50 amazing volunteers gathered at the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden on Sat, Oct 18, 2025 for our Nature is for Everyone Planting.
Joshua Ralph & Connie Henry, two of our friendly board directors, signed everyone in and assigned them to plot A, B, or C.
We then welcomed everyone in a circle and Metis Herbalist and eductor, LoriAnn Bird, offered a blessing. We all took a collective breath, under the towering Douglas FIr Trees, grateful for the fresh air and ability to come together as a community to steward the trails.
We all then pulled on gloves, grabbed a shovel (40 of our shovels were most generously loaned to us from the Everett Crowley Park Committee), and headed down the Champlain Heights Trails.
Near the forest playground, we split into our 3 group. Plot A was lead by volunteer Catherine Munn, Plot B was led by board director Robin Poirier-Vasic, and Plot C was led by Board President Erin Knock. Board director and outdoor educator Cole Reintsma was also on hand to circulate and provide engagment for the younger volunteers.
Together, we planted 366 native plants into the trails. Plants included: Low Oregon grape, Western swordfern, Pacific bleeding heart, redwood sorrel, woodland strawberry, baldhip rose, and thimbleberry.
Volunteers of all ages and ablities came together, demonstrating how nature is truly for everyone!
We also were honoured to have two city councillors in attendance, Councillor Lucy Maloney and Councillor Lenny Zhou. They both were impresed by the beauty of our local forest and the stewardship work that Free the Fern is doing within it.
After just 40 minutes of planting, the last plant was tucked safely into the earth and we headed back up the trail to the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden. There was Elder Marge Wylie and her friend Corinne Stadel to welcome us with fresh baked bannock and jam. We also enjoyed coffee, donated by Champlain Heights Starbucks, tea, and snacks.
Grace Nombrado then led a prize draw, with 30 prizes, including Free the Fern shirts, handmade bags (sewn by local volunteer, Paola), and a variety of jams made by Elder Marge.
Following which, we cut a cake (in celebration of the recent City Council Motion to Protect our trails).
All in all it was a beautiful event that brought together diverse community members to care for nature!
Photos by Kelvin Yip
Thank you: Alisa, Aviva, Amy, Barbara, Catherine, Chris, Cole, Connie G., Connie H., Daniel, David, Do, Earlene, Elizabeth, Ellie, Erin, Ethan, Evan, Gary, Genevieve, Grace, Isabella, Jack, Jeannine, Jeffrey, Jerik, Joe, John, Joshua, Kelvin, Kiki, Kurtis, Lenny, Liam, LoriAnn, Lucy, Marcie, Marge, Mia, Moira, Nicholas, Robin, Rosana, Scott, Sherry, Sofia, Sung, Trevor, Veronika, and Yohann.
We are grateful to funding support from: TD Park People Grant, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and City of Vancouver. We also thank Starbucks for donating coffee to our event.
