COQUITLAM, B.C., June 4, 2024 – The City of Coquitlam held its seventeenth Environmental Achievement Award celebration on Saturday, June 1, recognizing community volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to the areas of environmental conservation, habitat enhancement, education and sustainability.
These bi-annual awards celebrate the positive accomplishments by volunteers whose initiative and leadership has provided long-term environmental benefits for the community.
2024 Environmental Achievement Award Winners
This year, the City of Coquitlam received more than twenty nominations. All of the nominated volunteers have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the environment. Coquitlam thanks and acknowledges the 2024 Environmental Achievement Award recipients:
- Individual Green Sprout (Ages 3-12) – The Whittles Family (Thomas and Daniel) have been maintaining Harper Park and its trails keeping them free of debris and litter for the enjoyment of visitors and local wildlife.
- Individual (Ages 13-18)
- Thomas Kempin is an active member of the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society and plays an integral part in educating and guiding young volunteers in creek protection.
- Derio Urbani is an active participant in Coquitlam’s Adopt-a-Street program and is dedicated to keeping streets clean and safe for all to enjoy serving as an inspirational role model.
- Individual (19 and Over)
- Carla Parr-Pearson started the Tri-Cities Bear Aware Community Group in 2019. Carla’s work in door-to-door outreach and educational events in parks has taught thousands of the city’s residents how to avoid conflict with bears.
- Josephine Tsen educates and trains a new generation of climate champions, running climate action workshops through the Cool Hood Champs program. Josephine challenges and empowers individuals with the tools necessary to make environmental lifestyle changes.
- Teacher or Educator – Lynn Truong inspires students to become environmental leaders through the Eco Bears Club, organizing litter-clean-ups, empowering them to seek sustainable solutions to improve energy conservation and reduce waste and encouraging them to be conscious consumers.
- Youth Group, School or Club – Gleneagle Secondary Green Team are environmental ambassadors who oversee trails, nurture community gardens and educate the public about the salmon in our creeks. Their dedication to sustainable living, community engagement and environmental stewardship exemplifies the values needed to create a greener city.
- Adult Group – The Web of Life have dedicated over 2,000+ hours and counting on environmental protection, bringing people together with the common goal of cleaning up our environment. These volunteers have helped remove more than 50,000 pounds of illegally dumped waste from local watercourses.
- Lifetime Achievement Individual Award – Joanne Peressin is a primary school teacher who has been sharing her passion for environmental education in the classroom for nearly 20 years. Every year, her students nurture the development of salmon, later releasing them into the Coquitlam River to restore the salmon populations.
Coquitlam’s Commitment to Environmental Volunteers
In alternate years to the award celebration event, Coquitlam hosts an Environmental Volunteer Celebration event to recognize and showcase the work of more than 70 individuals and stewardship groups who take on projects year-round that support the environment.
Coquitlam has a network of over 100 municipal and regional parks comprised of 7.7km2 of forested land, over 385 km of watercourses and more than 120 km of trails.
Rain or shine, Coquitlam’s volunteers are out in the community – cleaning up trails, protecting fish habitat, educating the public and taking on many other activities.
Coquitlam’s Environmental Sustainability Plan
Coquitlam finalized an Environmental Sustainability Plan in January 2022 that guides decisions and ensures the long-term resiliency and sustainability of the community. The Environmental Sustainability Plan is organized into five themes: Climate Action, Built Environment, Waste Management, Water Management and Natural Areas, Wildlife and Habitat. Learn more about the Environmental Sustainability Plan at coquitlma.ca/EnviroPlan.
Residents with an interest in the environment are encouraged to sign up as a City volunteer to take part in activities such as invasive plant removal, tree planting, helping at environmental events and wearing the City’s bear and salmon mascot costumes (information at coquitlam.ca/Volunteer).
Individuals or groups interested in taking responsibility for a section of Coquitlam’s trail system are invited to sign up for the Adopt-A-Trail program (information at coquitlam.ca/AdoptATrail).
For more information about the City’s environmental activities, visit coquitlam.ca/Environment.
Media contact:
Caresse Selk
Manager, Environment
604-927-3500
epw@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-kwuh-tlum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), and other Coast Salish Peoples.