Manning their booth at the Vernon Farmers' Market, the city's Youth Climate Corps BC (YCCBC) volunteers were approached by a couple who were with their grandchildren.
The YCCBC gang told to the family the kids could spin their prize wheel while explaining to the grandparents how their group had partnered with the City of Vernon to help bring the community together, and encourage youth in their career development.
The kids spun the wheel for prizes, while the grandfather continued to ask questions of the group of young adults about their work.
After convincing grandpa to spin the wheel, the man did so. And of all the things he could have taken for a prize, he chose the city's climate action plan.
Such is the work of the five young people in the climate corps.
"Telling the public about our city's climate action initiatives is my favourite part of this job," said Kira Nelson, joined at Vernon council Monday, Aug. 11, by corps mates Ryan Koelwyn, Ria Kaeley, Annika Nichols-Ree and Manvir Singh.
The quintet's connections with the community since being formed have made a positive impact withing the city. The YCCBC Vernon team has engaged with nearly 2,600 people, and will be holding many more community workshops and markets coming up.
"YCCBC is a growing initiative that empowers young people to make meaningful climate action while building skills, leadership and connections in their community," said Koelwyn.
The team has received certifications and training in areas such as field safety, environmental education, and leadership. They've been given opportunities to design and lead personal climate-related projects, and be involved with planning and delivering climate resiliency workshops for the community.
Vernon's YCCBC crew has helped shift perspectives on sustainability among peers and locals, fostered meaningful cross-cultural connections, and gained insights from Indigenous perspectives on community and environment.
Among their highlights in 2025, the group has pulled 10 garbage bags of burdock seeds, and helped with invasive species management at Carlson Park.
At the newly created snc蓹cma艂qtn Agricultural Park on East Vernon Road, the team helped with planting, mulching, watering, and weeding bindweed. And on Westside Road, at the Okanagan Indian Band's nsis煤la蕯x史 (Dry Creek) Food Forest, the five made and planted a squash garden, did essential weeding, as well as seed planting.
"It's incredibly uplifting to see the youth of our community 100 per cent engaged, and not just engaged on a general sense but in conservation and environmental principles," said Coun. Kari Gares. "That's really, really important, and it's nice to see that... It's nice to see young individuals live up to that potential and understand the importance of volunteering.
"Not only does it build those necessary skill sets that you want along the way, but you frame new partnerships and relationships. So thank you for the work that you do after being here today."