FireSmart: Invasive Plant and Flammable Debris Removal – Westhills Park, Langford

April 7, 2024

Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:

Aaron, Andy, Asher, Atena, Audrey, Becca, Carmel, Chloe, Cody, Colby, Lilian, Dave, Emiko, Faezeh, Ghazal, Gurman, Hatty, Jason, Jeff, Jia, Jieun, Karen, Keith, Kimberley, Maria, Mary, Meenakshi, Meng, Miki, Mitchell, Rosanna, Sage, and Taremwa!

What a fun day we had connecting people to one another and nature, all while restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…

Impacts

36 community members engaged
98 hours contributed to FireSmart habitat restoration
17 people visited Westhills Park for the first time
10 people removed invasive plants for the first time at this FireSmart activity
20 cubic metres of invasive plants and debris was removed from the park
378 square metres of the park was revitalized and FireSmarted
A massive amount of litter was removed from the site including several large batteries, pieces of metal, plastic, and dog waste bags.

Highlights

This was our second FireSmart activity in partnership with Langford Fire Rescue!
We removed flammable materials such as the oily, invasive gorse plant, dead branches, and small logs from the forest floor, as well as removing litter found at the site throughout the day!
We were supported by a team of Langford Fire Rescue firefighters who helped us remove invasive plants and engaged with the community and passersby, educating everyone about FireSmart initiatives!
Everyone loved the brownies, veggies, and fresh fruit as a fun snack to keep energy levels up!
Community members helped us with set up/takedown: thank you for your help!
Community members enjoyed the additional education provided by our new plant signs, learning about identification in a fun, creative way!
It was an absolutely gorgeous day with blue sky and warm sunshine!
Thank you to Langford Residents Association President, Jeff, for helping out with this activity and supporting the work we do!
A big shoutout to City of Langford Councillors, Kieth Yacutcha, Lilian Szpak, Mary Wagner, Kimberley Guiry, and Colby Harder for joining us for this activity and engaging with the community!
All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels were engaged including families, returning Green Team members, and first-timers!

"As a resident of Langford it’s really powerful to see representatives from City Council, the Parks department, the fire department & Langford Residents Association. I really enjoy these opportunities to connect with our community representatives!I think other municipalities should definitely follow Langford’s lead and get more involved in their communities with the help of GVGT."

"This was my first event and it was an absolute blast. I enjoyed the energy and passion by the organizers and participants alike. The provision of all the tools to do the job and safety equipment is much appreciated, as is the snacks and treats! Helping to build community spirit, neighborhood resilience, and ecosystem health. Bringing together folks of all ages and backgrounds.

"GVGT does an amazing job at building a sense of community. It’s such a fulfilling experience seeing familiar faces and building relationships at these events."

Community Investment Partner

A huge THANK YOU to Langford Fire Rescue for making this activity possible with their financial support!

We are so grateful to have your guidance on FireSmarting the park and furthering the community education about reducing the risk of wildfires!

THANK YOU to the City of Langford Parks Department for providing the ecological expertise to guide this activity!

Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.

In-Kind Support

Thank you to the fantastic local eco-friendly business LUSH that donated In-kind products for our hard-working community members to take home!

Please contact Kaitlin Warren. if you are interested in providing in-kind.

Why We Do This Work

The Greater Victoria 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!

Staff Who Made This Activity Possible

Greater Victoria Green Team Program Manager, Kaitlin Warren and Program Coordinator, Severine Tyszewicz, work hard behind the scenes to bring these high-quality activities to you.

Partnership building, outreach, social media, activity logistics, leading on-the-ground, reporting on impacts and more – they can do it all!

Severine was hired as part of Green Teams of Canada’s Youth Leadership Program, intended to empower the next generation of environmentally-focused community organizing.