Thank you so much everyone for joining us at this beautiful Oak Bay Park!
Camila, Chantal, Christina, Connor, Danielle, Elouise, Elizabeth, Emiko, Gurman, Harinder, Heather, Jenn, Jennifer, Jing, Karen, Kyrie, Leslie, Lucas, Mieka, Niko, Nikolai, Ridhi, Robyn, Rosanna, Sarah, Sophie, Sukhdev & Tristan!
We had a great time in beautiful Anderson Hill Park in the District of Oak Bay!
Keep reading for our impacts, highlights, and more from the day!
Impacts
- 28 community members were engaged!
- 3 participants visited Anderson Hill Park for the first time
- 5 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
- 92.5 hours were contributed towards restoring local habitat
- 6.7 cubic metres (44 bathtubs!) of invasive Himalayan Blackberry and Periwinkle were removed!
Highlights
- Participants said they were excited to see whales, remove invasive blackberry, listen to birds, see ships, meet people, enjoy the coastal breeze, and to check out this park for the first time!
- Our work helped build on previous stewardship activities! Read about our last activities here below:
- We had tasty snacks including fresh grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts, one bite brownies, granola bars, pretzels & more!
- Special thank you to:
- Lucas, Jennifer & Sophie for coming early and helping carry all the tools, table, tent etc.
- Everyone for helping to pack up at the end of the activity!
- Lucas, Jennifer & Sophie for coming early and helping carry all the tools, table, tent etc.
- There were Camas Lily plants all around us at this site, which is native to the Garry oak ecosystem.
- Anderson Hill Park is a treasured ecologically significant area, home to some of the last few remaining Garry Oak ecosystems! Learn more on the District of Oak Bay website here
Video of Harinder talking about helping the community and the ecosystem!
Video of Sukhdev talking about the meaningful experience of participating in a Green Team activity!
Video of Elouise talking about the joy and satisfaction of removing Himalayan blackberry!
Video of Robyn talking about the great workout that is habitat restoration!
Video of Kyrie and Camila talking about their immersive wildlife experience!
Video of Ridhi talking about her experience of Green Team activities!
Video of Sophie talking about the satisfaction of removing invasive plants!
Video of Jenny sharing her favourite part of the activity!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the District of Oak Bay for partnering with our charity, Green Teams of Canada, and making this activity possible with their financial support and direction!
Fun fact, Chris Hyde-Lay, District of Oak Bay Manager, Parks Services, played a role in encouraging the creation of the Greater Victoria Green Team way back in 2013!
Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.
Collaborator
THANK YOU to Christina Johnson-Dean for co-leading this activity. Christina has been stewarding this park since 1993, and has been KEY to taking care of this ecosystem by hosting regular stewardship activities.
If you are interested in joining the dedicated group of folks who take care of this park weekly, you can find them in Anderson Hill Park almost every Saturday from 10am – 12pm! Email Christina to join her at: cjohnsondean@gmail.com
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporter!
Lush for providing their fantastic shower gels & body conditioner with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, made in Canada!
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Kaitlin Warren. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Greater Victoria 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, litter clean-ups and more, 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 behaviour 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 Possible
Our staff work hard to run high-quality community activities. Outreach, activity logistics, social media, reporting on impacts, partnership building and more – they do it all!
This activity was run by Greater Victoria Green Team’s new Program Manager, Jace.
This activity was supported by Kaitlin, Greater Victoria Green Team Partnerships Manager.
Lyda , our Founder and Executive Director who works hard behind the scenes to run and grow our charity, also supported this activity!
