A summer of volunteering

My first summer in Vancouver has been fabulous; I can’t believe how fast time goes by when you are having fun. When I signed up for my two volunteer jobs earlier this year, little did I know what to except and how they will work out.

One job was as Eco Ranger with the Stanley Park Ecology Society where we would go out with fellow Eco Rangers, walk around the park, educate visitors about the ecology and nature of Stanley Park as well as assist them with directions and tourist information. Stanley Park is with its 1000 acres one of the largest urban parks in the world 

Not only did I meet wonderful fellow volunteers, I also met some interesting and eccentric visitors and locals in the park. 

One of the challenges as Eco Rangers was educating people who were feeding wildlife with all sorts of human food about the impact of their actions on the animals. Yes, a raccoon looks cute but it can become quite aggressive and fearless of humans when it is being fed. At Stanley Park, more raccoons die of obesity than natural causes. One of my most memorable experiences was with a lady who was in the park with two little kids she was looking after. When I reminded her about the park's bylaw of not picking berries in the park, she started yelling at me, who I thought I was to tell her that, after all she had First Nations ancestors (she was blond, blue-eyed and definitely didn't ressemble a First Nations person) and that the white men took away all the land including Stanley Park from them. After trying to explain the purpose of us Eco Rangers to her she calmed down and after a long conversation with her, I gathered that she had some personal issues and just needed to vent. 

The other job was with Power to Be, an organization that offers adventure-based recreation activities for people with disabilities. I volunteered for their kayaking program that runs throughout the summer out of Deep Cove, a small town along Indian Arm just outside of Vancouver. Their kayaks are fitted with adaptive equipment (pontoons, paddle help, etc.) that allows youth and adults with various disabilities to go kayaking.  I have had participants with acquired brain injury, autism, cerebral palsy, paraplegia, eating disorder and mental health issues. Some participants actively paddle while others just enjoy the experience of being out on the water. 

It has been an amazing experience; first of all, I fell in love with kayaking and enjoyed being out in the nature, seeing the occasional seal and bald eagle or the numerous purple and orange starfish along the rocks during low tide. However, the most rewarding experience was to see the smile on a participant’s face that is just priceless. The participants wouldn’t be able to experience kayaking without organizations like Power to Be.  Thursday will be my last day kayaking for the summer and I will definitely miss it.

Since I enjoy recreational therapy I have decided to sign up with the Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sport organization that offers winter programs for people with disabilities, something to look forward to.