Jan Lee
City of Port Moody Parks and Environment Department
What is your role with the Parks Department, and what does your work involve?
I am one of two environmental technicians, and I work on human wildlife interactions, public education, spill response and erosion and sediment control
What drew you to working with parks and green spaces?
I have loved the outdoors since I was a kid and have always wanted to understand our environment and it morphed into working in parks and green spaces.
Why are parks and green spaces important for a community like Port Moody?
In Port Moody we access to a variety of parks and green spaces. These are one of the constants that I hear residents rave about, and some of the top reasons they love living in our City. As a result the connections that our community forms with our parks are essential.
What do you think people value most about the city's parks?
I think people most value the parks themselves and the experience they provide. Our parks provide the opportunity to step away from concrete and the hustle of life, take a deep breath and reset. All can be done a short distance from their front door.
How do parks help connect people with nature?
Parks provide the perfect interface for people to make connections with nature. Our parks can be a quick serving for people who love the outdoors, but it can equally work for people who are not self professed as "outdoorsy" without pushing their comfort zone. Parks are nature at your fingertips.
What kinds of plants, habitats, or ecosystems are important to protect in Port Moody?
We are so fortunate to have so many high value ecosystems in Port Moody, we have spawning habitat, we have salt marsh, we have an internationally recognized Important Bird Area, we have large areas of continuous forests to name a few. Within these high value ecosystems, we have many significant species like coastal tailed frog, chocolate lilies and great blue herons. All of these and more are important to protect, especially in these urban environments where there are constant stressors from the high use that our green spaces see.
What are some of the challenges of caring for parks in a growing city?
We see a number of challenges in caring for our parks, but some of the bigger challenges are off leash dogs where they shouldn't be and people going off trail. Our networks of trails and paths are designed for regular use and maintained accordingly, but having off leash dogs and people going off trail results in damage to areas that are not meant to be utilized.
Are there any projects or initiatives related to ecology or planting that you're especially proud of?
The restoration planting area to the north of Bob Favelle Field. A lot of work went into restoring this large area when construction of the field finished. There is still lots of work that goes into maintaining that area and the hard work shows!
What do you hope visitors notice or appreciate when they spend time in Port Moody's parks?
Aside from the natural beauty of our environment, I hope people can appreciate the immense amount of care and hard work that City staff put into our Parks. We have such dedicated teams ranging from trails to urban forestry, to park maintenance, to horticulture and the work they put in is constant, especially during spring and summer.
Why do you think green spaces are important for the future of our community?
Everyone needs greenspaces, and studies show that people are happier when they're in close proximity to green spaces. As our community welcomes new residents it's only going to get more important that people have access to these spaces
Do you have a personal favorite local plants?
One of my personal favorites is Pacific Bleeding Heart. It is a small flowering plant that has pink heart shaped lantern like flowers which are so pretty, but it also produces compounds that are toxic to humans and animals.
Quote Question: What does it mean to you to help care for Port Moody's parks?
To me, helping care for Port Moody's parks is helping care for my community. Parks are places where people can hang out, learn, play, meet people, go on dates, exercise, recharge and so much more. By caring for our parks, I get the privilege of caring for the spaces that make life for my community more enjoyable and make it a reason why they want to be here
