The Youth Climate Corps of B.C. is a non-profit organization that has multiple teams across the province. This summer the Kamloops team has had the opportunity to partner with the City of Kamloops on several projects including FireSmarting at the BC Wildlife Park, in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen and around priority Wild Urban Interface (WUI) areas. This included focusing on removal of combustible material within 1.5 metres of buildings and underneath coniferous trees, as well as cutting branches up to 2ft high. The team has also conducted FireSmart Assessments on critical infrastructure and local buildings. YCC Kamloops also participated in community outreach by setting up FireSmart education booths at the BC Wildlife park, Riverside Park, and Saturday Farmer’s Market.

In partnership with the City of Kamloops and the Kamloops Farmer’s Market Association, the team has been promoting sustainable transportation by offering free bike valet services at the Saturday Farmer’s Market from 8:30am to 12:30pm every Saturday. We also offered valets at other community events including Overlander’s Day, the Valleyview Block Party, and the Tapestry Festival. Throughout the season the team has kept over 400 bikes safe while citizens enjoyed the public events.

The team has also been focusing on initiatives to clean-up the community. These initiatives focus on the removal of invasive weeds, specifically, the spotted knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe) along the Pine View bike trails, where we bagged up over 10kg. Additionally,  the team has also removed litter and waste from the streets of downtown Kamloops.

The Youth Climate Corps Kamloops team is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to make their city a safer, more sustainable place. If you are interested in learning more about YCCBC please visit our website and contact us if you would like to get involved!

(Author Credit: Emerson Goodall)