Meet Kasia, one of our amazing NatureKids BC volunteers that helps provide meaningful moments in nature for families in the Vancouver area!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you experience nature around you?
Hello everyone, my name is Kasia, and I write to you on a hot sunny day, here in Vancouver (a
rarity for this rainy province). Currently, I am in my fourth year at the University of British
Columbia studying Environment and Sustainability with a minor in Gender, Race, and Social
Justice. Within my degree I am constantly engaging in materials that correlate to the environment
and its intersectionality’s with the world and our own positionalities.
Growing up in Vancouver, I believe I lucked out with the diversified environment that surrounded me and my upbringing. Driving over the bridge to North Vancouver and seeing the sites of Lynn Cannon while
attempting a cheeky hike at Deep Cove or heading over to Cypress and having a swim at one of
the many water bodies, the possibilities felt endless. Experiencing the nature around me can look
so different every day, whether it be a long-winded hike or a simple stroll through Central Park,
being outside and observing the world around me prompts excitement and curiosity.
Being a UBC student, my campus is basking in nature, and it feels so special to be able to share it with so
many like-minded individuals who too enjoy the sights and sounds of Vancouver. As I’ve gotten
older and have traveled in and outside of North America, I always find peace and comfort calling
Vancouver home, with its unique geography and nature of ocean, city, and mountains all
wrapped into one beautiful, exciting city!
What do you like about volunteering and what inspired you to join NatureKids BC?
I heard of NatureKids through a volunteer co-leader Deborah, whom I met at an Ocean
Conference in Sooke, in late August 2024. We had discussed various environmental issues,
events, debates, and she spoke upon the incredible work NatureKids was doing across the
province for children and their families. Hearing of an organization that not just implored
environmental stewardship for children but also their families, felt incredibly exciting to be a
part of and intrigued me, leading me to imagine how I could be a part of something so impactful.
As everyone always says, children are the future. It does not matter the context nor the intent, the
statement is factual and practical. Children and their ideals form the ideals and future of us and
the world at large. Challenging their thinking while advocating for environmental involvement
and interest is what NatureKids works towards each explorer day. That mission alone really
inspired me to want to be a part of something that is so formative and important, especially
involving future environmentalists.
What I really enjoy about volunteering with NatureKids is how inclusive and empowering it is, on so many levels. By involving entire families in the explorer days, it refrains from limiting the learning to just children but also challenges and implores family members who may lack the knowledge or understanding of something vital. Knowledge is so primitive and powerful, by creating activities and spaces for children to learn and explore in a non-judgement, curious, space, we create future climate leaders, marine
biologists, environmental lawmakers, etc., the possibilities become endless.
Do you have a favourite NatureKids moment that you can share with us?
One of my favourite explorer days to date is the first one I was ever apart of which was the “The
Hidden World of Fungi”, in early November last year.
I remember I was a tad nervous just because I wasn’t sure what to expect and didn’t want to do the wrong thing. Mind you, I was more meant to observe and get the flow of things since I hadn’t attended an event before, so it felt almost silly to feel so nervous. Either way, it was a grey, rainy, classic pre-winter Vancouver weather, which led many of the co-leaders to be weary of the number of families attending, as we were outside for the entirety of the explorer day. Nonetheless, we were all pleasantly surprised
when we had I believe 12 or so families show up for our mushroom expedition at UBC.
Getting to know the families and observing the eagerness of the children brought my nerves to a halt, we
were all there together to learn and get inspired about the mushrooms! We learned from our
mushroom expert Ludo, who brought light and excitement to an otherwise grey seeming day, and
lifted the spirits of all the children, their families, and the volunteers. The weather did not stop us
from harvesting and learning of the vast mushroom species surrounding UBC; their properties,
lifespans, fun-facts, etc. Seeing the children bring forth their freshly plucked mushrooms to Ludo
for inspection and identification brought me so much joy and anticipation. Not knowing if it was
a species we had identified yet or something yet to be discovered, the children were elated, as
was I, and everyone else present.
Experiencing this fun-filled fungi event (see what I did there), had me hopeful and curious to what future explorer days would bring. So far this is one of my favourite explorer days, but I have thoroughly enjoyed each one since, and I always look forward to what new events, new families, and new experiences will bring!
Become a member today and discover Explorer Days in your community!