Blog  September 17, 2012

Kenny Teng finds added value in volunteering

Volunteer Kenny Teng in the Orchard (Photo: Helen Beynon)

Meet Kenny Teng, our incredibly dedicated Urban Orchard volunteer since April, 2012! Kenny waters, weeds and maintains the orchard on a regular basis, keeping our apple trees healthy and happy. Kenny recently sat down to tell us about what keeps him happy and volunteering.

What do you like about volunteering? It feels good to give back. The better we take care of our community, the better our community takes care of us. When people stroll through a heavily-wooded area like Stanley Park, they may experience "forest bathing," where the senses and the mind's attention are in tune with nature. Volunteering in the urban orchard allows me to reconnect with nature. I like to think of my time at the orchard as "forest showering."

What I've learned: I can identify the weeds and how many different types there are! Seriously though, I have learned that adding value to your community is a great way to add value to yourself.

Why Evergreen? I greatly respect and appreciate Evergreen's mission to encourage and enable sustainability and conservation in the face of ever-increasing urban growth.

My other life: I enjoy practicing with my harmonica, and reading non-fiction books and sci-fi novels. When time allows, I also dabble in various personal software projects.