Finding The Start
kitsTREEmap is a circular walk so you can pick it up at any point. However, it has been designed to be taken anti-clockwise and the recommended starting point is at the ‘Welcome to Kitsilano’ sign at the southern end of Burrard Bridge. For public transport information use Translink.
How long does it take?
2 – 3 hours
This self-guided walking route is approximately 12km in length, which if you walked without stopping to talk to the trees, would probably take you around 3 hours. To really enjoy the trees and Kitsilano we recommend taking a whole day. Start in the morning and enjoy the breathtaking coastal scenery at Kitsilano beach and park. Then head inland and by lunchtime you will have hit Broadway. With loads of restaurants and cafes to choose from, you could stop here for lunch. Afterwards, continue the walk taking in all the wonderful tree-lined avenues until you reach 4th Ave, just in time for dinner. Depending on what time of year it is, plan to complete the walk just in time to get back to the waterfront to enjoy the sunset.
Theme – Connecting with Nature
At kitsTREEmap we believe that humans can get so much from hanging out with the trees: chatting them up, showing them respect and tuning-in to their life force. After all we are all interconnected. You don’t have to be super whacky to talk to the trees and once you start you may find it difficult to stop. By both learning about the trees and being amongst them we can engage not only our minds but our body, heart and spirit. For each featured tree we offer some ideas to help you find your own connection with them.
What is Kitsilano like?
Kitsilano is an incredibly vibrant part of Vancouver. No visitor should leave Vancouver without having experienced this great neighbourhood. Apart from its coastal areas that are busy at all times of the year, it has two great shopping and eating areas (Broadway and 4th Ave). It also has loads of green space: the most famous being Kitsilano Beach Park and Vanier Park by the coast. There are many smaller ones including Tatlow Park, Almond Park and Cypress Community Gardens, which offer an insight into community plant loving. And kitsTREEmap will take you to all of them. Kitsilano has some great looking homes, with many different styles on any one street. Here you will find lots of creativity, with art and crafty objects dangling off many a front porch. Kitsilano has a definite alternative and laid back feel, with services for a healthy mind, body and spirit prominent throughout the area. It is no surprise that Kitsilano is many Vancourites’ favourite part of the city. Yet, if we had to recommend one thing about Kitsilano that really brings it alive and sets it apart as a great place to spend a day when in Vancouver, it would be the trees.