Helping Create a Future Public Park: Invasive Plant Removal & Shrub Pruning at the Rose Grabenhorst Garden, Pitt Meadows – May 13, 2023
Highlights From The Day
- 19 amazing members of the community joined us and contributed 53.5 hours total!
- Thank you so much for your hard work and enthusiasm: Doug, Nicholas, Steven, Amelia, Nick, Tristan, Naya, Mylo, Tarrah, Marina, Michelle, Ian, Sesame, Karen and her husband, Emily, Ken, Gillian and Tom!
- All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels were engaged including families, returning Green Team volunteers, and first-timers!
- Everyone visited the Rose Grabenhorst Garden for the first time
- 6 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 4 people pruned shrubs for the first time
- Sesame took transit and biked to this activity from Richmond, and Steven took transit from Surrey and walked almost 3 km one way from the bus stop to get to this garden!
- Two local Scouts, Tristan and Amelia came with their parents and own tools!
- Our Green Team brought together people from all over the Lower Mainland including Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Langley, Surrey, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Richmond!
- This was a unique and exciting opportunity for our community to be involved in the creation of a future public park in Pitt Meadows! We not only got to see and explore this beautiful garden as it is now, but were able to learn about and be a part of its future plans. This is a project that will help connect people to nature for generations to come!
- Scroll down to see photos of this beautiful garden!
- Together our team:
- Revitalized an area of 320 metres squared
- Removed a volume of 19 cubic metres (121 bathtubs full) of invasive plants, branches from pruned shrubs, and woody debris to help care for this space and transform it into a future public park
- Scroll down to see before and after photos, as well as some in-action shots!
- This activity was featured in the Maple Ride-Pitt Meadows News on May 12, 2023. READ THE ARTICLE HERE!
- Thank you LUSH for providing Sleepy Lotion and Dirty/Sparkle Toothpaste Tablets to reward our amazing community!
- Our Community Investment Partner, the City of Pitt Meadows, provided direction and funding to make this unique activity possible!
- City of Pitt Meadows staff Luke and Hailey were wonderful leaders and shared their expertise and passion with everyone at this activity. Thank you for adding such great value to this day!
Before & After Photos
About the Garden
The Rose Grabenhorst Garden is a beautiful, tranquil space that features a variety of native and exotic plant species, including towering trees, colourful flowers, and fragrant herbs. The garden was originally created by Rose Grabenhorst, a passionate gardener who spent many years tending to the plants and flowers on her property and who had a deep love for nature and a desire to share her garden with others. When Rose passed away, her family made the decision to sell the property. Recognizing the value of the garden as a public space, the City of Pitt Meadows purchased the property to preserve it for future generations. It will be the perfect place for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the beauty of the natural world!
The City of Pitt Meadows‘s Parks and Recreation Department is working to develop plans for the garden, with the goal of creating a space that is accessible, educational, and enjoyable for all members of the community. The City recognized the unique value of the Rose Grabenhorst Garden, not only as a beautiful public space, but also as an example of sustainable and environmentally conscious land use. By preserving the garden and opening it to the public, the City hopes to inspire others to take a similar approach to land use and environmental stewardship. Our Green Team is very excited to be part of this unique opportunity to engage the community in a project that will have an impact for generations to come!
Why Do We Do This Work?
The Lower Mainland Green Team organizes hands-on educational activities that have a positive environmental impact to empower people. Through activities such as invasive plant removals, plantings, litter cleanups and more, we are fostering connections with others and nature so that health and well-being is prioritized, lifelong environmental stewardship is promoted, and community members are enabled to take care of themselves, each other and the places they live. We all have the power to make a difference!
We all experience mental and physical health benefits from spending time in nature, including reduced stress and anxiety, and improved mood, focus, memory and more. While doing so, we can also have a positive impact on the environment as demonstrated through this activity!
Partner For This Activity
This unique and exciting activity was made possible thanks to financial support and direction from the City of Pitt Meadows. Thank you Andy and Diane!
Through this partnership we are combining our expertise to achieve our common goals – a win for all! Thank you City of Pitt Meadows for investing in your community and environment through the work of our organization.
What Volunteers Said
“I liked seeing such a beautiful and unique space and being able to do a variety of activities to help revitalize it. The people were all wonderful as well, as always.
I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for people to contribute to the revitalization of the space. I think there should definitely be more opportunities to volunteer so that more people can contribute and later have a unique connection to the space and more excitement for it as well.”
– Tarrah
“Gillian and I had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the work, the people and Ashton and her enthusiasm”
– Ken
In-Action Photos
Photos of the Garden
Including some, but not all of the beautiful flowers in bloom at the time!
Our Staff
This activity was led by the Lower Mainland Green Team‘s Program Manager Ashton Kerr.