Thank you so much Lower Mainland Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Andre, Alex, Ayla, Brian, Christopher, Cyrus, Diana, Eli, Emily, Emma, Eric, Ethan C., Ethan M., Frank, Gary, Himston, Ho Yan, Ho Yeung, Jakob, Jan, Jasper, Jenny, Jerome, Jerry, Jinhe, John, Kay, Kelvin, Kevin, Lin, Muhammad, Patricia, Philmo, Po Chung, Radha, Skye, Steve, Takahiro, Thuong (Tammy), Yizhen (Roderick), & Yumiko!
It was a perfect day to get outside to connect with others and nature, all while restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 41 community members engaged
- 135 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 30 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 21 people visited King George Park for the first time
- 18 cubic metres (about 113 bathtubs full) of invasive Himalayan blackberry removed
- 63 square metres of habitat revitalized
Highlights
- Community members of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels joined us today, including folks from Richmond and beyond!
- This was the 2nd activity we’ve organized at King George Park
- This activity was featured in the Richmond News!
- Read the Sept 9 article here
- Or find the article on our website here
- We built on the efforts of local steward Frank who has been working hard to remove blackberry and pick up litter in King George Park! His weekly efforts here are helping to transform the park to make it healthier and safer for all
- We rescued 3 trees that were being overtaken by invasive blackberry
- Thank you to the 28th Richmond Scout Group for joining us and to Kevin and Alex for leading Scouts at this activity!
- We filled the entire bin with the invasive plants we removed!
- While removing blackberry, we got to enjoy some tasty, ripe berries
- Brownies, rice crispies, mandarin oranges, veggies with dill pickle hummus, trail mix, veggie chips, pumpkin seeds, pretzel sticks, a variety of granola bars, and more were enjoyed during our snack break
- Thank you Jan for setting up our snack table beautifully!
- Thank you to EVERYONE who helped pack up our tools and supplies!
- Skye, Ethan & Jan led the pack up of our vehicle in a very organized way – a big thank you for this!
- Steve & Eli came early and helped set up and stuck around to collect signs and pack up – a special thank you to them!
What Community Members Said
Video of Jerome talking about learning something new and meeting new people!
Video of Muhammad talking about how happy he is to participate, the sense of pride he feels to help out and encouraging others to join!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the City of Richmond for providing direction and funding through their Environmental Enhancement Grant 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
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters for donating products to show appreciation for our community members:
- LUSH for sharing their eco-friendly personal care products such as body scrubs, body wash and lotions
This Canadian business has wonderful, sustainable products that support more responsible consumer choices!
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Ashton. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Lower Mainland 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!
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!
Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager, led this activity with behind the scenes support from Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland Green Team’s Program Manager!
