Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Adam, Akeem, Amanda, Benito, Charles, Chloe, Chloe, David, Dennis, Errol, Ethan, Hugh, Jacquie, Jessica, Joanne, Judy, Justin, Kathy, Kestrel, Mark, Mike, Mike, Molly, Nick, Otone, Patrick, Porter, Raphael, Richard, Robert, Ryan, Sergio, Sophia, Stephanie, Timothy, Tony & Tristan!
Spring was in the air on this empowering day spent connecting with each other and restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 37 community members engaged
- 114.5 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 2 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 21 people visited Edwards Park for the first time
- 17 cubic metres (about 106 bathtubs full) of invasive Scotch broom removed
- 627 square metres of habitat was revitalized
Highlights
- We removed lots of invasive Scotch broom of all sizes from the rocky and mossy terrain of Edwards Park, and were rewarded with spring blooms and beautiful views!
- We were glad for the rain the day before to help moisten the soil and make it easy to pull out the invasive plants. The sun also poked out and made it a perfect spring day!
- We have numerous people join who live in the neighbourhood, including Richard, Jacquie, Ryan, Stephanie and more!
- This activity built on efforts of the View Royal Habitat Restoration Project and Greater Victoria Green Team that have been going on since 2016. There’s been a noticeable positive difference being made over the years!
- Chris, View Royal’s Habitat Restoration Coordinator, helped point out and identify many native plants starting to come to life in the park, including Fawn lily, Shooting star, Camas and more!
- Seasoned volunteers from the View Royal Habitat Restoration Project joined us and led by example on how to effectively tackle these invasive plants
- Homemade vegan brownies, mandarin oranges, cucumbers, matcha mochi, veggie straws, fruit gummies, dried beans, a variety of granola bars and more were enjoyed during our break!
- Special thanks to:
- Patrick, Porter and Robbie who arrived early to help with setup!
- Robbie for helping set up our snack table beautifully, and Joanne for helping pack it all up!
- EVERYONE for helping to haul full bags of broom down the hill and pack up our car!
- Everyone put in an amazing amount of effort and made a HUGE difference on this unique ecosystem in this park!
What Community Members Said
Video of Ryan talking about how great it is to come together, get exercise and have fun, as well as the important work of the GVGT and need for more activities like these!
Video of Amanda talking meeting great people, seeing familiar faces and enjoying the nice weather!
Video of Kestrel, talking about having a great time with like-minded people from all walks of life who want to be good stewards of the land!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the Town of View Royal for providing the financial support, ecological expertise and guidance for this activity!
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 restorevr@gmail.com.
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
Thank you to LUSH for providing their fantastic shower gels, body conditioner, body lotion, and more with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and made in Canada! Our participants were really happy to take these gifts home!
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Lyda. 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!
Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager, led this activity with support from Sara Schwartz, the Greater Victoria Green Team’s Program Manager.
Lyda Salatian, Green Teams of Canada’s Executive Director, supported behind the scenes!