Get your Christmas tree by donation from the Junior Forest Wardens December 9, 10, 16 & 17, at the lot near McDonald’s.
Here’s what leader Brian Bomprezzi, with a little background to the long-time, annual sale:
1. For folks who are new to town, what is the Jr. Forest Wardens?
We are a group ranging from 6-18 years of age. The program focuses on teaching about forestry, forestry practices, conservation, and outdoor survival skills. We meet every Wednesday night at Edgehill School.
Electronics devices aren’t allowed because we want them to be in the moment to experience things that they haven’t done before with other youth their age. We emphasize family involvement, this is for kids and their guardians to learn and play together.
2. How many kids are involved these days?
We currently have 20 wardens who are registered for the 2023-2024 year. Registration is open through out the year for new families.
Our numbers have gone up since last year. We have an amazing group of leaders, parents and wardens who make it fun and we increase our numbers through word of mouth.
3. What do they learn about?
We teach them about the forests and forestry practices. They learn about what to do if they get lost while out in the forest. We teach them about survival do’s and don’ts then have them practice what they have learned with an overnight survival camp each year. They pack their equipment into the forest by our camp, design, build shelters, clear the area of flammable materials, collect firewood and tinder, build a fire, and cook their dinner that they packed into the forest with them.
We allow the wardens to work as a group during the survival camp.
We always review the next day what worked and what didn’t work and what would they do differently next time.
There is always a leader close by if needed during the survival camp. Our goal is to create an atmosphere where the kids can come play games and have fun while learning. Last week we reviewed tying knots, the week before that handsaw safety, and this week it was about knife safety.
4. What are some things they do to help the wider community?
We have removed invasive plant species at Palm Beach, planted forests in clear cut areas, collected canned food at our events to donate to the food bank and collected for the Salvation Army Christmas Kettles.
5. What happened to JFW during COVID?
COVID practices hit our group hard as I am sure it did for any groups trying to charter those waters. We had to shut down part way through the first year as we weren’t allowed any group gatherings. For the next two years we had minimal numbers in order to still be able to run.
6. How long have JFW been selling trees?
For over 30 years Christmas tree sales have been a main fundraiser for Junior Forest Wardens. I don’t know for sure when it started but I do know it is longer than 30 years.
7. When and where are you selling?
On the grass lot between McDonalds and Quality Foods. We will start selling Dec.9,10,16 &17 from 9-5. All trees are sold by cash donation.
8. What would you say to folks about the environmental sustainability of the JFW Christmas tree operations?
We work in partnership with Western Forest Products. They provide us with cut blocks that have been reforested and benefit from being thinned so the forest is healthier after being thinned.
When we go out to cut we walk the area and talk to the wardens about which species of tree to cut and how far apart the trees need to be before cutting another one down.
By thinning the cut blocks it creates less competition and allows more sunlight and nutrients for the trees left behind to grow.
9. How did you get involved?
I joined Junior Forest Wardens almost 10 years ago after being a Beaver leader for Powell River Scouts. Ken Boyd one of the Beaver leaders was leaving for Junior Forest Wardens with his son.
It was the first time that I had heard of Junior Forest Wardens. I can still remember walking into the Edgehill School gym with my child and meeting Tom Oldale aka “Mr. O” for the first time. After a few minutes of talking with him and participating in the meeting I knew I wanted to help support the group how ever I could.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with leaders and parents who have sacrificed their time and sometimes their health to show up and participate.
These are phenomenal people who inspire you and who make it fun and keep you looking forward to the next meeting.
10. What else should people know about JFW and trees that they don’t already know?
Junior Forest Wardens has been running in BC for almost 100 years. It started in BC around 1930 and spread across BC and Alberta. Junior Forest Wardens is growing in BC with groups in Ladysmith, Creston, Victoria, Comox, and Powell River. We are the longest running group in BC and one of the oldest in Canada.
Our community has been great to us over the years.
They have done a great job of supporting us and were are extremely grateful. Without the Christmas tree fundraiser we would not be able to provide the program that we do.
We have the original Camp Tillicum near Lois Lake that has four cabins a cookhouse and a covered fire pit area that we maintain. We try to get the wardens up to Camp Tillicum several times through out the year.
You can imagine what the grocery bill is like to feed 20 kids, parents and leaders dinner breakfast and lunch. We charge $80 for the year for registration. $50 goes to insurance and we are left with $30 for the year.
I have had people say “You should increase the cost for registration,” which we can do. But we decided that we wanted to keep the cost low so that we aren’t excluding any families from joining.
