COQUITLAM, B.C., June 18, 2026 – Community volunteers helping to protect and enhance Coquitlam’s natural environment were recognized this past weekend at the City’s 18th annual Environmental Achievement Awards celebration.

Presented every two years, the awards recognize local volunteers who have dedicated their time and passion in the areas of environmental conservation, habitat enhancement, education and sustainability. 

2026 Environmental Achievement Award Winners

The City received more than 25 nominations recognizing projects and initiatives that promote environmental stewardship, education and public awareness, sustainability through efforts such as waste reduction and recycling, and environmental responsibility through activities such as litter cleanups.

Coquitlam thanks and acknowledges the 2026 Environmental Achievement Award recipients:

• Individual (Ages 13-18) - Emma Ma participates in weekly litter clean-ups with the Centennial Secondary Trash Club, and she has assisted in launching EcoLink, an initiative that brings environmental workshops to elementary schools to raise awareness on waste reduction.
• Individual (19+) - Carl Ronka has spearheaded Web of Life as a volunteer-driven initiative to clean litter from forested areas and trails by coordinating a diverse group of volunteers who have removed over 100,000 pounds of litter across the Lower Mainland including the Coquitlam River watershed.
• Teacher or Educator - Tessa Voykin is an environmental science teacher at Gleneagle Secondary School who encourages her students to participate in invasive plant removals and tree planting events through the City's Bad Seed program helping build an awareness of our ecosystems.
• Youth Group, School or Club - Centennial Secondary School Trash Club is a student-driven initiative dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship. Students clean up school grounds and the surrounding neighbourhood, built displays on how to help peers recycle more effectively, and developed bilingual interactive workshops for younger students.
• Adult Group, Organization, Service Club - Food Link Society has spent a decade preventing food waste from ending up in the landfill, and strengthening community food security by rescuing high-quality food surplus from grocery stores and redistributing it to those in need through a network that includes 15 local schools, Metro Vancouver Housing communities and non-profit partners.
• Adult Group, Organization, Service Club - Hoy/Scott Watershed Society is a non-profit organization that has been promoting salmon conservation and enhancement within the Hoy/Scott Creek and Coquitlam watersheds for 24 years. Their volunteers run the Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery year round, monitor stream health, restore riparian habitat and raise and release over 40,000 young salmon annually.
• Lifetime Achievement Individual Award - Ginny Wilson has dedicated three decades of service with the Coquitlam River Community Garden providing institutional knowledge, mentorship and leadership to garden volunteers.
• Lifetime Achievement Individual Award - Kerry Lockwood has been running the Salmonids in the Classroom Program since 1990, and has been Coquitlam School District’s Salmon Enhancement Coordinator since 1996 educating and empowering students to become informed, caring and responsible citizens dedicated to sustainable ecosystems.

More information, including a description of all of this year's nominations, can be viewed at coquitlam.ca/EnviroAwards. 

Coquitlam’s Commitment to Environmental Volunteers

Since 2004, the City has recognized more than 75 groups and hundreds of volunteers who take on initiatives year-round that support environmental sustainability. Residents with an interest in the environment are encouraged to sign up as a City volunteer to take part in activities such as invasive plant removal, tree planting, helping at environmental events such as Repair Cafés and wearing the City’s bear and salmon mascot costumes – details are available at coquitlam.ca/volunteer. Coquitlam has a network of over 100 municipal and regional parks comprised of 7.7 km² of forested land, over 300 km of watercourses and more than 130 km of trails. For more information about the City’s environmental activities, visit coquitlam.ca/environment.

Coquitlam’s Environmental Sustainability Plan

Coquitlam finalized an Environmental Sustainability Plan in January 2022 that guides decisions and ensures the long-term resiliency and sustainability of the community. The Environmental Sustainability Plan is organized into five themes: Climate Action, Built Environment, Waste Management, Water Management and Natural Areas, Wildlife and Habitat. Learn more about the Environmental Sustainability Plan at coquitlam.ca/EnviroPlan.

Media contact:

Julie Kanya
Manager, Environment Education and Enforcement
604-927-3500
epw@coquitlam.ca 

We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.