Girl Guides Invasive Blackberry & Ivy Removal at Hoffmann Park, Pitt Meadows – June 1, 2023

Highlights From The Day

• 47 local Girl Guides participated and contributed a total of 73.5 hours towards restoring habitat!
  • Thank you so much for all of your hard work and enthusiasm:
    • 1st Pitt Meadows Rainbow Rangers (ages 15-17): Kiki and Tessa!
    • 1st Pitt Meadows Rainbow Pathfinders (ages 12-14): Aitana, Alexis, Allie, Brenna, Collette, Danika, Kim, Laura, Mekina, Olivia, Rachel and Sienna!
    • 1st Pitt Meadows Rainbow Guides (ages 9-11): Allison, Amelia, Amélie, Aura, Casey, Charlotte, Chloe, Emma H, Emma KJ, Hanna, Heidi, Kaia, Kallie, Keirra, Léa, Madeleine, Molly, Ryanna, Rylee, Sabrina and Violette!
    • 1st Pitt Meadows Rainbow Embers (ages 7-8): Amorie, Brielle, Ever, Janine, Miya, Olivia and Mila!
    • 1st Pitt Meadows Rainbow Sparks (ages 5-6): Cassidy, Kelsey, Penelope, Saoirse and Stella!

• All of the girls had been to Hoffmann Park before, but engaged with this beautiful green space in a new way!
• 24 of the girls removed invasive plants for the first time

• Together these Girl Guides:
  • Removed a volume of 10 cubic metres (63 bathtubs full) of invasive English ivy, Himalayan blackberry (including many stubborn blackberry roots) and English holly
    • English ivy is a common invasive plant found in forests, gardens and even as house plants. Creating a thick mat on the forest floor, English ivy suffocates shrubs, ferns and climbs up trees, adding extra weight and competing with the tree for resources. It can kill a mature tree in as little as 10 years! 
    • Although Himalayan blackberry produces delicious berries humans and wildlife both enjoy, it’s an aggressive invasive plant that overtakes anything in its path. This limits biodiversity, habitat and food sources for wildlife in seasons when the plant is not fruiting. Blackberry roots require more effort to remove and don’t take up much volume, but removing them significantly reduces the chances of plant regrowth.
    • English holly is an invasive tree with dense, evergreen leaves that shade out native plants and young trees in forest settings.
• Removed invasive plants from an area of 152 metres squared
  • By removing these invasive plants we are creating space for more biodiversity, which in turn will help make the area more resilient, functional and beautiful!
• It was such an empowering and impactful day! We were so impressed with the positive attitudes, energy and efforts by these young ladies. Scroll down to see before and after photos, as well as some in-action shots!

• This activity was featured in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News on June 6, 2023. READ THE ARTICLE HERE!

• This activity was made possible thanks to partnership and funding provided by the City of Pitt Meadows, Girl Guides Pitt Meadows Rainbow Unit and Maple Meadows Chiropractic!

• Special thanks to Girl Guides Mekina, Léa, Charlotte, Amy and Emily who shared the idea for this activity with their Girl Guides Unit Leader!

Before & After Photos

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 helping people foster connections with others and nature so that their 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!

Partners For This Activity

A huge THANK YOU to the City of Pitt Meadows, Girl Guides Pitt Meadows Rainbow Unit and Maple Meadows Chiropractic for partnering with us and providing funding to make this activity possible!

A few of the Girl Guides previously participated in a Lower Mainland Green Team activity with their school and loved their experience so much, they wanted to see an activity engaging their Girl Guide Unit! Thank you Mekina, Léa, Charlotte, Amy and Emily for sharing the idea for this experience your Girl Guides unit! Thank you to Crystal Boser and Andy Messner for helping make this idea come to life.

Through this partnered activity, we were able to foster deeper connections between these local girls and their community, empower them to be strong leaders and make responsible environmental choices by showing them the positive impact they can have! Thank you for your investment in our important work and these powerful young ladies.

In-Action Photos

Our Staff

This activity was led by the Lower Mainland Green Team‘s Program Manager Ashton Kerr (left) and Green Teams of Canada‘s founder and Executive Director, Lyda Salatian, (right) who also founded our Lower Mainland Green Team in 2011!

THANK YOU!