—Health is a Walk in the Park!—
Health is a Walk in the Park!
Join us for a half-day of guided experiences in Burnaby’s Central Park, including an Indigenous plant walk with Senaqwila Wyss, guided forest therapy experiences, crafting with invasive species, such as basket-weaving with invasive English Ivy or keychain-making with horse chestnuts. Entertainment for the day includes live musical performers, juggling, and some nature-inspired magic tricks.
Health care and community organizations will be there to connect you with support and care, including information about Burnaby social prescribing initiatives, a pop-up screening clinic for metabolic conditions, and help with signing up for a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
All are welcome to participate and bring a picnic. Please wear a good pair of walking shoes and come prepared for the weather. We will be getting our dose of nature that day, rain or shine!
Activity Schedule
Most activities will be ongoing for the duration of the event, with the exception of our guided walks:
10am to 11am – Guided Forest Therapy Tour
11am to 12pm – Guided Forest Therapy Tour
11am to 1pm – Guided Plant Walk with Senaqwila Wyss
12pm to 1pm – Guided Forest Therapy Tour
Who will be there?
Pat Ernst, Strolling Violinist
Violinist who plays a vast repertoire of classical, pop, jazz, Celtic fiddle, country/bluegrass fiddle, movie themes, Latin/mariachi and other world genres.
I specialize in catering to my clients needs. I can learn anything my clients want me to play. From Star Wars imperial March to Despacito I can play it on the violin.
Yuki the Juggler
Award-Winning Japanese Canadian Juggler & Circus Artist Based in Vancouver
Since 2007, Yuki has dazzled audiences worldwide with his innovative juggling, comedy, and storytelling. His journey began performing on the streets of Europe before honing his craft in Africa, where he developed his unique performance style blending physical comedy and technical brilliance. Returning to Vancouver in 2009, Yuki became a key figure in the North American juggling community, creating award-winning performances and collaborating on groundbreaking projects.
Rob Teszka, Magician
Rob Teszka performs charming, irreverent magic about interesting stories and unusual ideas. He entertains at corporate events and private parties throughout Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Rob also produces and hosts the Parlour Magic Show, Vancouver’s very own variety magic show! A favourable review once called him “a genuine eccentric”. It’s probably because he knots his own bow ties.
Coral Mountain Wellness
Come wander, breathe, and soak in the majesty of the trees with me. Whether we’re walking barefoot (you don’t have to!), sipping tea under a full moon, or just laughing at how bad we are at “clearing our minds,” it’s all part of the fun.
Life can sometimes feel…a lot. The noise, the screens, the endless striving and to-do lists. Sometimes the best thing we can do is step outside, take a deep breath, and let nature bring us back home to ourselves.
Forest Therapy, also known as Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku, isn’t just a walk in the woods. It’s a guided experience in slowing down, tuning in, and letting nature work its quiet, grounding magic.
What to Expect:
🌿 Gentle, mindful movement—no hiking boots required
🌿 Deep breathing + nature-based relaxation
🌿 A chance to unplug, reset, and just be
🌿 A soulful way to reduce stress, boost mood, and reconnect
Senaqwila Wyss
Senaqwila Wyss is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Tsimshian, Sto:lo, Hawaiian and Swiss. She is an ethnobotanist traditionally trained by her mother T’uy’t’tanat Cease Wyss. She is in the Squamish Language Immersion program and nearing the end of her Bachelors of the Arts Degree at SFU in Communications and First Nations studies. She and her mother run an Indigenous small business: Raven and Hummingbird Tea Co. They educate on indigenous plants to all ages. She is also a mother to 2-year-old Kamaya who will be raised to be the first fluent born speaker in her family after 4 generations.
MOSAIC Seniors Choir
The MOSAIC Seniors Choir is just one of the programs offered by MOSAIC in Metro Vancouver. The Choir represents a small sample of the diverse community in this region. Members have a shared love of music, enjoy learning English through songs, meeting new friends, and inviting other seniors to join their music community. The Choir is committed to empowering seniors through active community engagement.
Burnaby PCN Pop-Up Clinic for Metabolic Screening
Metabolic health (i.e. your metabolism) is foundational for your overall well-being. It is the process that powers every cell in the body with energy generated from the food you eat and your environment.
Having good metabolic health reduces your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These screening tests can help detect conditions like these early on — or help with monitoring existing issues.
What happens at a pop-up clinic?
When you come to a Pop-Up Metabolic Screening Clinic, you will see a family doctor or nurse practitioner and they can:
- Test your blood pressure
- Review your risk-level for metabolic conditions, family history, and health records
- Give you a requisition for tests to do at the lab
Who can come?
You can attend if:
- You live in Burnaby
- You currently do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner
Launching PaRx in Burnaby
This special community event will launch the PaRx social prescribing program in Burnaby — where health care providers prescribe time in nature as part of your primary care.
Research shows that people who spend at least 2 hours in nature each week report significantly better health and well-being. Science suggests that the most efficient drop in cortisol (stress hormone) levels happens between 20-30 minutes. Spending more time in green space drops your risk of asthma, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Burnaby Primary Care Network and the Burnaby Division of Family Practice have partnered with BC Parks Foundation to bring this unique initiative to Burnaby, expanding Burnaby’s social prescribing program.
What is Social Prescribing?
Your health is shaped by more than medical care! Social prescribing connects you with local programs and services that support your overall well-being. This could look like a prescription for time in nature, food and meal programs, fitness or art classes, peer support or caregiver support groups, opportunities to be creative, move your body, or meet new people.
When health care and community partners come together in this way, we can work on creative approaches to building healthier communities. Social prescribing in Burnaby is a prime example of how Divisions of Family Practice are championing collaborative initiatives which strengthen our health care system at large. Burnaby’s social prescribing program was created through a project funded by Shared Care. This partnership with PaRx extends the program and recognizes Burnaby’s green spaces as playing an important part of our health care ecosystem.
Ask your Burnaby family doctor or nurse practitioner about social prescribing in Burnaby and how it can benefit you. You can also refer yourself to our core social prescribing program online at burnabypcn.ca/social-prescribing.
Hosted by Burnaby Primary Care Network, Burnaby Division of Family Practice, and Burnaby’s Social Prescribing Community of Practice, in partnership with BC Parks Foundation (PaRx)
Event image adapted from Presley Perswain / Flickr.
