Thank you so much Greater Victoria Green Team participants for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Amanda, Annabel, Ava, Brandi, Bryce, Camila, Carrie, Casey, Chloe D., Chloe P., Christine, Christopher, Clayton, Cliff
Daiang, David, Emma, Grace, Harjot, Hasana, Jovanka, Kay, Kojima, Kyrie, Lily-Ann, Mason, Matisse, Maya, Nicole, Randolph, Rei, Sadie, Sam, Scott, Shannon, Sophia, Sova, Stéphane, Talon, Tristan, Valerie, Zihan and Zoe!
We spent this beautiful sunny September day in the forest connecting with each other and to nature, all while restoring habitat! Keep on reading to find impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 43 community members engaged
- 132 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 18 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 28 people visited Philip Brethour Park for the first time
- 16 cubic metres (about 100 bathtubs full) of invasive English ivy, English holly, Daphne, & Himalayan blackberry removed
- 201 square metres of habitat revitalized
Highlights
- Community members of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels joined us today, including folks from Sidney and beyond!
- You could feel the sense of community at this activity, with everyone working together with people they just met to tackle the stubborn invasive plants in this forest
- In addition to learning new things about invasive plants and what to do about them, lots of people got to use a new tool – a weed wrench! This tool is used to uproot small invasive English holly trees and is super satisfying to use
- Lyda uncovered a number of Lord of the Rings fans with her “You shall not pass” re-enactment to mark the boundary of our work area
- Sadie made a new beetle friend!
- Many native trees were rescued from the strangling effects of invasive English ivy, with special note to the mature Douglas fir tree that had years of ivy growth that Tristan rescued!
- Here’s before he removed the ivy, and after!
- Town of Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith and Councillor Scott Garnett joined us to thank the community and get their hands dirty!
- Cupcakes of all flavours were an exciting new item at our snack break and were devoured, along with grapes, fresh veggies, Munchies, strawberry Pocky sticks, Bubly, fruit leathers, a variety of granola bars, and more!
- A big thank you to EVERYONE who helped pack up our tools and supplies!
- Special thank you to Mason for arriving extra early to help with setting up!
- Everyone put in an amazing amount of effort and made a HUGE difference at this beautiful neighbourhood park!
- It was great to return to this park and see the trees we planted last year thriving!
- Check out our previous efforts removing invasive plants at this park on Sep. 7, 2024 and planting trees for Sidney Tree Day on Sep. 21, 2024
- Join us when we return to the park for Sidney Tree Appreciation Day 2025 on Sat Sep. 20! Sign up here
What Community Members Said
Video of Shannon talking about how good it feels to do something for the environment, being around passionate people and her recommendation to join!
Video of Camila and Kyrie talking about learning how invasive plants impact our environment and how they enjoy helping out!
Video of Brandi talking about her pride in removing the invasive blackberry root that put up a good fight for her at her first activity!
Video of Sadie talking about her first time volunteering and doing something like this and the impact of everyone working together!
Video of Bryce talking about growing up learning about the impact of invasive species on our forests, especially with climate change, and how every bit helps!
Video of Reina talking about how participating in this activity protects native species and how she’d love to join again next time!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the Town of Sidney for providing the financial support, ecological expertise and guidance for this activity!
We extend our sincere gratitude to Mayor McNeil-Smith and Councillor Garnett for joining us and supporting our partnership!
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.
JOIN US for Sidney Tree Appreciation Day on Saturday Sept 20 where we will plant trees and continue removing invasive plants from Brethour Park!
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporter LUSH for providing their eco-friendly personal care products for our community members!
Participants enjoyed taking home body scrubs, bath bombs, body wash, and lotions in recycled and reusable containers.
This Canadian business has 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 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!
This activity was run by special guests Ashton, Lower Mainland Green Team Partnerships Manager, and Lyda, Green Teams of Canada’s Founder and Executive Director, with support from the Greater Victoria Green Team’s Program Assistant, Nicola!
Interim Partnerships Manager, Kaitlin, who works hard behind the scenes to run and grow our Greater Victoria Green Team, also supported this activity behind the scenes!
