Do you ever feel like the city life is getting too busy and you really seek some quiet time in nature? I do. This weekend, in alignment with Earth Day, I decided to spend my free time reconnecting to nature. Thankfully Vancouver is the perfect place for that. Only a short bus ride and you are surrounded by lush rain forests with big trees, streams, waterfalls and lakes.
I went to the North Shore where I explored a new area. I’ve been to Lynn Canyon many times before but never headed towards Rice Lake which is close by. It was very peaceful and quiet around the lake, I’d definitely recommend taking a hike through the forest and watch people fishing on the lake when you get a chance.
I didn’t just go for a stroll though. I as on a mission – a mission to restore a natural BC rainforests environment on grounds that were fruitless from too many footsteps walking over it. Why restore the environment? Because it’s healthy for the forest and its habitants like birds or frogs for example. We recreated the natural vegetation by planting over 200 local plants in hopes they will grow and nourish the environment around. This initiative was lead by professionals of course that guided us volunteers through the do’s and dont’s, explained what’s important and made sure we had some well deserved coffee breaks in between. It was a lot of fun volunteering for the environment, I felt like a kid again, playing in the mud. 😀 There was nothing else that mattered in this moment and it really gave me a felling of being connected to nature and myself. I can only recommend you try it for yourself some time, there’s probably a bunch of programs online that you could volunteer for. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it just as much and in the end you’ve done something great for the Earth. 😉
Sunday INTERNeX went to explore yet another beautiful area in the forests of BC. Our adventure in Capilano River Regional Park was definitely worth the visit. Right upon arrival we were blessed with misty mountains views reflecting on the lake. We saw the impressive Cleveland Dam and then headed straight into the woods. Everything around was covered in green moss and decorated with a variety of other wild plants. It’s almost like walking through a fairy tale forest with all its magic. The path lead across wooden bridges with streams passing by and along the powerful bursting river with its turquoise-green colour. There were a lot of pretty viewpoints and the hike itself was not too hard either, so even if you’re not that experienced I believe you could enjoy this little walk in nature with a hiking buddy. Take in the fresh air, meet lots of doggies on the trails and do a little picnic break on one of the benches along the river, you’ll thank yourself after for this refreshing experience. We all enjoyed it for sure. Before going home we made a quick stop at the Londsdale Quay Market in North Vancouver to grab a little snack as a reward for getting out of the house on a rainy Sunday. 🙂
How about you? Did you make it outside this weekend? Did you do anything for Earth Day, or did you enjoy it from the comfort of your bed? 😉
Let me know all about it at the next Pub Night!
See you then,
Laura 🙂
Important information: Due to the fact that too few signed up for the Grouse Mountain hike this event has been cancelled. Quite a few of you Internex members suggested to rent stand up paddle boards on Granville Island instead. Great idea! So on Saturday we’ll be having a great time doing stand up paddling. We’ll be using a bit of time on doing the paperwork, then we’ll be given the equipment needed and 10 minutes  of instruction and off we go. Unfortunately all spaces are now occupied.
They’re serving a great variety of food ranging from soups and salads to burgers, sandwiches and pasta. And of course they also have typical Irish food. For instance you can get delicious Irish stew. You can also get delicious desserts: for instance a carrot cake or ice cream sandwich. If you want something to drink, the Lennox Pub offers 18 different beers, so there’s plenty to choose from. They’re also serving Budweiser as the daily special for 5.75$. Those of you who didn’t have the chance to go to the Rockies will have chance to hear more about what we did at this fantastic trip.
INTERNeX Canada 