Thank you so much to the Lower Mainland Green Teamers that joined us for this activity!
Adam, Alexis, Amanda, Amarjyoti, Brooklyn, Callen, Cameron, Chris, Colton, Divya, Emma, Ivan, Kayden, Kurtis, Lacey, Lorraine, Mahmoud, Matt, Nathan, Pavel, Prabhnoor, Ryan, & Victor!
Everyone had a great time at this FireSmart activity in Mission connecting with their community while learning about
how to remove woody debris & invasive plants to reduce wildfire risk in their community!
Read more about out Highlights & Impacts below!
Impacts
- 25 Community Members were engaged!
- 23 participants participated in a FireSmart activity for the first time!
- 22 participants visited the Gaudin Creek Trail
- 68 hours were contributed towards reducing wildfire risk and restoring habitat!
- 5 cubic metres (31 bathtubs!) of woody debris and 13 cubic metres (81 bathtubs!) of invasive Himalayan Blackberry was removed to help FireSmart this trail!
- 291 square metres of habitat revitalized!
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland including from Mission itself, Langley, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Vancouver, Hope & Chilliwack!
- Our activities are designed to foster a sense of community that extends beyond municipal boundaries. Fire knows no borders and by engaging community members from throughout the region, we are reducing the risk of wildfire across the Fraser Valley and beyond as part of our shared responsibility for our environment!
Highlights
- This was our first-ever activity in Mission! We were so excited to connect with a new community and break ground in a new place with Mission Fire!
- We learned about the FireSmart principles helping to reduce wildfire risk in our communities! Check out the City of Mission’s FireSmart Page to learn more!
- Participants learned a lot about Himalayan Blackberry and saw the negative impacts these plants can have on the environment as well as the fire risk they can represent!
- Participants learned the difference between these invasives and important native plants like Trailing Blackberry, Salmonberry, & Thimbleberry also on-site! We’re making room for these native plants to thrive!
- You can apply FireSmart principles in your own green spaces and create a wildfire-resistant garden with native plants by checking out the FireSmart BC Landscaping Guide!
- Acting Mayor Mark Davies welcomed us to the activity and shared his appreciation for all our hard work! Councillor Danny Plecas also joined us to share his thanks and cheer us on! Thank you Council for your support!
- Several Mission residents who lived nearby got to discover the Gaudin Creek Trail as a new green space they can connect with in their community!
- Other local passersby were excited to learn more and grateful for our work reducing wildfire risk in their neighbourhood!
- We got to try on a brand new all-natural root-based wig!
- We saw this Pacific Chorus Frog and we helped them to a safe spot nearby!
- After their hard work, everyone enjoyed some tasty snacks including fresh fruit, homemade brownies, churro puffs, candy canes, Egg McMuffins, hot chocolate, sparkling water, and more!
- Thank you to our community volunteers, all of whom helped to pack up our tools & supplies at the end of the activity!
What Participants Said
Videos of participants talking about the impact of this activity:
Video of Adam speaking about feeling a sense of community, doing some great environmental stewardship, and making a difference!
Video of Lacey & Amanda talking about giving back to their community and enjoying the tasty hot chocolate!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the Mission Fire and Rescue Service for being a Community Investment Partner and providing the financial support and direction to make our work in Mission possible!
This was our first-ever activity in Mission and we are so excited to be connecting with the community here in partnership with Mission Fire! Together we are creating opportunities for community members to come together, connect with each other and nature, learn about how and directly contribute to reducing wildfire risk in our communities using FireSmart principles.
Thank you to Maisyn for her role in helping to organize this activity and educating about the FireSmart program! A special thank you as well to Mission Fire members Matt, Nathan, & Chief Murray who all joined us at the activity!
We’ll be back in partnership with Mission Fire continuing our work to FireSmart the Gaudin Creek Trail on Feb 21st! Check out the activity and sign-up here!
Supporter
Special thanks to Andy & Damon with the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services for providing tasty treats to all our volunteers including oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, candy canes, fresh fruit, Egg McMuffins, delicious hot chocolate and more!
They do important work to support community members and first-responders in emergency and disaster situations including the wildfires we were working to help prevent today!
In-Kind Support
Thank you to Lush for providing their fantastic shower gels, body conditioner, bath bombs, with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and made in Canada! Our participants were really happy to take these gifts home!
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Ashton Kerr. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Lower Mainland Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada.
We believe in the transformative power of hands-on environmental activities to empower individuals and strengthen communities.
Through initiatives like invasive plant removals, tree plantings, and litter clean-ups, we not only foster connections among participants but also deepen their relationship with nature. Spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety while enhancing mood, focus, and overall mental and physical health.
Our activities are designed to be inclusive, welcoming individuals of all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and skill levels.
What sets us apart is we attract a wide mix of young community members who may not otherwise spend time outside, igniting their passion for nature and environmental care.
We are committed to instilling an environmental ethic that leads to lasting behavior change. We aim to create a sense of belonging and connection to place, encouraging participants to recognize their ability to make a meaningful impact.
Together, we can all make a difference. Join us as we build a brighter, greener future for everyone!
Staff Who Made This Activity Happen!
Our staff work hard to create high-quality activities. Partnership building, fundraising, outreach, social media, activity logistics, leading on-the-ground, reporting on impacts and more – they do it all!
Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland Green Team Program Manager and Ashton Kerr, our Lower Mainland Green Team Partnerships Manager, led this activity!