If you live in Metro Vancouver, chances are you’ve enjoyed a picnic, a swim, walk or hike in a regional park. You may also have joined in a park event. What you may not be aware of, though, is that many activities, projects and events in regional parks owe a lot to community groups and park volunteers.

Community groups and volunteers helped build trails in Vancouver's Pacific Spirit Regional Park, restored fish habitat in Kanaka Creek Regional Park in Maple Ridge and reduce the spread of invasive species at Burnaby Lake Regional Park.

Around 2000, Metro Vancouver developed a way for individuals and groups to work through park associations to meet, coordinate activities, educate and assist understanding among users as well as to raise funds for special events and to recruit new members and volunteers. Currently, there are park associations for seven of the 21 regional parks.

Regional Parks Forum

While each regional park may have distinct needs, there are also issues that affect all regional parks such as public safety, liability insurance for volunteers and invasive species. These can be brought forward by the park associations to the Regional Parks Forum. The Forum brings together representatives from most regional parks along with Metro Vancouver staff. Forum members meet five times a year.

The Forum supports the ongoing communication and learning needs of members and park associations. It also works with Metro Vancouver Parks to develop and put in place new conservation and recreation programs as well as to advise on system-wide policies and program priorities.

Partnership vision

To have people working as individual volunteers or in park associations with Metro Vancouver Parks to provide opportunities for all people to enjoy, enhance and help manage regional parks while striving to balance stewardship, conservation, education and recreation interests.

Partnership mission

To build and sustain community, volunteer, partner and regional parks staff support to establish park partnership associations and the regional park forum. These community-based associations and park partners help plan, manage and implement the stewardship, conservation, educational and recreational interests of regional parks.