Thank you Greater Victoria Green Teamers:
Adam, Alexander, Angie, Artemii, August, Azza, Brody, Chloe, Earl, Isaac, Jazie, Justin, Leia, Matias, Matthew, Miguel, Nutdanai, Otone, Rafael, Rei, Romy, Saaya, Shawn, Spenser, Tesla, Toby, Tony and Yul
It was drizzling today, but we still had a blast connecting with one another & making an impact!
Impacts
- 28 community members engaged
- 6 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 10 people visited Alumni Chip Trail for the first time
- 3 UVic students participated
- 91 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 12 cubic metres (about 75 bathtubs) of English Ivy & English Holly
Highlights
- A fawn greeted participants and wished the best for a successful day of removing invasive English ivy and creating healthier habitat for native species. The fawn was especially excited for more salal and salmonberry
- We had one person ride their bicycle and at least 10 participants take the bus
- Thank you to Leia, Azza & Matias for helping to set up snacks
- Someone walking by yelled out “GO GREEN TEAM!!”
- Participants were exchanging phone numbers at the end of the activity
- 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, Central Saanich, View Royal, Oak Bay, Coquitlam and Langley
- 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!
- We made sure everyone knew how to identify our native trailing blackberry which was growing through the English Ivy
- Our snacks included: English ivy shaped home baked sugar cookies, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, brownies, bbq chips, bananas, cinnamon rolls, apple slices and popcorn. Yummy!!
What Community Members Said
Video of Matias talking about getting out of his house contributing outdoors
Video of Issac talking about hoping to make trees happy
Video of Matthew talking about being new to Victoria & how nice it was to meet others
Video of Yul talking about how saving one tree will satisfy him!
Video of KK and Justin talking about getting rid of the English Ivy
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
Thank you to Lush for providing their fantastic shower gels, body conditioner, bath bombs, with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and made in Canada! Our participants were really happy to take these gifts home!
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.
Partnerships Managers, Kaitlin Warren, and Ashton Kerr supported this activity behind the scenes.