Invasive Himalayan Blackberry Removal – Reg Franklin Park, Maple Ridge

March 9, 2024

Thank you so much Lower Mainland Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:

Adam, Annie, Anu, Anwar, Arshpreet, Behnam, Bonnie, Cathy, Darcy, Don, Dornan, Janaka, Lan, Leilani, Liyuan, Megan, Mina, Monica, Neena, Ray, Reenaz, Rene, Steven, Sue, Tao, William, and Yanan

Even though gusty wind conditions called for an early end to our activity, everyone was dedicated and wanting to continue our work. It felt like we were only just getting started! We made the best of the weather and still had fun connecting with one another and nature, all while restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…

Impacts

26 community members engaged
47.5 hours contributed to habitat restoration
15 people visited this park for the first time
11 people removed invasive plants for the first time
4 cubic metres of invasive plants were removed (equivalent to the volume of 25 bathtubs!)
116 square metres of habitat revitalized

Highlights

This was our very FIRST activity of the year!
This activity was featured in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News TWICE! Read the articles below (or find them under the Media Coverage section of our website):
- Feb 18, 2024
- Mar 14, 2024
We got to share our brand new educational plant signs in person! Megan Walker, past Lower Mainland Green Team (LMGT) Program Coordinator and Coquitlam youth, worked with us at Green Teams of Canada and talented artist Vicky Earle on this project to educate and engage community members in a fun way at our activities. See a photo of Megan with her signs above!
Maple Ridge city Councillor and lifetime member with Alouette River Management Society (ARMS), Ahmed Yousef joined this activity, and expressed his gratitude for the impact of our work and all of the wonderful community members who came out to make a difference!
Our Founder and Executive Director, Lyda, joined us today, along with past LMGT Program Coordinators Megan Walker and Reenaz Nawar who were hired through our Youth Leadership Program!
Everyone enjoyed our homemade vegan brownies and fresh veggies before heading home for the day
Community members joined this activity from municipalities across the Lower Mainland including Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam, Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Langley, North Vancouver, and Burnaby!
We all helped build on 4 years of ongoing restoration initiatives at this park by both LMGT and ARMS by clearing away invasive blackberry to make space to plant native shrubs!
All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels were engaged including families with young kids, newcomers from Iran, returning Green Team members, and first-timers!
All our community members were so understanding and appreciative of us wrapping up our activity early due to the weather. We always prioritize safety and fun and want to make sure everyone has the best experience!

"I'm happy because I participated in the first event of 2024 for the Green Team. When you volunteer with a team that values volunteers and puts all its efforts into organizing and fully preparing for the event, you see this in the faces of the volunteers. Today's event was beautiful despite the strong winds, but we are proud of what we, the volunteers, have accomplished. Thank you very much for your support and for giving us such opportunities to serve our environment.”

"I feel like they went above and beyond to craft an enjoyable experience. I feel the impacts of this program are community building, connecting to nature and physical activity"

"I enjoyed the fun energy of the co coordinators and would like to see more frequent opportunities in Maple Ridge. I feel the impacts of this program are community awareness, environmental awareness and many small improvements in and around the lower mainland over many years"

Community Investment Partners and Sponsors

THANK YOU to the Alouette River Management Society for providing direction and ecological expertise to guide this activity!

Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.

In-Kind Support

Thank you to the fantastic local eco-friendly business LUSH that donated In-kind products for our hard-working community members to take home!

Please contact Ashton Kerr. if you are interested in providing in-kind.

Why 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!

Staff Who Made This Activity Possible

Lower Mainland Green Team Program Manager, Ashton Kerr, and Program Coordinator, Andrea Robles, work hard behind the scenes to bring these high-quality activities to you.

Partnership building, outreach, social media, activity logistics, leading on-the-ground, reporting on impacts and more – they can do it all!