From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver from March 4 to March 10, 2020. Please note that you can now get the Scout List – with a few extra pieces of intel included – sent to your inbox every Thursday. Sign up for your subscription in the sidebar.

CITY | Interested in urban planning and the future of development in Vancouver? Check out the Fourth Annual Bell Urban Forum at SFU on Thursday. Thinking Cities? Evidence in Policy, Knowledge will see a panel of prominent theorists and practitioners explore the urgency and challenge of “translating urban knowledge into action”. From SFU: “In this era of, on the one hand, smart city technologies, and on the other, of fake news, planners seeking to develop evidence-based approaches are both overwhelmed with information produced by surveys and sensors and bombarded with opinions supported by data drawn from consultants’ projections, professorial wisdom, and community discussions.” Topics considered will include how evidence guides redevelopment; when and why governmental action might be helpful; decision-making processes and much more. Tickets are $5. Find out more.

CROWS | Have you ever witnessed the menacing stream of crows (aka the ‘Crow Commute‘) cutting across the Vancouver skyline at sundown and wondered where they’re headed? Well, this Saturday you’re invited to hop on your bicycle and follow them to find out. The Still Moon Arts Society have organized their annual Crow Roost Twilight Bike Ride to follow the crows to their roost. This is a (light) rain or shine gig, so be smart and dress for the weather (if rain gets too heavy, the ride will be postponed to Sunday). The ride itself is 3.7 km one way, and is 95% on separated bike lanes. To take part, meet fellow riders at Central Valley Greenway Bike Route at Garden Drive (map). This event starts at 5:00pm with introductions, cool crow facts, and songs and the ride departs at 5:30. Costumes are encouraged! Find out more. Sat, Mar 7 | 5pm | Central Valley Greenway Bike Route |

ART | Boost your mood with a dose of light and colour at the Ian Tan Gallery. Spot Light is a series of new floral paintings by Krista Johnson that “…explores the dramatic nature of florals – where flowers perform as players on a stage – highlighting the snapshot of a bouquet or a particular garden season. Some images are staged and constructed, while others are spontaneous moments from familiar spaces.” Johnson’s pairings are big, cheerful and brimming over with the hope of spring. The opening reception goes down Saturday, 2-4pm, but if you can’t make the and the show is viewable through March 31st. Get into it. Find out more.

WOMEN | It’s International Women’s Day on Sunday. Still thinking about the right way to demonstrate your support? Why not grab a few of your favourite women and head out for some food and drink at restaurants owned by women? Brunch at Dock Lunch, Bandidas or Burdock & Co. would be nice. Try Flourist for lunch or dinner at The Acorn. You could even meet one group of women for an afternoon tea date at The Garden in Strathcona and then meet another group for cocktails and snacks at Chicha. There are so many hard working women in our hospitality scene. So many options. Did we miss someone? Tag them below to add them to our list.

CATCH WEIGHT | Head over to Resurrection Spirits for a delicious cocktail and a low key dinner from the brand new Catch Weight food truck this weekend. Brought to you by the team at Downlow, Catch Weight is all about local, sustainable fish ‘n chips, albacore tuna Banh Mi, and hot fish sandwiches. Bonus: it’s parked right outside a cocktail bar. How’s that for convenience? Just place your order, slip inside for a drink and wait. When your food is ready,  pick it up and take it back inside and order another cocktail. So easy! Catch Weight is open for business Thursday through Saturday from 6pm to 10:30pm and Sunday from noon to 4pm (or until they sell out). Find out more.

WILD | Interested in amping up your knowledge of the great outdoors? The Stanley Park Ecology Society is offering a Wildlife Tracks Identification Workshop on Saturday that can help. Grab a good pair of rubber boots, pour a hot cup of coffee in your travel mug and head down to Stanley Park to learn how to identify footprints of animals native to the Lower Mainland. Participants get to make a plaster cast of a wildlife footprint (raccoon, coyote, or deer) and will get schooled on how to coexist with local wildlife responsibly and respectfully — all good things! Find out more.

CHOCOLATE + BEER | The 7th Annual Chocolate and Beer Tasting event treats attendees to six courses of confectionary by Take a Fancy Bean to Bar Chocolate matched with beers from Moody Ales and The Bakery Brewing. Those ready to have their minds and palates expanded can get their tickets here. Bonus: All proceeds from the event will be donated to a local charity, just in case you were looking for a good deed to offset your indulgence — it’s built-in!

BOOK DROP | There’s a small press fair going down in East Van on Saturday. Head over to 1000 Parker Street to check out the over a dozen local small press artists and their array of magazines, zines, tiny books, posters and various printed matter, as well as creativity, community and the opportunity to hang out in a cool studio warehouse space. Find out more.

EAT LOCAL |  Stay healthy by filling your belly with organic, locally grown food. Hit up the Winter Farmer’s Market for provisions. No one does a better job of providing tasty fruits and vegetables than the people who actually grow them! Don’t forget about all the other goodies (bread, pastries, jams, pickles, and cheese). There are two markets to choose from this weekend: Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot on Saturday and the PNE on Sunday. Bring your reusable tote bags! Find out more.

FOOD TALKS | There’s a Farm to Bottle & Farm to Table dinner on Tuesday night that sounds simultaneously delicious and informative: Chef Dave Gunawan, winemaker Jay Drysdale of Bella Winery (Naramata) and the good people from Cropthorne Farm (Delta) are joining forces to offer a night of sparkling wine and farm-fresh food at Ubuntu Canteen on Fraser Street. The evening includes a 5 course potato-centric dinner and wine pairings, as well as a discussion about food sustainability and the health of our soil. Guests are invited to participate in the conversation. Connect directly with the people that grow and make food! Tickets ($85) include dinner with wine pairings. Find out more.