B.C.鈥檚 film industry is collaborating with local partners to support and sustain regional parks across Metro Vancouver.
Since 2021, in collaboration with Creative BC, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation has held an annual fundraiser REEL Earth Day Challenge.
The challenge, which begins April 8 and wrapped April 22, encouraged people in the film industry and movie fans to raise funds for conservation projects, community programs, and habitat restoration in the 24 local regional parks, explained executive director Mark Mahl.
鈥淭hrough the Reel Green initiative and Creative BC, [we] came up with this concept and idea of how [the film industry] can give back to local parks,鈥� he said.
Mahl estimated filming in Metro Vancouver parks occurred 175 days during the past three years.
鈥淲e are very appreciative of the opportunity to work in these amazing green spaces and do amazing shows,鈥� he commented.
鈥淚t was about creating something in conjunction with Earth Day, and that unites the B.C. film industry to protect and enhance what we do in the regional parks.鈥�
Since its inception, the REEL Earth Day Challenge has raised more than $473,000, but Mahl said organizers hoped to break that record this year. Numbers are still being tallied.
All donations and funds raised this year are going towards almost a dozen projects Metro Vancouver supports such as Indigenous-led summer camps, bat and owl habitat boxes at Campbell Valley Regional Park, invasive species removal at eastern parks, and many more.
Last year, funding from the challenge supported the sedge field restoration at the Aldergrove Regional Park. It included removal of invasive species like blackberry bushes and planting of more than 800 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
Marnie Gee, B.C. film commissioner at Creative B.C., echoed Mahl鈥檚 comments about filming in local parks.
鈥淭his industry thrives on the natural beauty of our regional parks, and it鈥檚 our responsibility to give back to the landscapes that make this province a premier filming destination,鈥� Gee said.
She added that the REEL challenge is a key part of this commitment.
鈥淭he campaign has supported more than 28 different park projects, planting of 16,000 trees and native plants, and three years of the Indigenous-led summer camps run through the CTS Youth Society,鈥� Mahl said.
Sponsors of the challenge include Netflix, North Shore Studios, Canadian Media Producers Association, Vancouver Film Studios, and many others.
To participate in the challenge, production teams signed up and competed to raise funds, Mahl said.
This year there are three teams: The Chicken Sisters, Malcolm in the Middle, and Virgin River 鈥� the 2024 champion. Virgin River won again this year, raising $28,090 of the total $81,430 collected. Team Malcolm in the Middle raised $18,425, while Chicken Sisters raised $14,955, and there was close to $20,000 in general donations.
