Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Adam, Allison, Asahi, Audrey, Ayzar, Cheryl, Coral, Daria, Elizaveta, Emily, Everett, Helen, Jessica, Jose, Mark, Mike, Otone, Patricia, Rosemary, Rhiannon, Shannon, Sharon, Stephanie, Tristan, and Viktor!
What a fun day we had connecting people to one another and nature, all while restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 28 community members engaged
- 122 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 7 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 14 people visited Ayum Creek Park for the first time
- 6 cubic metres (about 38 bathtubs full) of invasive ivy, and blackberry removed
- 220 square metres of habitat revitalized
Highlights
- We spent the day removing invasive plants such as English ivy, and Himalayan blackberry from the Ayum Creek Regional Park Preserve in Sooke which is managed by The Land Conservancy of British Columbia.
- During the education and safety briefing, we learned a bit about the history of this area and the ongoing restoration efforts after the land was designated to be protected.
- Habitat restoration is a very satisfying and empowering aspect of environmental stewardship in which to involve the local community and is a great way to connect people with neighbours and new friends.
- We had a lot of fun working together as a team to get out those larger plants and felt such a rewarding sense of accomplishment restoring habitat!
- Some community members had the opportunity to check out the nearby Ayum Creek and see salmon fry swimming by, helping to emphasize the interconnectedness and importance of land-based restoration especially in forests so close to bodies of water such as this one.
- Everyone loved the homemade brownies, fresh fruit and veggies, hummus, nuts, and granola bars to help keep energy levels up!
- We were joined at this activity by many active members of the community including members from the local Sooke School District, Sooke Rotary Club, Friends of Sooke Parks Society, and Juan De Fuca Community Trails Society!
- It was great to have a mix of first timers, newcomers to the community and local longtime residents together! Everyone learned more about local native and invasive species together as a community!
- Community members demonstrated a high level of engagement, ambition, and enthusiasm regarding the impact of the invasive species removal efforts.
- This activity marked the end of Earth Week – a huge week of action where the community came together to take care of the environment and one another! Our Greater Victoria Green Team ran a total of 4 activities during Earth Week, connecting 125 people with each other and nature and improving the health of local ecosystems!
- This activity also took place on the first day of National Volunteer Week! A week to honour and appreciate volunteers for all they do!
Community Investment Partner
A huge THANK YOU to The Land Conservancy of British Columbia for partnering with our charity, Green Teams of Canada, and making this activity possible with their financial support and direction!
Thank you to Maya and Frankie for helping facilitate this activity!
Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters: Green Beaver for providing their eco-friendly Maple Syrup flavoured lip balm products to our community participants to take home. 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 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
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!
Kaitlin, the Greater Victoria Green Team’s Program Manager, led this activity with support from Jace our Greater Victoria Green Team’s new Program Manager.
Lyda Salatian, our Founder and Executive Director who works hard behind the scenes to run and grow our charity, also supported this activity behind the scenes!
