West Beach, White Rock – August 20, 2022
Highlights
- 28 community members of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels joined us and contributed 85 hours total
- Thank you so much for all of your hard work and for making this day amazing: Aaron, Alexis, Amos, Amrit, Andrea, Angel, Angela, Cade, Diana, Garrett, Grant, Hannah, Haruka, Jodha, Julia, Kirk, Laurent, Linda, Lisa, Michelle, Navneh, Sahil, Shuta, Simar, Stephen, Daniel, Alexandra and Chelsea!
- 14 cubic metres of invasive Himalayan blackberry was removed (equivalent to the volume of about 87 bathtubs), including many stubborn, massive roots. Blackberry roots require lots of effort to remove and don’t take up much volume, but removing the roots significantly reduces the chances of plant regrowth. Be sure to check out the before and after photos at the bottom of the page!
- 3 kilograms (6.5 pounds) of litter was cleaned up from the beach!
- An area of 160 metres squared had invasive plants removed from it
- 13 participants visited West Beach for the first time
- 10 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
On Saturday August 20, 2022 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of White Rock partnered up to engage community members in an invasive Himalayan blackberry removal and litter cleanup at beautiful West Beach in White Rock.
On this beautiful sunny day with temperatures a bit cooler than the days previous, 28 eager community members came together to make a positive impact along the beach. A lovely sea breeze and a spray bottle full of water was welcomed to stay cool at this popular beach destination where teamwork and determination fuelled the removal of an incredible amount of blackberry and litter. The ripe berries were snacked on as brambles were removed, and watermelon, homemade brownies, blackberry lemonade, as well as other refreshments were enjoyed by all!
While Himalayan blackberry produces delicious berries that humans, birds and animals all enjoy, this aggressive plant tends to take over natural areas making it hard for anything else to grow – including native plants that also produce delicious berries that many local species depend upon. By removing this plant we are creating space for more biodiversity, which in turn will help make the area more resilient and functional, not to mention beautiful.
This was our 5th visit to West Beach and we have seen a considerable reduction in the amount of invasive Himalayan blackberry in the area since our Green Team first started working on it in May 2021. As with the restoration of any site, West Beach is an ongoing effort that we will continue to visit.
Read the summaries of each past activity at this location by clicking the following dates: May 14, 2022, October 9, 2021, September 18, 2021 and May 29, 2021. We look forward to continuing our work at West Beach on Saturday September 17, 2022, click the link below to SIGN UP!
This natural area wasn’t the only one to benefit from our efforts, as everyone had a great time and enjoyed the opportunity to work together in this beautiful outdoor setting. New friends were made, new skills were gained and many got to experience the benefits of being in nature including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, fresh air, improved memory, focus and mental clarity. Not to mention the great physical exercise everyone got while restoring the area! Additionally, through this experience we are helping the community connect to and cultivate a deeper respect for nature, which helps instil responsible environmental behaviour that extends beyond our activities.
Our community members took home a gift from one of our in-kind supporters including Coconut Lip Balm from Green Beaver, Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags from EarthRated, Shampoo and Body Wash from Carina Organics and Laundry Detergent Strips from Tru Earth! If you have any suggestions for sustainable/eco-friendly rewards, know of or own a business who would like to provide in-kind to our Green Team, please contact Ashton Kerr, Program Manager, at ashton@greenteamscanada.ca!
Hannah and Amos showing off the awesome Carina Organics products they took home after joining us at this activity!
Hannah and Amos are two incredible people we are so happy to have as part of our team! They first met at our June 11, 2022 activity at Central Park in Burnaby and have been a part of multiple Green Team activities – they even carpooled to this activity together!
The Lower Mainland Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada. Our mission is to connect, build and empower diverse communities through hands-on activities that promote health, well-being and environmental stewardship. Our vision is healthy communities engaged in environmental stewardship. Thanks to our partners, community members and supporters like you, we are able to fulfill our mission! Learn more about our organization and how to support our work at www.greenteamscanada.ca.
Thank You!
Thank you to Megan and Reenaz, our Program Coordinators, for their leadership at this activity! Megan and Reenaz have been hired as part of Green Teams of Canada‘s Youth Leadership Program and are gaining hands-on experience organizing and leading communities, and are also helping strengthen and build our organization!
Thank you to Justin Schneider, Spencer Booth and Jim Gordon at the City of White Rock for partnering with our charity, Green Teams of Canada, to make this activity possible!
Our organization has been working in partnership with the City of White Rock since 2013. Thanks to the City’s financial support and direction, our Green Team has engaged 800+ local youth and community members across 25+ White Rock activities aimed to improve environmental health and empower people to care for nature and their community!
Before and After Photos
(click images to make them bigger)
