ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNITY
SHARE
This page is comprised of story modules highlighting projects, events, or activities that exemplify the ways in which our District 5020 Clubs are engaging with and helping protect the environment. It is intended as a space for environment community members to share and learn, and also as a way for Rotary-curious individuals to discover more about us.
Click directly on the modules below to learn more about each experience. If you would like to submit a Rotary environment-positive story, visit the Community Share section of our Environment page.
Restoring Habitat for the Planet, for the People
Rotary Club of Clover Park, Washington, makes good on their promise to help protect the environment through ongoing efforts to restore a 90-acre unit within the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area. For many years they have worked diligently alongside other clubs, students, and Youth Corps, restoring wild habitats, reviving trails, and adding fencing and interpretive signs. Read more about this Clover Park Rotary achievement in "Paradise Regained," published in Rotary Magazine (May 2026 edition).
Environment Committee Learning & Celebrating
District 5020 Environment Committee made a splash at the 2026 Learning & Celebration event in Victoria, BC, attending a table in the House of Friendship, hosting an informative Learning Session, and interacting with people from clubs across the district. Truly, there’s much to celebrate as we’re reminded of the environmental initiatives and projects happening in so many areas.
Sumner Rotary Launches Monarch
Garden Project
Responding to the alarming decline of the Monarch butterfly population, the Sumner Rotary Environmental Committee (SREC) constructed a 750-square-foot Monarch Waystation Garden at a local elementary school in early 2026. A true community collaboration, the garden will be maintained by students, local senior garden clubs, and Sumner Rotary members—bridging generations through shared stewardship.
Lunch out of Landfills in Port Townsend
Port Townsend Rotary Clubs, in collaboration with community partners, have successfully implemented and are providing ongoing support for Lunch out of Landfills, an ESRAG initiative, in their community. This student-led program reduces food waste in schools by teaching students to take action by actively diverting cafeteria waste from landfills through saving, sharing, and composting.
Survey Says District 5020 Clubs Care about Protecting the Environment
The results of a 2025 district-wide survey show a widely based commitment to environmental stewardship, with many clubs having completed impactful initiatives like community clean-ups, tree planting, and recycling programs. Clubs are eager for collaboration and support in developing environmental projects appropriate for their communities and beyond.
Poulsbo Rotary Gives New Life to 100,000 Pounds of Plastic
In mid-October 2025, the Rotary Club of Poulsbo dropped off its 100,000th pound of plastic film to its local Safeway store, waste that would otherwise be taking up space in a landfill. The plastics were then collected by a company called Trex, which recycles plastic film and waste wood products into a composite for the creation of decks and outdoor furniture.
Solar Cookers Save Lives
District 5020 Clubs support the Solar Cooker Project in Chihuahua, Mexico. Solar cookers are life-saving appliances that help individuals and communities cook without the negative effects of burning wood, improving the health of those cooking and keeping carbon-capturing trees alive in the earth and sustaining the environment.
Bus Stops & Books & Bikes
For the past decade, the Rotary Club of Sidney has manufactured and installed a combination bus stop, mini library, and (in several cases) a double bike storage locker. These installations, which also include solar panels for lighting, provide shelter, encourage bus usage, and promote literacy. It’s a win for the environment and the community.
Sidney Appreciates Trees
The Rotary Club of Sidney by the Sea participated in the town's 2025 Tree Appreciation Day Event to help the community plant 50 local maple trees in Brethour Park.
Canada's First Rotary EcoClub
In June 2021, an intrepid team of Rotarians from the community of Shawnigan Lake chartered as “Canada’s First Rotary EcoClub.” The Club takes a “down-to-earth, hands-on, boots-on-ground approach to community service.”
Bottle Drives Serve Community & Environment
The Rotary Club of Oak Bay monthly bottle drives raise funds to support projects and programs in the community, divert refundable beverage containers from landfills, reduce pollution, facilitate resource conservation, and encourage "closed-loop" economy.
Sooke Rotary Makes Highway Cleanups FUN
Every year the Rotary Club of Sooke cleans up litter from the shoulders and ditches along Highway 14 between Sooke River Bridge and Daniel’s Market. The benefits of highway cleanups include community engagement, environmental protection, enhanced safety, economic impact, reduced waste, and they can be a lot of fun!
Down with the Wall
The Rotary Club of Comox contributes $2500 to support Project Watershed in the restoration of the Kus-kus-sum tidal marsh with the last major undertaking for the project to remove the steel wall from the riverway.
Beach Cleanups Made Easy
The Rotary Club of Oak Bay participates monthly, alongside other community members, to help the Surfrider Foundation keep Vancouver Island beaches clean and to prevent debris from entering back into the ocean.