director with Projecting Change Film Festival and continues to develop online sustainability curriculum for UBC. Mel undertook The Natural Step's Level 1 sustainability leadership program, and holds qualifications in waste management, bushland management and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Assessment and Management (majoring in hydrology and soils analysis) from Newcastle University, Australia.

Mel is a longtime proud worm farmer, and believes a vital role for all communities is building healthy soil and growing food.

advisory board

Dr. Freda Pagani
Freda has lived on the North Shore for 28 years and loves it. She cares deeply about the earth, our local quality of life, and is working to engage the community in discovering that they can have a positive impact on global issues while living a vibrant, and satisfying life.  While in her position as Associate Director, Development at UBC, Freda's passion for green building led to the development of the C. K. Choi Building.  It, along with a few other buildings, became a catalyst for the green building movement in Canada.  In 2000, it won one of the Top Ten Green Buildings awards from the American Institute of Architects. As Director, Sustainability at the university, Freda led UBC to become Canada's first, and only, university to receive Green Campus Recognition from the U.S.-based National Wildlife Federation. Now retired, Freda is active as a volunteer and maintains a teaching role at UBC Continuing Studies. She is also a member (retired) of the Architectural Institute of BC and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 2005.

Andrea Douglas, BSc, RHN
Andrea completed her BSc in environmental science at Royal Roads University in Victoria. She is a registered holistic nutritionist and a passionate foodie.  Andrea has over ten years of experience in small business management in the organic food sector.  As a purchasing manager, Andrea made valuable connections with BC growers and worked to promote the growth of local food production. Most recently, Andrea volunteered at a Tanzanian orphanage, and has been active in helping them to grow their own food.  Her interests include yoga, travel, dancing ,and inspiring others to learn more about food, and healthy eating.

Paul Mon-Kau
Owner & Restaurateur, The District
Paul was born in the Netherlands, and has lived in North Vancouver since the age of six. Growing up between European and North American cultures, Paul has channelled his cultural background, experience, and vision into a European brassiere that has seeped into the unique vibe of his restaurant. Paul’s successful entrepreneurship comes from having worked in this industry since the age of 14, and his hands-on experience covers every aspect of the food, and restaurant services industry.  It was while working as the General Manager of a downtown nightclub that Paul realized he had accomplished as much as he could working for others, and went on to hone his management style at the Cactus Club restaurants before launching his own business. Filled to capacity most nights of the week, The District has become a culinary gem in the lower Lonsdale landscape, offering local choices as much as possible.

Rob Zeman
Rob grew up on a 10 acre hobby farm near Fort St. John, BC, where he gained his first working knowledge of growing food in the family garden and greenhouse, while helping to rear goats, raise chickens for family consumption, and ride horses competitively. Rob spent eight summers fighting forest fires in Fort St John, followed by four years as a unit crew squad boss supervisor. In 2005, Rob received a Bachelor of Science in Agroecology from the UBC Faculty of Agriculture. In 2006, he continued his farming education, and completed the Linnaea Farm Ecological Gardening Program on Cortes Island, BC, which included market gardening experience, and permaculture design. He subsequently spent two years working for an environmental consulting firm in the Fort St. John oil patch, focusing primarily on soil analysis and identification, remediation, and reclamation. Rob’s passion for farming led him to the Glen Valley Organic Farm in Abbotsford where he gained invaluable experience in all aspects of market farming, as well as maintaining a large flock of free range layer chickens, and a small herd of dairy goats. For most of his life, Rob has been building his skills and abilities, which complement his current vocation as a farmer.

community advisors

Margaret Broughton, MSc, RD
Community Nutritionist, Vancouver Coastal Health
Margaret completed her BSc in home economics at the University of Alberta, specializing in foods and nutrition followed by a dietetic internship at Ottawa Regional Hospital. Margaret went on to complete her MSc in public and population health at UBC.  Her current areas of practice include food security, early childhood, health promotion, and prevention.

Heather Johnstone
Coordinator, Edible Garden Project
Heather is the coordinator of the Edible Garden Project on the north shore with hands-on organic farming experienc,e and expertise, she is actively engaged in supporting home-scale urban gardeners. She is also a member of the board of FarmFolk/CityFolk, and the North Shore Community Garden Society. Heather graduated from the University of Victoria as an archaeologist; and her over-riding interest in growing food led her to participate in the Victoria-based S.O.I.L apprenticeship program in 2002 followed by several seasons working on organic farms, including an apprenticeship at Linnaea Farm on Cortes Island in their Ecological Gardening Program.

Richard Gauntlett
North Shore Recreation Commission
Richard is the Recreation and Community Services Coordinator at the Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre in North Vancouver. This follows his six years as Manager of the John Braithwaite Community Centre in Lower Lonsdale, and 15 years at the Britannia Community Centre in East Vancouver. Richard has extensive experience in community work, including low-income housing while living in England, and in education as a teacher, and administrator with the school system in Labrador. Richard grew up in Zimbabwe, studied theology in London (UK), and his personal interests include hiking, climbing, and reading on a wide range of topics.

Elizabeth Leboe
North Shore Recycling Program
Elizabeth is a passionate food gardener, happiest with her feet in gumboots, and hands in the soil. She is currently the Community Programs and GardenSmart Coordinator for the North Shore Recycling Program, and has been involved in environmental, and urban agriculture initiatives on the north shore since 1997.  Elizabeth's expertise - developed in the federal and municipal governments, private industry, and volunteer roles - is in creating connections between groups and individuals with shared environmental, and gardening interests. With an M.Sc., and an earlier career in the field of geology, Elizabeth has come full circle, having found the best way to strengthen her community, to reduce residential waste, and to satisfy her garden-y cravings is by teaching local residents how to compost, and to love the soil.