Thank you to everyone who participated in this invasive blackberry removal!
Allain, Althea, Amos, Andrea, Andrew, Andy, Anegus, Antony, Avery, Benjamin, Chloe, David, Davis, Dorothy, Edward, Elvis, Enid, Geoff, Hank, Heather, Ian (Yuzeng), Jie, Joshua, Katie, Kurtis, Liam, Michael, Nobu, Patrick, Polina, Ranjit, Roger, Ryan, Sanji, and Saurabh!
We had a beautiful day amidst the trees of Ruth Johnson park with the warm winds of Spring in the air!
Impacts
- 35 community members were engaged
- 20 participants visited Routley Park for the first time
- 18 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
- 107 hours were contributed towards restoring local habitat
- 12 cubic metres (75 bathtubs) of invasive English Ivy, English Holly, and Periwinkle was removed!
- 197 square metres of habitat revitalized
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland including from White Rock, South Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Surrey, and North Vancouver!
- Our activities are designed to foster a sense of community that extends beyond municipal borders. By engaging community members from across the region, we are reminded that we are part of a larger, interconnected community and have a shared responsibility of creating a cleaner, healthier environment regardless of where we call home
Highlights
- We built on work we’ve done at this park in the past extending back 13 years! Read summaries and check out photos of some of the past activities in this area of the park:
- Nov 9 2024 (when we planted 376 native shrubs!)
- May 25 2024
- Mar 23 2024 (look at the ivy on the path we worked along!)
- Oct 22 2023 (one of our first times in the area!)
- This activity was featured in the Peace Arch News!
- Several returning LMGT members came out after working on this area of the park at these activities last Fall, excited to continue their efforts!
- Ranjit offered to take some beautiful photos of our team in action with his nice camera, and received great pointers from Sam, who is a professional photographer!
- Liam and Nobu were our youngest participants and helped pull ivy alongside all ages!
- At break time, participants welcomed the return of Ashton‘s brownies and a selection of tasty snacks!
- Thank you to Anegus who donated some tarps and a pair of loppers!
- Shoutout to Avery for taking the initiative to set up the snacks for everyone to enjoy!
- Thank you to Andrea who brought her friend Allain, and continues to spread the word about our activities to others in the community!
- Thanks to Polina who handed out parking passes and helped direct people as someone who knows their way around the park having helped remove invasive plants here in the past!
- Shoutout to Amos and others for helping to pack up the car today!
What Community Members Said
Video of Davis & David, talking about the benefits of experiencing restoration work in the park!
Video of Dorothy, speaking about how much she enjoys helping this park thrive!
Video of Heather, talking about the community building focus of our activities and working towards a common cause that’s positive!
Video of Patrick, talking about making a positive impact on our communities & native ecosystems!
Video of Ian, joining us for the first time to help maintain the environment while meeting new friends!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the City of White Rock for being a Community Investment Partner and providing the financial support and direction to make our work in White Rock possible! Special thanks to Jim, Justin, Spencer and Ralph.
This activity was a great success and together we made a significant impact on the health and well-being of community members and the environment!
This was the first of 8 activities we are organizing in partnership with the City of White Rock this year. Stay tuned for our next to be posted on Meetup soon!
The Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager, Ashton, gave a presentation to White Rock Mayor and Council on Mar 10, 2025 summarizing our 2024 impacts together. Watch her 5 min delegation HERE (go to the 8:00 mark)!
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters: OLA Bamboo, Gathering Place Trading & MYNI for providing their products to our community members to take home. These businesses have great items that support more responsible consumer choices!
OLA Bamboo is a Canadian company with a mission to help reduce plastic waste by offering eco-friendly products that are affordable and easy to use.
Gathering Place Trading is a BC family business offering spices, teas and more from who embrace stewardship of the Earth, sustainable farming practices, fair trade and equal pay, and a commitment to high quality.
MYNI is a Quebec based company with a mission to offer environmentally friendly and affordable alternatives to traditional cleaning products.
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Ashton Kerr. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Lower Mainland 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, litter clean-ups and more, 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!
GTC Staff Who Made This Activity Happen!
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 Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland 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!