What is this project?
This project is my contribution to the Access to Nature goal outlined in Vancouver's Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. One of the main targets in the plan is that all Vancouver residents will be within a five minute walk of a natural space by 2020.

Who am I?
I am Becky Till, a CityStudio student working in collaboration with the City of Vancouver on Greenest City projects. I am also a person wondering what it really means to have access to nature.

What will all the participants and myself be doing?
Each participant of this challenge is going to "take a moment" in a "natural space" everyday for the next ten days (March 24th - April 2nd). We will all be posting reflections both written and visual to share what impact this commitment is having on us.

Why am I doing this?
Well, because I used eat blackberries on a forest path during my commute and now I try not to get hit by cars. I want to see if there is a bridge between my busy city life and my need to feel connected to nature. What does it mean to connect with nature in a city? Does it have the same impact as "wilder" nature? Will having more contact make a noticeable difference in my life? To broaden my conclusions I asked fourteen other people living in Vancouver if they could commit to "Accessing Nature" for 10 days straight too. They said yes.
It's on!

Sunday, 25 March 2012

Dani K - Day 1


Woke up with a craving for a good meal and a mountain climb. After throwing together some veggies, eggs and other goodness, we went to load the car to head out for a sunny snowshoe at Mount Seymour. After a slight roadblock of pinkie finger-caught-in-car-door, clinic visit, 2 stitches and an extra-strength advil later, we were back on the road to mountain tops.

Blueberry sky day, snow smiles, running slides and good company. Friends new to winter wondering, and the giddy nature of being (and acting) free and full of chutzpah because of open spaces, fresh air and slippery snow. I took many moments in nature - mountain top discussions of the rejuvenating nature of nature, trying to form snowballs without my pinkie finger and doing a poor job of free-falling into crusty snow. But my favourite moments were witnessing the smiles and child-like-excitement of those around me interacting with their surroundings: sliding down snowbanks, running down hills, and lying on the edge of the mountain. My moment was being a privileged witness to the moments of others.
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