Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Aarav, Adam, Angie, August, Azza, Belal, Blair, Blythe, Brody, Chloe D., Chloe D.B., Clayton, Corbin, Corey, Daiang, Eric, Hana, Hinata, Kaman, Lauren K, Lauren J, Leia, Lucas, Lydia, Marcus, Meng, Mike, Nadia, Otone, Ryan, Sariah, Shannon, Sophia, Spenser, Tesla, Trevor, Will, Xing & Zihan !
Rain or shine, we always have fun making an impact and connecting with each other! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 39 community members engaged
- 7 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 14 people visited Alumni Chip Trail for the first time
- 120 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 8 cubic metres (about 50 bathtubs) of English Ivy
- 30 trees freed from invasive English Ivy
- 200 square metres of habitat was revitalized
Highlights
- This wasn’t our first and won’t be our last time at Alumni Chip Trail! Read summaries of recent activities in this part of campus below:
- Community members joined us from across the Greater Victoria region including from Victoria, Saanich, Langford, Colwood, Esquimalt, View Royal, & Oak Bay
- 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!
- When we asked participants about their favourite outdoor hobbies we heard: hiking, swimming, spending time at the beach, badminton, pulling invasive plants, rock climbing, cycling, cooking and going for walks in nature
- 10 participants took the bus and 2 rode their bicycles to this activity
- Thank you to Blair for helping to set up snacks
- Thank you to everyone and in particular Adam and Otone for helping to pack up
- We had someone from Friends of Beacon Hill Park come by and give us a big thumbs up for the work we were doing!
- Many people walking the trail thanked the participants for freeing the trees from English Ivy
- We had participants from China and Japan
- We made sure to untangle the English Ivy from the ton of native trailing blackberry we found.
- Our snacks included: mini muffins, sugar donuts, oreo cookies, bananas, mandarins, carrots, granola bars, apple slices, macaroons, cheddar chips apple juices and a variety of bublys,
- The weather held out and it was a lovely fall day!
What Community Members Said
Video of Spenser talking about connecting to community & the environment
Video of Brody talking about pulling ivy his whole life especially around UVic
Video of Lydia & Sariah talking about learning about ivy killing trees, meeting new people & having fun
Video of Nadia & Will talking about having a good work out, great impact on the environment and having fun
Video of Kaman talking about being happy to participate in this activity
Video of Marcus talking about learning about invasive plants in Victoria
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to UVic’s Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability (special thanks to Claire, & Peter) for partnering and working 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.
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters for donating products to show appreciation for our community members:
- LUSH for sharing their eco-friendly personal care products such as body scrubs, body wash and lotions
- Gathering Place Trading for sharing their fair-trade and organic spices
These Canadian businesses have 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 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.
This activity was run by Green Teams of Canada’s Founder and Executive Director, Lyda, and Greater Victoria Green Team Program Assistant, Nicola.
Partnerships Manager, Kaitlin Warren, supported this activity behind the scenes.