A special thank you to the 11 students from W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Secondary School for joining us. Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Alison, Anand, Benjamin, Cassidy, Charles, Chloe, Connie, Danny, David, Ethan, Evan, Illia, Katherine, Krista, Mark, Maude, Melissa, Nozomi, Robbie, Samara, Sarah, Toby, Valentina
Community Impacts
23 community members were engaged, contributing 81 hrs to revitalize local habitat!
- 65% visited Highrock Cairn Park for the first time
- 30% removed invasive plants for the first time
19 participants completed a survey, and results showed:
- 89% of respondents felt inspired to take future actions to help the environment
- 100% of respondents felt a sense of belonging and connection to others
- 89% of respondents experienced a positive boost in their well-being (89% of respondents said being in nature contributed & 84% said meeting new people contributed)
- 95% of respondents increased their understanding of environmental issues
- 84% of respondents learned new things & developed skills
What a fun day we had as part of Esquimalt’s Earth Day celebrations, connecting people to one another and to nature while restoring local habitat! Keep on reading to discover the impacts, highlights, and more from the day…
Environmental Impacts
- 14 cubic metres (about 87 bathtubs full) of invasive plants removed
- 120 square metres of forest revitalized
- 46 trees and many other native plants saved from being strangled by English ivy and Himalayan blackberry
Highlights
- This activity took place as part of the Township of Esquimalt’s annual Earth Day celebration!
- We spent the day leading community members through removing invasive English ivy, and Himalayan blackberry plants from Highrock Cairn Park while many festivities took place throughout the park including info booths from local organizations, goats eating invasive plants, and youth from many local schools participating in a variety of hands-on activities.
- It was a beautiful sunny spring day and the perfect way to celebrate nature together!
- We were joined by staff from BC Ferries who were on site working together to help revitalize Highrock Park!
- 11 students from W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Secondary School joined us near the end of the day AND helped with cleaning up: thank you for your help!
- Special shoutout and thank you to community member Ethan who helped with set up, facilitation, site cleanup, and pack up of the activity!
- Thank you to Sarah and Cass for helping set up all the yummy snacks!
- It was a very rewarding and empowering experience to return to this park and see the impact we had during last year’s Earth Day celebration and continue the great restoration work!
- We saw lots of wildlife throughout the park including many different types of birds and lots of worms!
- Big thanks to Chloe, Robbie, Charles, Danny, and Ethan for arriving early to help clear out invasive daphne!
- Habitat restoration is a very satisfying and empowering aspect of environmental stewardship in which to involve the local community and is a great way to connect people with neighbours and new friends.
- Ethan and Chloe had a great time removing a HUGE holly root. Good work team!
- Everyone loved the brownies, oatmeal cookies, fresh fruit and veggies, fruit leather, corn chips, veggie straws, celebration cookies, granola bars, and more yummy snacks to help keep energy levels up!
- Community members and passersby enjoyed the additional education provided by our plant signs, learning about identification in a fun, creative way!
- People came to this activity from all over the region. It was great to have a mix of first timers, newcomers to the community, and local longtime residents together! Everyone learned more about local native and invasive species together as a community!
- Krista found a coniferous cone with mushrooms growing out of it!
9 People shared what this activity meant to them.
Video of Valentina talking about helping the environment and making new friends!
Video of Katie talking about connecting with people and doing work that is great for mental health.
Video of Cassidy, talking about feeling productive, meeting new people, and playing in the dirt!
Video of Mark, talking about clearing out abandoned blackberry canes for fire safety.
Community Investment Partner
A huge THANK YOU to the Township of Esquimalt for working with our charity, Green Teams of Canada, and for providing the financial support, ecological expertise and guidance for this activity!
Through this partnership, we are creating opportunities for community members to come together, connect with each other and nature, and take care of the environment!
In-Kind Support
Thank you to LUSH for providing their fantastic shower gels, body conditioner, body lotion, and more 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 Sara. 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, 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 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 Sara Schwartz, the Greater Victoria Green Team’s Program Manager, with support from Ashton Kerr, the Acting Partnership and Program Director.