This activity was organized in partnership with the Township of Langley
Thank you to all of the community members who joined us!
Alex, Anne, Aureus, Christopher, Clarence, Connor, Eric, Irene, Iris, Ivy, John, Kaly, Malina, Maria, Megan, Mira, Mohamed, Olga, Olivia, Rebecca, Reece, Renee, Salil, Sam, Shuo, Sophia, Susan, Tarrah, Victoria, and Weiny!
Community Impacts
30 community members were engaged, contributing 92 hrs to environmental action!
- 30% visited the Derek Doubleday Arboretum for the first time
- 23% removed invasive plants for the first time
17 participants completed a survey, and results showed:
- 100% felt inspired to take future environmental action
- 100% felt a sense of belonging & connection to others
- 100% felt their well-being improved
- 94% said time spent in nature contributed
- 76% said meeting people contributed
- 82% said helping the environment contributed
- 71% said feeling pride in what they did contributed
- 100% increased their understanding of environmental issues
- 82% learned new things about invasive species and why removing them is important
- 94% developed new skills (e.g. teamwork & hands-on stewardship action)
Change starts with people. To have a lasting environmental impact, people need to feel connected, capable and empowered to take action.
Our activities are designed to increase:
- Community resilience & social connection
- Well-being through time in nature
- Participation in climate & environmental action
- Awareness of environmental issues
- Connection to local places & natural areas
- A culture of volunteerism & civic engagement
Environmental Impacts
- 15 cubic metres of invasive Himalayan blackberry were removed (equivalent to the volume of 94
bathtubs!)
Highlights
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland including from Langley itself, Aldergrove, Surrey, White Rock, Vancouver, and North Vancouver!
- Environmental & social issues don’t have borders. By bringing together people from across the region, participants see others showing up to care for places beyond their own neighbourhoods. This reminds us that we share responsibility for the people & places around us, and that we’re all in this together.
- Many park-goers thanked us for our hard work!
- We saw a lovely European mantis (Mantis religiosa) climbing up a tree!
- Many delicious snacks were enjoyed during our snack break, including pumpkin spice biscotti, baby carrots, oranges, trail mix, and cheesies.
- Special thank you to:
- Olivia and Victoria who helped set up the snack break
- Connor, Mohamed, and Aureus for helping to lead clean up
- People of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels came out including families, students, working professionals, retirees, first timers, returning LMGTers and newcomers!
- We’ve been working at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum since 2024! Check out past activities below:
What Community Members Said
13 participants shared what this activity meant to them:
Video of Chris, speaking about the impact of getting outside and caring for the community!
Video of Kaly, speaking about the importance of protecting nature!
Video of Iris, speaking about the joy of being outside and helping the environment!
Community Investment Partner
Delivered in partnership with the Township of Langley, our Community Investment Partner.
Green Teams of Canada and the Township of Langley are working together to achieve our shared environmental and community objectives.
The Township provides ecological direction, while we bring expertise in community engagement – mobilizing people to take meaningful environmental action and inspiring future stewardship.
This partnership includes financial investment from the Township to build connection, improve well-being, and create lasting environmental and community impact.
Special thanks to Township staff Tovery and Zoe for their valued contributions in bringing this activity to life.
In-Kind Partner
Staff Who Made This Activity Possible
Our dedicated staff are passionate about community engagement and environmental action. Their work includes extensive outreach, activity logistics, social media, reporting on impacts, partnership building and MUCH more!
This activity was run by Paige Hunter, our Lower Mainland Green Team Program Manager with support from Lyda Salatian, our Green Teams of Canada Executive Director, and Olivia Koval, our Lower Mainland Green Team Program Assistant.
We Are All In This TOGETHER! The Future Depends on Us
The Lower Mainland Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada, engaging communities in hands-on environmental action since 2011.
We bring people together to improve well-being and inspire environmental stewardship. Through activities like invasive plant removal, native species planting, and litter clean-ups, participants take practical action and see the impact they can make.
What sets us apart is our focus on people. Our activities are inclusive and accessible to all ages, abilities and experience levels, especially those new to environmental action. Many join for the first time, deepen their understanding of environmental issues and leave feeling capable and motivated to take future action.
We also strengthen and support the broader stewardship network by working with governmental agencies, non-profits, land trusts, volunteer-led groups, schools, and businesses, bringing new people into existing efforts and expanding their reach. Many participants go on to deepen their involvement, take on leadership roles, or contribute to other initiatives.
We believe lasting environmental change starts with people. By creating meaningful opportunities for people to take part, we help build more connected, resilient communities.
We can all make a difference!