Youth and Ecological Restoration
Helping exceptional youth build healthy community relationships with both the human and natural worlds.
Through restoring local watersheds with community members,
youth gain a sense of worth, belonging and place.
BC Ministry of Children and Family Development has funded YER since 2004.

Wendy Kotilla created YER in 2004 based on her own youth experiences of being constantly outdoors, surrounded by the healing powers of nature. She has a Restoration of Natural Systems Diploma from University of Victoria, and Negotiation and Mediation Certificates from the Justice Institute of BC. Her experience includes thirty years in Ecological Restoration and Restorative Justice. She received the UVic 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award for the YER program.
Photo taken by Viable Options Photography.

SALMON ENHANCEMENT

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION

FOREST RESTORATION
One of the highlights of my term as Area B Director on the Comox Valley Regional District was getting a tour of Goose Spit and learning about the yellow sand verbena and its associated sand verbena moth. The youth that led the tour were engaging and had obviously collected some incredibly valuable data that are helping our staff better manage the area to protect this endangered species. YER is such a fantastic program. Youth benefit from learning leadership and ecological data collection skills. The community benefits from this youth engagement and the information they collect. It has been an honour to support YER.
YER GOALS
GOAL #1
BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS
Cooperation, Support and Compassion; Positive Role Models and Mentoring; Increased Community Capacity and Caring.
“This program helped me to be a citizen, helped me to work with the community. It was a good experience for me. I loved helping the community and it’s something I’ll never forget. I hope I can give the knowledge to other people.”
GOAL #2
GAINING VALUED WORK EXPERIENCE
Data Collection Methods; Working with Tools; Worksite Safety; Job Variety; Good Work Ethics.
“Skills and experience I gained that I can add to my job resume are: teamwork, communication skills, knowing that I will do the best I can no matter how hard it is going to be and not giving up.”
GOAL #3
IMPROVING ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
Ecosystem Cycles and Interconnections; Identification Techniques for Plants, Animals and Fish; Understanding Environmental Impacts
“Trees depend on the fish and the fish depend on the trees. It’s all a circle, an ecosystem. Fish help the trees with nutrients, the trees grow big and it helps the fish because they give them shade and it keeps the water from heating up.”
GOAL #4
INCREASING PERSONAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS
Meaningful Participation and Empowerment; Commitment, Respect and Responsibility; Patience and Endurance; Accomplishment, Self-confidence and Success
“I found this experience rewarding in the sense that I feel I have been helpful and gained confidence and also can do anything I set my mind to. I feel like a leader in my community.”
GOAL #5
ENHANCING COMMUNICATION
Public Speaking and Leadership; Active Listening and Engagement; Interpersonal Relationships.
“I think that it is something you feel good about because you are giving back to your community. The presentation gives you confidence because when a group of people respond in a positive way it gives you courage and confidence.”
YER PROGRAMS
LATEST NEWS & EVENTS AT YER
Goose Spit Park Yellow Sand-verbena Inventory 2021
The ecological inventory project was completed in CVRD’s Goose Spit Park during 2021. The work was done by youth participants of the Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) Program , YER program leader (Wendy Kotilla), and a biologist.
Youth and Ecological Restoration Program Annual Report 2021
View the Youth and Ecological Restoration Program Annual Report 2021 report.
Cumberland Forest Youth Led Public Tour August 20th AT 12:00 pm
Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS) and Youth and Ecological Restoration (YER) are excited to invite the public to a youth led tour of the Perseverance Creek corridor on Friday, August 20th at 12:00 pm. This section of forest was purchased in 2020 and is 225 acres in size.