Junior Counselor – Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association
I’m a junior counselor for the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association. I’ve been working with children ages 5-10 and taking them on a week-long day camps where they get to do crafts, adventures, and foster a love of nature. Some camp activities include pond peering, aquatic ecosystem paintings, and tag games that complement the camp theme of the week.
Working in this position has helped me better understand how to navigate the interdisciplinary nature of Urban Forestry. I got to see first-hand how different stakeholders value urban nature differently depending on their preexisting background and end goals. Additionally, I also learned how these differences in opinion on how urban greenspace is managed and utilized can be reconciled between parties in a way that is satisfactory and fair to both sides.
This job can be extremely demanding at times as working with children can be very energy intensive and fast paced, especially when plans don’t pan out. However, it can also be very rewarding with the memories and friendships that can be made in such a friendly and supportive working environment.