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 April 21 to April 27, 2022. Note that you can now get the Scout List – with a few extra pieces of intel included – sent to your inbox every Thursday by signing up for your subscription in the sidebar.

EARTH DAY | Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Take some time out to show your respect for the planet. Turn off lights and appliances; hit a beach and pick up things you know shouldn’t be there; stand in a forest and send thanks and good vibes to the trees. Looking for something more structured? Hustle your way to Stanley Park on Saturday, April 23rd to take part in Earth Day events organized by the Stanley Park Ecological Society. Expect guided walks, informative talks, crafts, games, and invasive plant removal work. Activities run 10:30 am – 3 pm in the fields near the tennis courts (right by Stanley Park Brewing Brewpub). Find out more.

IMMERSE | Dig the idea of getting in touch with nature, but can’t leave your house? Tune into The Wetland Project Slow Radio Broadcast – a special 24-hour soundtrack of wetland noises recorded on Saturna Island. Fall asleep to the sound of singing frogs and awake to the dawn bird chorus without worrying about soggy ground, bugs or ferry fare! Seriously magical; plus, it’s free. Find out more.

HOPE | If the state of the environment is getting you down, VIFF may be able to help with an Earth Day screening of Going Circular. From VIFF: “Going Circular dares to imagine a future where humankind not only survives, but flourishes, by rethinking global paradigms and respecting the limits of our planetary resources…Maybe the most optimistic climate emergency film we have seen [that] suggests the paradigm shift that would save the planet is staring us in the face.” This screening is followed by a discussion with guest speakers Dharini Thiruchittampalam and Kate White (UBC-Sauder School of Business). Book a ticket here.

LEARN | Inspired by the shoots and leaves popping up with the onset of spring? Figure out what you can and can’t chow down on with a duo of well-informed foragers, Dylan Eyers (owner of Eat Wild) and Jody Peck (Wild Northern Way). Their Spring Foraging Series includes three modules: an in-person talk (Thursday, April 21, free with registration), a mini urban foraging expedition (April 23, 11 am – Noon, $25), and an online cooking class (April 24, 4-7 pm, $50).  Workshops can be taken on their own, but organizers recommend the trifecta for “a well-rounded experience.”  Details here.

SHOP | Two iconic Vancouver clothing shops (Misch, One of a Few) come together in one space this weekend for a warehouse sale perfectly timed to get you outfitted with fresh new duds for Spring. Expect unique items, cool people, and discounted prices (think 80% off retail). It all goes down on Sunday between 10 am and 4 pm at 285 East 1st Avenue.

VINYL | Record Store Day is happening on Saturday, and independently run record stores across the city are looking forward to seeing you! Hit up your local purveyor of vinyl for exclusive record releases, special deals, and the generally delightful coming together of people who love music. Don’t have a record player? No problem! You can also shop your neighbourhood record store concert tickets, posters, and t-shirts. Shout out to Red Cat Records, Neptoon, Dandelion, Zulu, Highlife (and many others) for continuing to supply Vancouverites with all sorts of record-related fun.

GIGS | There are three good gigs happening back-to-back at the Vogue this week…Snail Mail (Thursday), then Destroyer (Friday), followed by Parquet Courts (Saturday). Tickets are still available for all three. Find out more.

LIGHT  | Beltane – a pagan holiday or festival that celebrates Spring and welcomes Summer – takes place Sunday, May 1 (which is creeping up). A simple way to pause and acknowledge Beltane is to light a candle. You can use any candle you have at home or you can get fancy about it: East Vancouver’s Raven’s Veil Shop is offering a full-on Beltane candle-making workshop. The $118 ticket price includes instruction, materials, and a glass of wine. There will likely also be some folklore and information sharing to prepare you for a proper Beltane. Find out more.

SUPPORT | This Sunday, Container Brewing is joining forces with Russian Spoon Bakery to raise funds for those in need in Ukraine the best way they can: by selling beer and pierogi. All of the proceeds from both dumpling sales and Container’s special “Frau Ribbentrop” Belgian-style wit beer (made with a recipe from Lviv, Ukraine’s own Pravda Beer Theatre) are being donated to the Maple Hope Foundation. Find out more.

PHOTOGRAPHY | The Capture Photography Festival continues this week. In addition to showcasing all manner of ‘lens-based art’ created by emerging and established artists from here and around the world, Capture 2022 also offers a series of tours and talks. We aim to check out the Collective Agency opening at the Pendulum Gallery (details). Scout Contributor Kristin Lim has a few more suggestions here. With so many shows and events to factor into your weekend, we suggest you devise a personalized plan. You can customize your festival itinerary by clicking “My Itinerary” on the lower left side of the screen on the Capture website here. Find out more.