Another Win for Nature: Forest Clean Up at Central Park in Burnaby, BC

On August 17, 2025, we partnered up with environmental stewardship organization Web of Life for another forest clean-up at Central Park in Burnaby, BC. Our Volunteer Wave program members came together with the same motivation, mindset, and determination to give back. The group included international students from Japan, people who had just returned back to Vancouver from their travels, those in the middle of seeking new employment, and youth as young as 12! Regardless of background, everyone shared one purpose: caring for our community and our planet.

Prior to the clean up, we had surveyed the site and met a neighbour who introduced himself as the “Juggler.” He told us about how he had already filled five full bags of garbage on his own time inside Central Park, and commended us for finding another site and organizing efforts to clean up! On clean up day, we unfortunately did not get to see him again in person, but he took a moment to cheer us on through a note he had written on a ripped-out piece of notebook paper and attached to a branch at eye-level. A volunteer found the surprise note and passed it around; it acted as a great motivator throughout the clean up.

Volunteers split into pairs and groups, some taking on heavy items like a mattress and a television, while others dug out or picked up items that had been left behind for a long time. We believe teamwork played a huge role in the process, with everyone supporting and helping each other to handle more challenging areas. Among the items collected were a plenty of tea light candle containers, food wrappers, comic books, clothing, and other personal belongings. We were proud to fill more than 20 bags of waste at two different clean up sites within Central Park, and even prouder to strengthen our connection to one another, to nature, and to the process of doing good.

At Captain Scott Legacy Society, our mission is to create connections through memorable and meaningful volunteer experiences, and this clean-up was another example of how coming together as a community can make a huge difference. Want to explore volunteering with us? Join our Volunteer Wave Program here!