Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Andrea, Asher, Atsumi, Charlotte, Chika, Chloe, Chris, Don, Evan, Evie, Felicity, Hikair, Hyungwoo, Jawin, JoeAnn, Linus, Livleen, Mark, Matthew, Noor, Ray, Rino, Saki, and Wayne!
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
- 25 community members engaged
- 80 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 9 people removed invasive English Ivy for the first time
- 10 people visited this park for the first time
- 12 cubic metres (75 bathtubs full) of invasive ivy removed
- 115 square metres of habitat revitalized
Highlights
- This was our first activity in Oak Bay this year! We joined the Friends of Uplands Park Society and learned about the amazing restoration that has been happening in this sensitive ecosystem since the 1990’s!
- Running during Make A Difference Week, this activity was part of the Society for Ecological Restoration’s Decade on Ecological Restoration!
- Evan, a program coordinator with the Wild Outside Program, brought some young members of the community to learn about this unique park and take part in the habitat restoration initiatives!
- We received a generous donation of baked goods from The Allenby Coffee Bar to help keep energy levels up on this sunny spring day! Thank you Allenby Coffee Bar for your support of our Team!
- Many community members stayed to help with pack up: thank you so much! Your extra help was so appreciated!
- Community members enjoyed the additional education provided by the plant signs, learning about identification in a fun, creative way!
- Uplands Park is a popular greenspace for the community, proving gorgeous ocean views, unique trails and pathways!
- Uplands Park is also a treasured ecologically significant area, home to at least 20 endangered species, and one of the last few remaining Garry Oak ecosystems! Learn more on the District of Oak Bay website here
- All ages, backgrounds, and experience levels were engaged including nearby residents, newcomers to Victoria, returning Green Team members, and first-timers!
Community Investment Partner
A huge THANK YOU to the District of Oak Bay for partnering with our charity, Green Teams of Canada, and making this activity possible with their financial support and direction!
Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.
THANK YOU to Friends of Uplands Park Society for helping us run this activity!
The Friends of Uplands Park Society has been stewarding this park for decades, taking care to preserve this integral ecosystem by hosting regular events with their No Ivy League!
To learn more about Friends of Uplands Park Society and to get involved visit their website here
In-Kind Support
Thank you to the fantastic Canadian eco-friendly businesses If You Care, Green Beaver, and Honey Candles for donating in-kind for our hard-working community members to take home!
Please contact Kaitlin Warren. if you are interested in providing in-kind.
Thank you to the local cafe The Allenby Coffee Bar for donating fresh baked goodies for our community members to enjoy during our snack break! The tasty treats were really appreciated!
Please contact Kaitlin Warren. if you are interested in providing in-kind.
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
Greater Victoria Green Team Program Manager, Kaitlin Warren and Program Coordinator, Severine Tyszewicz, 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!
Severine was hired as part of Green Teams of Canada’s Youth Leadership Program, intended to empower the next generation of environmentally-focused community organizing.