(Left to right) Members of the Vernon Youth Climate Corps : Manvir Singh; Annika Nichols-Ree, Ria Kaeley, and Kira Nelson, alongside the Program Lead, Ryan Koelwyn (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Youth Climate Corps

Youth organization raises awareness of climate change impacts

Aug 12, 2025 | 6:00 AM

A provincial program aimed at raising awareness of climate change has seen very positive results in Vernon.

The Youth Climate Corps established a team of four youths and young adults in Vernon this summer, who have already run a number of programs and engaged with a significant amount of people.

At the Vernon City Council regular meeting Monday, August 11, the four-person team laid out the work they had already accomplished.

“[The community workshops we’ve held] include Climate Conversation Cafes, exploring Vernon transportation needs with the Okanagan Transit Alliance, and an art based Ecology Workshop to learn about Vernon’s ecosystem,” Ria Kaeley told council.

“Telling the public about our city’s climate action initiative is my favourite part of this job. The connections my team is making shows the change in the energy and tone of our community and it’s growth. We have engaged with [2,581] people and have many more community workshops and markets coming up,” fellow teammate Annika Nichols-Ree said

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“We have accomplished incredible things this summer, but what stands out for me is how my role in this climate focused initiative has started to shift perspective, especially among the South Asian community, which I come from. When I talk about what we have done this summer, whether it’s promoting ecosystem restoration or education on sustainable transportation options, I see people begin to think differently,” Manvir Singh, stated.

“This job has shown me the importance and possibility of making real environmental changes right here in our communities, especially in collaboration with our local government. A highlight of this summer was removing invasive species. In Carlson Park, [we removed] burdock, which has now opened up space for native plants to take root again while also preventing the spread of the seed through wildlife like deer. In the sncəcmałqtn Agricultural Park we’ve been tackling the persistent bindweed, and removing it allows more native plants that have been planted there to grow,” Kira Nelson, explained.

The members of the Youth Climate Corps team said this experience has allowed them to learn of the work that’s possible to do at a local level, and inspired them to continue that as they look to post-secondary education and career opportunities.

In thanking the team, Council received the report and the highlights of the work already done this summer for information.

Speaking with Vernon Matters following Monday’s meeting, Mayor Victor Cumming said that climate actions need to be taken from a community-wide perspective, and having the Youth Climate Corps team in Vernon, educating the public, is a critical piece of that work.

“The city can do things, and we are doing things that are having an impact on things like our fuel usage and items like that, and we need it done in the broader community,” Cumming said.

“These are the kinds of folks that can interact with the community and help others get on with the same thing.”

Cumming said he was impressed with the young adults and the work they had done.

“It’s great to see them here, great to see them involved in climate action issues.”