Party for the Planet
NatureKids returned to Party for the Planet this summer, bringing more groups to experience yet another fantastic Earth Day celebration! Feels Like Home Newcomers joined us with intergenerational families of over 30 people, who we introduced to each other through movement and games like charades due to the many different languages present, including Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, Pashto, and Dari. It was heart-warming to see kids and younger folks take initiative to help explain the games for older adults so everyone could have fun!
Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver matches also came to explore the festival with us from various places across the lower mainland. It was the first time meeting for many of the volunteer mentors and youth, but it didn’t take long for friendships to strike up over our time together!
Our booth highlighted the importance of freshwater conservation, alongside other ones teaching about woodland habitats and salmon as a keystone species. We have lots of gratitude to Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver and Feels Like Home Newcomers for trusting us to guide their communities through these often new spaces. The cherry blossoms blowing around in clear weather, fabulous dance performances, and beaming faces made this such a positively radiant event!
Sunnyside Acres Open House
On a rainy afternoon, we hosted a booth at Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest Park to wrap up the month of nature enthusiasm. Kids and adults alike loved learning about the salmon lifecycle with our paper fortune tellers and FreshwaterWILD magazines, but the real adventure started when we entered the expansive forest for a plant scavenger hunt!
The downpour didn’t dampen our spirits as everywhere we looked, the vibrance of vegetation captured our hearts! With the help of plant ID cards, families were able to safely interact with salmon berry, thimble berry, and blackberry bushes, douglas fir and Western red cedar trees, and learned the difference between native and invasive greenery.
Memorable Moments
Among our explorations, we spotted a slug and earthworm savoring the wet landscape, both of whom were handled with kindness and curiosity by the kids. It was a beautiful reminder to slow down and attend to the smallest of creatures, which help maintain the diverse richness of much larger ecosystems.
After our time getting to know the forest and each other better, the kids shared their favourite aspects of nature with us. Their responses of appreciating the calm and happiness experienced from being outdoors, as well as attachment to wildlife encounters inspires us to continue strengthening their emerging, mutual relationships with the environment!
A huge thank you to Surrey Parks and Surrey Nature House for all their work on the Environmental Extravaganza, along with other contributors who made this possible! We’re grateful to be a part of this network, and an incredible celebration of caring for our planet and our future through these events. We’re looking forward to next year!
To experience meaningful connections with nearby nature and each other, join our outdoor Explorer Days by becoming a Member or Volunteer today!
Written by Kel Ma, Communications & Engagement Coordinator, NatureKids BC