Group 1 (Grade 6)
Group 2 (Grade 6/7)
Group 3 (Grade 11/12)
Highlights
- 100 students from the Langley School District participated and contributed 138 hours total
- Over 6 cubic metres of invasive Himalayan blackberry was removed (equivalent to the volume of about 39 bathtubs!). Most of our work focused on removing stubborn root crowns (we removed MANY), which require more effort to remove but take up less volume
- An area of 204 square metres had invasive plants removed from it and was revitalized
- 23 students visited the Fort-to-Fort Trail for the first time
- 64 students removed invasive plants for the first time
- This activity was featured in the Langley Advance Times HERE
- See before and after photos at the bottom of this post!
On Thursday March 3, 2022 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the Township of Langley joined forces to engage local youth in an invasive Himalayan blackberry removal at the Fort-to-Fort Trail.
83 students from Yorkson Creek Middle School and 17 students from Walnut Grove Secondary School geared up with gloves, tools and ecological knowledge to make a difference on the local environment in Fort Langley. Their efforts built on the work of students engaged in past LMGT activities (October 7, 2021 and December 10, 2021) and the nearby work of the Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS).
Excited to be a part of this outdoor learning opportunity, the students made the most of being in nature’s classroom and approached this challenging invasive plant with vigour. Focusing on removing root crowns so the plant doesn’t regrow, the students learned how stubborn these roots are to remove, why they make it hard for native plants to thrive and how the relatively shallow root system can contribute to soil erosion. We were incredibly impressed with the number and size of root crowns that were removed by all of the students!
A number of critters were found while digging including worms, centipedes, beetles, snails, and a Northwestern Salamander! We made sure to carefully move these living beings somewhere safe where they could continue to contribute to soil and habitat health!
By learning about environmental issues such as those caused by invasive species in a hands-on way, the students are better equipped to tackle such problems. Additionally, the students were able to experience the benefits of being out in nature including improved mental and physical health and reduced stress levels. By connecting people to nature, especially youth, we help instil responsible environmental behaviour that extends beyond our activities!
Our efforts did not go unnoticed as many passersby and local residents stopped by to thank the students and our Green Team for the work we were doing. This was very empowering! One passerby reached out to us following the activity and said:
“I am so impressed with your enthusiasm and professionalism. What a great project”
Eric
This was not our first or last time at the Fort-to-Fort Trail, read about our past activities on March 25, 2018, April 29, 2018, October 7, 2021, and December 10, 2021!
This activity followed the COVID-19 Safety Plan of our charity, Green Teams of Canada, and current province-wide restrictions with safety measures in place to ensure participants could connect with each other and nature safely.
Thank You!
Thank you to all of the hard-working students who attended this activity: Demitri, Jayden A, Ha Jin, Rian, Bea, Mia D, Mia E, Mark, Stella, Jaden H, Brian, Makayla, Isaac, Joshua, Jayden K, Sophie, Seaulah, Khoa, Sam, Bitgaram, Seamus, Rida, Kylie, Lily, Rayyan, Timi, Keira, Esa, Tia, Aydin, Mike, Ewan, Carter, Gabriela, Elena, Alisa, Ty, Kevin, Julia, Ethan, Jake, Luna, Janavi, Jake, Lizzie, Jordyn, Danah, Maksim, Ayaan, Denis, Tristan, Beckett, Chunlin, Mahmood, Morgan, Isabelle, Isla, Brody, Lexa, Aikam, Josiah, Lukas, Emily, Daniel, Jansen, Shay, Ian, Ella, Adrian, Usman, Navleena, Joe, Andrey, Austin, Sophia, Sage, Yi Hyun, Morgan, Ida, Brent, Emily, Marcus, Brady, Logan, Emily, Jake, John, Abbey, Josh, Ishaan, Clay, Claire, Raewyn, Daniela, Michaela, Thomas, Jennifer and Kelvin!
A big thank you to Mrs. Sidhu, Mrs. Everson, Ms. English and Mrs. Carnrite for all your work to bring your students to this outdoor education opportunity!
Many thanks to Brennan, Chris and Olivia at the Township of Langley for joining us at this activity, demonstrating leadership and sharing your expertise!
A huge thank you to Tovery Diener and Eric Fong at the Township of Langley for partnering with our charity to make this activity possible. Thanks to the Township’s direction and financial support, local youth have been able to connect to nature while making tangible environmental impacts, which is a win for community and environmental health!
Before and After Photos
(click images to make them bigger)
What this site looked like before our Green Team started working at it on Oct 7, 2021…
