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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.