When you are headed outdoors for an adventure, it is essential that you bring along things that you need to keep you safe in the outdoors. These things are typically known in the Outdoor Industry as “The Ten Essentials”. There are a whole variety of different versions of “The Ten Essentials”, but they can all be broken down to the ten essential categories of items to pack. Check out our list and use it a guide to help you pack everything you need for your next adventure.

The Inclusion Understanding outcome of our Theory of Change has many layers to it as it aims to promote acceptance, understanding, and appreciation for diversity, culture, and abilities of our community. This is both for the individual’s sense of self and of those around them.

Creating a sense of belonging is the heart and soul of Power To Be. We believe that Everyone Belongs in Nature, which means our nature-based programs are meant to be a space where everyone can be their authentic selves.

Hello! My name is Steph, and I am a Program Facilitator for PTB in the Vancouver office. While I’ve been working as a staff member with Power To Be since the spring of 2019 (after having volunteered for a year), this past winter I took a step away from the PTB community and made a giant leap into the interior of B.C., to a small mountain town called “Revelstoke”.

Do you regularly walk, roll or stroll around your neighbourhood, beach or forest? Are you searching for a way to make a direct impact on our communities and see change right before our eyes? Well, I encourage you to considering ‘plalking’! plalking: picking up trash while walking.

2021 marks the thirteenth year of the Family Roots program, where we hold space, alongside our partners at Human Nature Counselling Society, for families to come together in nature to nurture family bonds and build community.

Damith joined our team as the Systems Administrator Intern in February of this year to complete a 6-month internship for his Master’s program, and he has settled right in as a core member of the team. He chose to work with Power To Be for his internship because he loves the mission-based work that we do.

One of the many things that make living in British Columbia, and more specifically on Vancouver Island, so special is the relatively quick and easy access we have to an abundance of natural and wild spaces. Located a 45-minute drive from Victoria, and less than 15 minutes apart, are two great examples: the Sooke Hills and Sea to Sea Regional Parks.

Marnie, a Power To Be participant, was chosen to be a Butterfly Ranger volunteer in the Butterflyway Project with The David Suzuki Foundation. With a passion for the project and all things nature, Marnie discusses being a butterfly ranger, how Power To Be has contributed to her experiences in nature, and gives some tips on how to be a good environmental steward.

As we embarked on a brand new year, already many memories, exploration, and milestones have taken place. This quarter we continued exploring nature with our community through virtual programs, family bubble programs, and one-on-one adventures. With progress in our new build at Prospect Lake, and with Power To Summit and a Spring store launch just around the corner, we can't wait for all of the incredible opportunities on the horizon. We invite you to keep reading and soak up all the inspiration, creativity, and energy that fills Power To Be.

As part of our stewardship of the land at Prospect Lake, we want to support species’ habitats and population growth. That’s why we've partnered with Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) to support their study of the current state of owl populations in our wooded areas — especially the Western Screech-Owl.

We are strong believers that time spent in nature has the power to positively influence our mental, physical and spiritual health. Through our programs, we strive to support participants access these personal benefits by creating opportunities to be in nature.

Through our programs, we support participants to learn and practice new skills in a safe and inclusive space. We then hope for participants to continue practicing more complex skills and building their confidence. Our hope is that with this support participants are then able to take their skills to the point of independence in the activity.

Program evaluation at Power To Be is an important organizational practice. Monitoring and tracking of program outcomes, participant satisfaction, and program intentions are used to evaluate, inform, and improve program quality while also informing our stakeholders and industry partners on themes, trends, and best practices.

Manue is a member of the Program Team in Vancouver and has been bringing her passion for the Power To Be community since 2017. Manue’s ability to connect with those around her is unrivaled and she is persistent in ensuring every voice is heard. Always putting participants at the heart of her practice, Manue is constantly finding ways to improve Power To Be’s program offerings.

In a special virtual program offering earlier this month, Power To Be virtually travelled with one of our community groups, Spinal Cord Injury BC, to the majestic peaks of the Himalayas. What made this program particularly special was that it was led by dedicated Power To Be volunteer, Karun Thanjavar, and Pippa Blake. As our humble tour guides, they shared their personal story of an epic journey to Everest Basecamp using a TrailRider.

Power To Be’s belief that ‘everyone belongs in nature’ is a core component of everything that we do, and every decision that we make as an organization. We understand that encouraging and supporting others to get outside and into nature can have an impact on our environment, and as such, we wish to mitigate our environmental and ecological footprint as best we can. We are proud to be taking sustainability action in our community by being a part of the One Planet Saanich initiative.

For the past 4 years the Power To Be team has been building a relationship with the land that makes up our Prospect Lake site. We have learned about its history. We give gratitude to the WSANEC, Malahat and Lekwungen peoples who have graciously shared teachings and oral histories of the land and ancestors.

Monique joined the Power To Be volunteer team in 2018, bringing her passion for community and the environment to our programs. Being outside and in nature is Monique’s happy place and she has a natural gift of sharing and spreading her love of the outdoors with staff and participants alike.

If COVID has taught us anything it has been that we are not alone, and together we can reflect, revamp and redesign. As we all strive to “build back better” we realize how valuable and important it is to wade in the unknown waters with others in a similar field. We all have the vision to provide great outdoor opportunities for people, families, and groups to connect to nature, learn new skills, and be apart of a wider community.