Bio: Eliza Olson is the founding president of the Burns Bog Conservation Society,  a group devoted to a wetland area near Vancouver. Bogs -- or peatlands -- are home to vast numbers of rare plants, birds, amphibians and small mammals. Olson is one of the Top 10 finalists in CBC and Outpost magazine's Champions of Change competition. CBCNews.ca Your Voice asked her why she chooses to volunteer.

My story: I have been very fortunate in my lifetime. When I needed help, it was there. Volunteering is my way of paying forward. Besides, it keeps me out of my children's hair and it keeps my "little grey cells active."

Volunteering is not part of my family's culture and it was not something that I did as a youth. My mother had shied away from joining organizations ... but the bog has gradually taken over my life like sphagnum moss, just the same way it grows in a pond or wet area.

In 1987, Steve Zablosky [a friend and a retired Fisheries and Oceans specialist] discovered that there was a proposal to develop Burns Bog. He was horrified. Steve understood the relationship between the Fraser River, fish and Burns Bog. A municipal election was happening and I and three others ran. I become the point person for Burns Bog. People who knew and understood Burns Bog thought I was nuts when I talked about the proposal.

No one in their right mind would want to build on Burns Bog. At least that was what they thought.

Then when the proposal actually came forward in January 1988 to develop Burns Bog, people were stunned. A group gathered together. We contacted David Suzuki and he agreed to come out and talk. The fight began, and on June 22, 1988, the development proposal was turned down.

Because of my Toastmasters experience, I knew that people would drift away, but we had only won the battle, not the war. We knew that the developers would be back and we had to be ready.

The Burns Bog Conservation Society was registered Nov. 14, 1988. The office was my home and the first election took place January 1989. I became the first president and continue in that role today.

I am a teacher by profession, and I wondered, 'What is the best way to engage people?' I couldn't imagine people coming home after a day's work in Vancouver and picking up signs and hugging a piece of sphagnum moss like "tree huggers."

A classroom teacher asked me to teach her English as a second language students about the tropical rainforest. It became a "light bulb moment." Why weren't we teaching the children about what was in their own backyard? The answer was simple. There was nothing available.  

Teachers started creating teaching units on Burns Bog as part of their university classes. They gave them to me and I used them for our Teacher's Guide to Burns Bog. In addition, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council gave me permission to use their material. These are other instances of help coming along when I needed it.

My volunteering for the Burns Bog Conservation Society has taken me to Scotland and Ireland where I was the only non-scientist among internationally famous peatland experts.

In 2008, I co-presented a poster on Burns Bog with Dr. Marcus Collier at the 13th Annual Peatland Congress, in Lullamore, Ireland. The best part was I getting to see the Ceide Fields where blanket bog has grown over ancient farms and encased them for eternity.

The bottom line is that I enjoy what I do. I enjoy the challenge and the thrill every time a sponsorship or a grant application is approved. Chills of excitement go up and down my spine when young people tell me that I have made a difference in their lives, that visiting the bog and writing a school paper have helped them choose a life path. There is joy and excitement in seeing volunteers come to stuff envelopes or do other jobs in the office.

Volunteering keeps me young and involved. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning.

We also want to share your stories of volunteerism. Tell us what volunteer work you do and answer this question: "Why do you volunteer?" We may feature you on our website as well. Let us know in the comments below, email us at yournews@cbc.ca, or leave a message on Facebook or Twitter. You can vote for your favourite Champion of Change here.