A BC initiative tackling climate change through youth work returns this year.

Called Youth Climate Corps BC, it aims to respond to the climate crisis by offering youth paid, hands-on climate work through local programs.

The programs would not only help participants develop skills, but also build community resilience, and work towards a more sustainable future.

For this year, seven programs are being launched in Courtenay, Alert Bay, Hazelton, Squamish, Vernon, West Kootenay, and East Kootenay.

They say the programs include wildfire risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, energy efficiency, and food sovereignty, which comes after over 3,400 working days were finished last year.

“In 2024, the crews built awa’kwas, which are traditional structures used for cultural practices and cooling in Alert Bay, helped reduce wildfire risk across 15.5 hectares in the Kootenays, retrofitted 24 homes in Squamish, supported green trades apprenticeships, and engaged hundreds through community education,” said the Climate Corps.

For Courtenay, this year will be their first running a Climate Corps program, with several projects to be worked on in the summer.

Crews will work on farm gleaning and gardening for LUSH Valley, build a new community garden for Lake Trail Community Education Society, perform environmental monitoring in the Morrison Creek Headwaters area, target invasive species spilling into Courtenay parks, educate people on how to landscape with native plants, monitor bats, and watershed protection work.

Director of Programs for the corps Natalie Gerum says they’re grateful to the funders and local governments for making this season possible.

With interest in the initiative expanding, the Climate Corps says they’re planning expansion, with possibly another season of work to run this fall.