Invasive Blackberry Removal at Meadows Edge Park, Langley – August 27, 2023

Highlights From The Day

• 21 amazing members of the community joined us and contributed 66 hours total!
  • Thank you so much for your hard work and enthusiasm on this hot day: Aaron, Alexis, Alysa, Carissa, Cary, Francis, James A., James L., Jennifer, Julie, Kirk, Leslie, Lisa, Liz, Maryam, Natalie, Roland, Roseanna, Sam, Yathharthha and Yvonne!
    • Roland, Natalie, Roseanna and Sam live beside the park and often care for it. They were excited to do so among other community members for this activity!
    • Yathharthha joined us for both of our activities this weekend – read about the litter cleanup he joined us at on Saturday Aug 26 in Burnaby HERE!
    • Thank you to everyone who helped pack up, with special thanks to Alexis and Francis!

• Together our team:
  • Removed a volume of 6 cubic metres (37 bathtubs full) of invasive Himalayan blackberry, including SO many stubborn roots which require more effort to remove, but take up less volume
  • Removed invasive blackberry from an area of 75 metres squared
• Scroll down to see before and after photos, as well as some in-action shots!

• All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels were engaged including families, returning Green Team volunteers, and first-timers!
  • 13 people visited Meadows Edge Park for the first time
  • 11 people removed invasive plants for the first time
  • Our Green Team brought together people from all over the Lower Mainland including Langley, Surrey, Burnaby, North Vancouver and Vancouver!

• We worked alongside the amazing Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) for this activity!

• Our Community Investment Partner, the Township of Langley, provided direction and funding to make this activity possible!

Before & After Photos

Photos of the all the blackberry we removed, including too many stubborn roots to count!

Why Do We Do This Work?

The Lower Mainland Green Team organizes hands-on educational activities that have a positive environmental impact to empower people. Through activities such as invasive plant removals, plantings, litter cleanups and more, we are fostering connections with others and nature so that health and well-being is prioritized, lifelong environmental stewardship is promoted, and community members are enabled to take care of themselves, each other and the places they live. We all have the power to make a difference!

We all experience mental and physical health benefits from spending time in nature, including reduced stress and anxiety, and improved mood, focus, memory and more. While doing so, we can also have a positive impact on the environment as demonstrated through this activity!

Partner For This Activity

A big thank you to the Township of Langley for partnering with our charity, Green Teams of Canada and providing the financial support and direction to make this activity possible – thank you Brennan and Eric!

Through this partnership we are combining our strengths to achieve our common goals – a win for all! Thank you Township of Langley for investing in your community and environment through our work. Together we are restoring habitat and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship!

We look forward to returning to this park to continue our restoration work together!

Collaborator for This Activity

We were so excited to be working alongside the Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) for this activity – thank you Lisa!

As a leading environmental organization in the Fraser Valley since 1993, LEPS actively partners with local environmental stewardship groups to engage the public in a variety of initiatives that contribute to a healthy community. Working towards enacting their mission of “protecting and restoring the environment through education, cooperation and action” and fostering a balanced approach to sustainable living.

Learn more about the amazing work LEPS is doing in the Langley area and how you can get involved on their website HERE. Make sure to subscribe to their monthly newsletter!

What Volunteers Said

“I enjoyed feeling the satisfaction of clipping, pulling and digging blackberries. Meeting Ashton the first time. Working with like minded individuals.

A small step in restoring the ecosystem in the park. Helping turn strangers into acquaintances and encouraging people to take part in community events.

The variety of snacks is amazing and delicious.”

– Leslie

“Everything about it was great. It was very well-organized. There was more than enough equipment and tools for everyone. The organizers were very attentive and encouraging. They also gave us a ton of snacks!

It has helped to improve the park by making it safer and cleaner and more usable, and biodiversity will be improved once native plants are brought in. It gave people in the neighbourhood a chance to connect with each other and give back to the community.”

– Natalie

In-Action Photos

Sam did an awesome job helping set up our snacks for everyone!

Diana, long time Lower Mainland Green Team volunteer and her son Alexander (future green teamer!) stopped by to say hi, see everyone in action and help us eat watermelon!

Ashton, the Lower Mainland Green Team‘s Program Manager going around misting volunteers with water to keep them cool in the heat!

In-Kind Supporters

Thank you to the following businesses for donating items to thank our amazing volunteers:

• LUSH for providing Sleepy Lotion and Dirty/Sparkle Toothpaste Tablets
• Tru Earth for providing Laundry Detergent Strips
• Nature Bee for providing multi-purpose spray tablets
• OLA Bamboo for providing reusable bamboo cutlery sets
• Carina Organics for providing natural shampoo and body wash
• Earth Rated for providing biodegradable dog poop bags
• Elate Cosmetics for providing lip stick pencils made with natural ingredients

Our Staff

This activity was led by the Lower Mainland Green Team‘s Program Manager Ashton Kerr (far left) and Green Teams of Canada‘s founder and Executive Director, Lyda Salatian, (second from left) who also founded our Lower Mainland Green Team in 2011!

Two staff from our sister program, the Greater Victoria Green Team, joined us from Vancouver Island to see our program in action! Thank you to Kaitlin Warren (second from right), Program Manager, and Severine Tyszewicz (far right), Program Coordinator, for making the trek!

THANK YOU!