Programs

At the end of fall 2021, youth from the Wilderness School were offered an opportunity to work alongside a Power To Be volunteer, to help track the habitat and lifecycles of the Western Screech owl. Being able to be a part of and contribute to important ecological work such as this is a beautiful way in which we can honour the lands and waters we are so fortunate to dwell on.

At Power To Be, we are always looking for new community partners to work with that share our passion for connecting people with nature. And often we seek out those who can help to offer a new or unique way of making those connections. Perched high atop the Saanich Inlet, a breathtaking 250m above sea level, sits a relatively new feature to the forested and mountainous skyline of south-eastern Vancouver Island – the Malahat SkyWalk.

2021 marks the thirteenth year of the Family Roots program, where we hold space, alongside our partners at Human Nature Counselling Society, for families to come together in nature to nurture family bonds and build community.

In a special virtual program offering earlier this month, Power To Be virtually travelled with one of our community groups, Spinal Cord Injury BC, to the majestic peaks of the Himalayas. What made this program particularly special was that it was led by dedicated Power To Be volunteer, Karun Thanjavar, and Pippa Blake. As our humble tour guides, they shared their personal story of an epic journey to Everest Basecamp using a TrailRider.

Gathering as a community became increasingly important in 2020. We have had to forge new ways of connecting, building our community online, and remaining flexible during changing times. Despite being online, our year-end celebration still felt as magical as ever.

Our program team has always played with the idea of starting a “Nature Photography” program, but most of our staff don’t know their way around a camera. Enter Glenn: a long-time Power To Be volunteer, bird expert, professional photographer, and generally awesome human. Glenn agreed to help facilitate a Nature Photography program, and that’s when the magic really started to happen.

This month, Power To Be wanted to say “thank you” to the frontline workers in our community for their dedication and hard work over these unprecedented months. Through the support of the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, we provided opportunities for families to explore together and spend quality time immersed in nature.

Covid-19 has impacted so many aspects of life here in B.C. This is no different when it comes to programs at Power To Be.  The Wilderness School specifically has been at the frontlines of this transition due to the unique, ongoing relationship we have with the teens in our program. This relationship has enabled the Wilderness School to be the first to pilot multiple program models to remain flexible to the changing needs and regulations.