Thank you to our Greater Victoria Green Team community members who joined this activity:
Alexis, Arveen, Aurora, Charles, Chloe, Corey, Dafne, Giulia, Jaxon, Kevin, Marco, Maria, Mark, Maxine, Merryl, Miller, Myra, Nicholas, Nick, Samara, Shannon, Summer, Toby, Tristan, Vincent, and Yuka
A day full of connection, hands-on work, and positive impact on this important habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights, and more from the day…
Impacts
- 26 community members engaged
- 14 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 17 people visited Dickson Woods for the first time
- 77 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 6.5 cubic metres (about 40 bathtubs full) of invasive English ivy removed
- 30 trees and many other native plants saved from being strangled by English ivy
Highlights
- We introduced our new participant survey to begin measuring the human impact of our work, capturing things like sense of belonging, connection to nature, environmental awareness, well-being and skill development (we will share the results soon…)
- A wonderful family of four, Mark, Merryl, Maxine & Summer, joined us and worked together to remove ivy. It was awesome to see the whole family working side by side.
- We had a fun contest to see who could get the longest ivy vine. Congrats to Miller for the big win! A big thank you to the Victoria Airport Authority for the delicious, local honey prize from their pollinator garden.
- The sugar cookies in the shape of invasive ivy were a hit again!
- Community members of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels joined us today, including folks from Sidney, Saanich, Central Saanichton, Gordon Head, Victoria, Esquimalt, View Royal, Cordova Bay, and Oak Bay.
- We had many yummy snacks & drinks including: sugar cookies in the shape of English ivy leaves, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, bananas, mandarins, grapes, popcorn, brownies, cinnamon rolls, strawberry glazed pretzels, fruit sticks and more!
- Myra helped guide participants to the designated parking area
- This was the first of 5 activities we’re organizing at Dickson Woods in 2026 in partnership with the Victoria Airport Authority and we’re excited to see you all at the next ones!
- See summaries from past activities here:
- Tristan supported participant check-in, greetings, and packing up the car.
- Myra and Arveen helped set up and clean up all the tasty snacks.
- Corey found a crow skull underneath all the ivy!
- Dafne, Guilia, and Aurora joined us while on their exchange semester visiting from Italy!
What Community Members Said
Video of Shannon talking about the importance of protecting our forests!
Video of Miller talking about the impacts made by connecting with each other and allowing the native species to thrive when removing the ivy.
Video of Samara talking about how nice it is to meet new people and see the impacts of pulling ivy!
Video of Summer talking about how nice it is to make friends and save the trees.
Video of Alexis talking about how nice it is to save a park from invasive ivy that is so close to home!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the Victoria Airport Authority for providing the financial support, ecological expertise and guidance for this activity!
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.
We have four more activities coming up, in partnership with the Victoria Airport Authority, and are excited to be returning to Dickson Woods for all of them to build on our incredible work so far!
In-Kind Support
Thank you to LUSH for providing their fantastic shower gels, body conditioner and bath bombs that use natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and are made in Canada! Our participants were excited to take these gifts home.
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Sara. 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 dedicated team is passionate about creating engaging, high-quality activities that foster a sense of belonging, connection to nature while raising environmental awareness. We strive to make a positive impact on our environment and to build a thriving community that cares for it.
Lyda Salatian, Green Teams of Canada’s Executive Director co-lead this activity with support from Sara Schwartz, the Greater Victoria Green Team’s new Program Manager.