Our Birchwood Summer Scavenger Hunt was a fabulous kick-off to summer, bringing neighbours together for a morning of adventure and community-building!
Families started at the welcome tent to pick up their scavenger hunt clipboards, then participants searched for the six stations set up around the complex to complete challenges and earn stamps. Nature-inspired stations included: wildflower seed-bomb making, nature sketching with local artist Aaron Schallié, rock painting, nature bingo, a collective sidewalk chalk mural, and a nature obstacle course. Participants returned to the welcome table with their stamp cards to claim their prizes. The most enthusiastic scavenger hunters were the kids, running excitedly from one station to the next. It was such a treat to hear their laughter and stories as they reported back, then to see their eyes grow wide when they got to choose from an array of lollipops from our local candy shoppe.
It was a hot day, but we started the event early and were prepared with tents, refillable water bottles and sunscreen! We also had enough helpers to have a floater that relieved the volunteers running stations so that they could check refill water or check out the rest of the stations.
Our strata also generously funded a community BBQ after the hunt. We enjoyed a picnic in our main green space, welcoming even more neighbours to gather over some food and drink. Families that had not yet met were able to connect and play, and folks were happy to come together safely for the first time in a long while.
Many volunteers helped to bring this event to life: from donating tables and tents, to setting things up, to running stations and handing out stamps, and finally to tearing it all down at the end, it wouldn’t have happened without neighbours pitching in to make it happen. Thank you to everyone who helped and participated, and to RCRG and The Vancouver Foundation for funding these kind of community projects – the impact is truly awesome!
“Thank you for putting on a WONDERFUL community event!
It makes me truly thankful to live here.” – Ainslie, neighbour
