This activity was organized in partnership with the District of Oak Bay
Thank you to all of the community members who joined us!
(list all names)!
Community Impacts
X community members were engaged, contributing X hrs to environmental action!
- X% visited Uplands Park for the first time
- X% removed invasive plants for the first time
X participants completed a survey, and results showed:
- X% felt inspired to take future environmental action
- X% felt a sense of belonging & connection to others
- X% felt their well-being improved
- X% said time spent in nature contributed
- X% said helping the environment contributed
- X% increased their understanding of environmental issues
- X% gained practical knowledge (e.g. impacts of invasive species)
- X% developed new skills (e.g. teamwork & hands-on stewardship action)
Change starts with people. To have a lasting environmental impact, people need to feel connected, capable and empowered to take action.
Our activities are designed to increase:
- Community resilience & social connection
- Well-being through time in nature
- Participation in climate & environmental action
- Awareness of environmental issues
- Connection to local places & natural areas
- A culture of volunteerism & civic engagement
Environmental Impacts
- X cubic metres of invasive Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, English holly, Scotch broom, Daphne (Spurge-laurel), Cherry (English) laurel, Small balsam (Small touch-me-not) were removed (equivalent to the volume of X bathtubs!)
- X square metres of habitat were revitalized
- X lbs of litter were removed from the area
Highlights
- Community members joined us from across Greater Victoria including from (city of activity) itself, (list out municipalities from closest to furthest)!
- Environmental & social issues don’t have borders. By bringing together people from across the region, participants see others showing up to care for places beyond their own neighbourhoods. This reminds us that we share responsibility for the people & places around us, and that we’re all in this together.
- (fun community moments – link any photos in the Flickr album e.g. juggling, playing music, poetry, someone contributing in a different way such as baking)
- (any stories or thanks from passersby)
- (fun wildlife moments – link any photos in the Flickr album)
- (recognize and thank any elected officials for joining us)
- (any other notable unique moments from the activity)
- Many delicious snacks were enjoyed during our snack break, including (name 4-5 snacks, including fresh items, baked goods and fun items – link photo(s) of snack table/people enjoying snacks)
- Special thank you to:
- (Names of those who helped with set up)
- (Names of those who supported snack break)
- (Names of those who helped packup)
- (Names of people who contributed in other ways)
- People of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels came out including families, students, working professionals, retirees, first timers, returning GVGTers and newcomers!
- We’ve been working at Uplands Park since 2014! Read about and see photos from our last activity at this park:
What Community Members Said
X (respondents from day of survey + respondents from post-activity survey included + videos. Don’t double count people who responded to multiple) participants shared what this activity meant to them:
Video of (name), speaking about (summarize the most stand out parts of their video)
Video of (name), speaking about (summarize the most stand out parts of their video)
Video of (name), speaking about (summarize the most stand out parts of their video)
Community Investment Partner
Community Investment Partner
Delivered in partnership with the District of Oak Bay, our Community Investment Partner.
Green Teams of Canada and Oak Bay are working together to achieve our shared environmental and community objectives.
Oak Bay provides ecological direction, while we bring expertise in community engagement – mobilizing people to take meaningful environmental action and inspiring future stewardship.
This partnership includes financial investment from the university to build connection, improve well-being, and create lasting environmental and community impact.
Special thanks to Oak Bay staff Chris for his valued contributions in bringing this activity to life.
Collaborator
Thank you to the Friends of Uplands Park Society and Margaret, for collaborating with us and facilitating this activity!
Th Friends of Uplands Park Society has been leading stewardship initiatives in the park for over 30 years! They lead regular invasive plant removal activities with their No Ivy League.
To learn more and get involved, check out their website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
In-Kind Support
Thank you to the following businesses for providing in-kind to support this activity:
- LUSH for providing their bath bombs with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and made in Canada!
- OLA Bamboo for providing their bamboo cutlery made in Canada. Their mission is to reduce plastic waste by creating these great bamboo-based, eco-friendly alternatives!
- Gathering Place for providing their fair-trade, organic spices. They are a family business based in Campbell River, BC. directly sourcing the best organic spices & more!
When socially and environmentally conscious businesses provide in-kind rewards for our community members, it helps us encourage local and responsible consumption beyond our activities.
Businesses can also further enable us to run high-quality, safe and impactful activities by providing gift cards, refreshments, tools, gloves, and other supplies.
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Ashton Kerr.
Staff Who Made This Activity Possible
Our dedicated staff are passionate about community engagement and environmental action. Their work includes extensive outreach, activity logistics, social media, reporting on impacts, partnership building and MUCH more!
This activity was run by Lyda Salatian, our Executive Director & Founder.
We Are All In This TOGETHER! The Future Depends on Us
The Greater Victoria Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada, engaging communities in hands-on environmental action since 2014.
We bring people together to improve well-being and inspire environmental stewardship. Through activities like invasive plant removal, native species planting, and litter clean-ups, participants take practical action and see the impact they can make.
What sets us apart is our focus on people. Our activities are inclusive and accessible to all ages, abilities and experience levels, especially those new to environmental action. Many join for the first time, deepen their understanding of environmental issues and leave feeling capable and motivated to take future action.
We also strengthen and support the broader stewardship network by working with governmental agencies, non-profits, land trusts, volunteer-led groups, schools, and businesses, bringing new people into existing efforts and expanding their reach. Many participants go on to deepen their involvement, take on leadership roles, or contribute to other initiatives.
We believe lasting environmental change starts with people. By creating meaningful opportunities for people to take part, we help build more connected, resilient communities.
We can all make a difference!