Unless you live in Champlain Heights, you might not know that its many town house complexes are connected by a series of walkways with names like Red Alder Trail and Blue Elderberry Trail. The paths wind through forested green space that is threatened by invasive species such as blackberry, ivy and holly. Fortunately, the neighbourhood has gained community activist Grace Nombrado, who has formed the Free the Fern group to protect the indigenous trees.
Grace and her glockenspiel-playing partner Kiki are proof that the COVID pandemic has been unable to suppress community builders. When they are not pulling chokers from the soil, the Nombrados lead their neighbours on lantern walks through the leafy sanctuaries they help to preserve.
It should be noted that many of Free the Fern’s activities are funded by the Vancouver Foundation’s Neighbourhood Small Grants Project – a grassroots initiative that has been fostering community since 1999.