Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Connor, Jeff, Ciara, Toi, Yume, Shean, Taira, Dave, Mao, Alison, Jannah, Satwat, Karen, Nabhan, Jieun, Grey, Shayla, Mark, Neha, Michael, Paola, Suraiya, Aaron, Rhhys, Leia, Hayley, Shahan, Kimberley, Ali, Rupert, Aaron, Julia, Mattea, Robbi, Mary, Travis, Maria, Juanita, Rob, Kieth, Atousa, Jack, Alison, Paola, Kara, Brian, Colby and David!
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
- 53 community members engaged
- 122 hours contributed to FireSmart habitat restoration
- 26 people planted native trees and shrubs for the first time
- 34 people visited Porcher Park for the first time
- 20 people removed flammable debris for the first time at this FireSmart activity
- 300 native shrubs and bulbs were planted
- 36 cubic metres of flammable woody debris was removed from the forest floor
- 583 square metres of the park was revitalized and FireSmarted
- A massive amount of litter was removed from the site including pieces of metal, concrete, glass, and plastic
Highlights
- This was our first activity in partnership with Langford Fire Rescue and our first FireSmart activity!
- Not only did we plant native trees and shrubs, but we also removed flammable materials such as dead branches and small logs from the forest floor, as well as removing litter found at the site throughout the day!
- Everyone loved the brownies, veggies, and fresh fruit as a fun snack to keep energy levels up!
- Community members Connor, Rhys and Jeff 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 all of the City of Langford Councillors: Mark Morley, Mary Wagner, Kimberley Guiry, Keith Yacucha, Lillian Szpak, and Colby Harder for joining us for this activity and engaging with the community!
- We had a special guest visitor, Ember the FireSmart Firefox who came to encourage everyone with high-fives and fist-bumps!
- All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels were engaged including families, returning Green Team members, and first-timers!
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 plants and ecological expertise to guide the planting for this activity!
Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.
Check out the Summaries from our Previous Activities in Porcher Park:
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.