This activity was organized in partnership with the Town of View Royal
Thank you to all of the community members who joined us!
Charles, Chloe, Derry, Ida, Isaac, Judy, Patrick, Rafael, Rosie, Terry, Tristan & Vincent
Community Impacts
13 community members were engaged, contributing 40 hrs to environmental action!
- 69% visited this trail for the first time
- 8% removed invasive plants for the first time
5 participants completed a survey, and results showed:
- 80% felt inspired to take future environmental action
- 100% felt a sense of belonging & connection to others
- 100% felt their well-being improved
- 80% said time spent in nature contributed
- 100% said being physically active contributed
- 80% increased their understanding of environmental issues
- 80% gained practical knowledge (e.g. impacts of invasive species, and how environmental activities like this are planned & run)
- 80% 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
- 2.5 cubic metres of invasive Himalayan Blackberry were removed (equivalent to the volume of 15.5 bathtubs!)
- We focused on removing stubborn blackberry roots, which take up less volume but require more effort!
- Removing blackberry roots is essential to reducing the chances of plant regrowth!
- 160 square metres of habitat were revitalized!
Highlights
- Community members joined us from across Greater Victoria including from View Royal itself, Langford, Colwood, Saanich, Victoria, Saanichton, and Sooke!
- 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.
- We had 3 wonderful visits from different four-legged friends, Marlo, Muffin, & Shadow!
- Many neighbours stopped by to find out more about how they can help out!
- Neighbours shared lots of words of encouragement!
- We found multiple worms enjoying the soil!
- Many delicious snacks were enjoyed during our snack break, including homemade vegan and gluten free cupcakes, pickle chips, popcorn, cucumbers, oranges, fruit snacks, various types of granola bars, sparkling water, juice and more!
- Special thank you to:
- Derry, Patrick, Rosie, Chris, and Judy for staying behind to help move the final piles!
- Terry and his gumboots for stepping on the pile to help flatten it down!
- EVERYONE for showing up to have an impact and pack up tools!
- People of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels came out including families, students, working professionals, retirees, first timers, returning GVGTers and newcomers!
- We’ve been working at this trail and Lund Rd Protection Area since 2020! Read about and see photos from other activities at this park:
What Community Members Said
3 participants shared what this activity meant to them:
Video of Derry, speaking about enjoying his time removing invasive species and making new friends!
Community Investment Partner
Delivered in partnership with the Town of View Royal, our Community Investment Partner.
Green Teams of Canada and the Town are working together to achieve our shared environmental and community objectives.
The Town 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 Town to build connection, improve well-being, and create lasting environmental and community impact.
Special thanks to Chris, View Royal’s Habitat Restoration Coordinator, for helping to facilitate this activity and for bringing members of the View Royal Habitat Restoration Project to join!
Learn more about and get involved with the Town of View Royal’s habitat restoration program HERE and/or email Chris, the Habitat Restoration Coordinator at [email protected].
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 Chevy Alexander, and Ashley Bell, our Greater Victoria Program Managers.
We Are All In This TOGETHER! The Future Depends on Us
The Greater Victoria Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada, engaging communities in hands-on environmental action since 2014.
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!