Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Allison, Anju, Artemiza, Ayaka, Bahare, Bryan, Caleb, Charlotte, Chloe B, Chloe D, Elsie, Emanuelle, Felix, German & his family, Iris, Isaac, Laura, Leia, Luyang, Maestar, Mark, Mason, Noor, Owen, Payton, Peizhi, Preston, Sean, Sherwin & Tracy!
Ocean and mountain views? You bet! It was a beautiful summer day spent connecting with each other and to nature, all while restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 32 community members engaged
- 102 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 18 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 25 people visited Longworth Trail for the first time
- 10 cubic metres (about 63 bathtubs full) of invasive Himalayan blackberry removed
- 78 square metres of habitat revitalized
Highlights
- We spent this hot sunny day enjoying beautiful ocean and mountain views while also making an impact!
- There was a real sense of community at this activity, with everyone working together with people they just met to tackle this stubborn invasive plant!
- We could feel the heat! Our water spray bottles helped turn this trail into a spray park, with the helping hands of some of our youngest volunteers to mist people!
- Dragan, who lives right beside the trail, and Alannah, who lives a few doors down, both came out to express their gratitude to us for taking care of the trail and were eager to help spread the word and join in the future too!
- Jack, who lives beside the trail, was very kind and helpful by letting us refill our water jugs at his home!
- Hydrating and refreshing watermelon was devoured at our snack break, along with, homemade vegan brownies, blackberry lemonade (take that Himalayan blackberry!), dill pickle dried cucumber snacks, Munchies chips, cucumbers, tempura crisps, fruit gummies, a variety of granola bars, strawberry Pocky sticks, and more!
- A big thank you to EVERYONE who helped pack up our tools and supplies!
- Special thank you to Mason and Noor who helped with set up, and Bryan and Mason for helping with additional takedown and pack up!
- Everyone put in an amazing amount of effort and made a HUGE difference at this beautiful trail!
What Community Members Said
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the City of Colwood 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
A big thank you to our in-kind supporter LUSH for providing their eco-friendly personal care products for community members to take home!
Participants enjoyed taking soap bars, bombs, body wash, and lotions in recycled and reusable containers.
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 Kaitlin. 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 the Greater Victoria Green Team’s new Program Manager, Heather, and Program Assistant, Aaliyah, with support from special visitor Ashton, Lower Mainland Green Team Partnerships Manager! This was both Heather and Aaliyah’s second time leading an activity after being community volunteers themselves. They are very excited to be part of our team!
Interim Partnerships Manager, Kaitlin, who works hard behind the scenes to run and grow our Greater Victoria Green Team, also supported this activity behind the scenes!
