This activity was organized in partnership with the District of Oak Bay
Thank you to all of the community members who joined us!
Rebecca, Alex, Charles, Yunekyoung, Anna, Ethan, Rina, Ray, David, Samara, Alison, Leia, Adam, Noah, Amelia, Aaron, Sophia, Ella, Jing Ru, Kaitlyn, Karin, Patrick, Cody, Casey, Eva, Chris, Christina, and Margaret
Community Impacts
28 community members were engaged, contributing 87 hrs to environmental action!
- 74% visited Anderson Hill Park for the first time
- 30% removed invasive plants for the first time
21 participants completed a survey, and results showed:
- 100% felt inspired to take future environmental action
- 100% felt a sense of belonging & connection to others
- 100% felt their well-being improved
- 100% said time spent in nature contributed
- 81% said helping the environment contributed
- 100% increased their understanding of environmental issues
- 100% gained practical knowledge (e.g. impacts of invasive species)
- 100% 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
- 12 cubic metres of invasive Himalayan blackberry and Periwinkle were removed (equivalent to the volume of 75 bathtubs!)
- 93 square metres of habitat revitalized!
Highlights
- Community members joined us from across Greater Victoria, including from Oak Bay itself, as well as UVic area, Victoria, James Bay, Fernwood, Saanich, Esquimalt, Cordova Bay, Bear Mountain, Saanichton, Brentwood Bay, and Cowichan Bay.
- 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.
- Several participants were excited to learn more about the plants and wildlife in the area and shared their own knowledge and observations throughout the morning.
- Local residents expressed how wonderful it was to see so many people working together outdoors and helping to keep the area healthy.
- Community members carefully relocated many snails out of the work area to keep them safe during the restoration activity.
- A friendly harvestman visited Margaret, adding a small but memorable moment during the morning.
- Grasshoppers were bouncing through the meadow with nearly every step, adding to the lively feel of the site.
- Two bald eagles flew overhead during the event, which Margaret noted as a sign it was going to be a wonderful day.
- Many community members shared how incredibly beautiful the park was, noting that the views and weather were absolutely perfect for the day.
- Many delicious snacks were enjoyed during our snack break, including carrots, grapes, granola bars, fruit leather, lemonade, donuts, red velvet cookies, celebration cookies, mini chocolate muffins, and more!
- Special thank you to:
- Ray and Christina for their support with set up, helping to ensure everything was organized, prepared, and ready for the event to run smoothly.
- Rina and Patrick for their support during the snack break, making sure everyone had a chance to rest and recharge.
- Karin for generously bringing super cold Bubly drinks from home to share, which were especially refreshing and appreciated by everyone.
- Ray and Ethan for their incredible help with pack-up, carrying many tools, cleaning the site thoroughly, and making sure everything was left in great condition at the end of the event.
- Christina Johnson-Dean for co-leading the activity and her long-standing stewardship of the park, Chris Hyde-Lay, District of Oak Bay Manager of Parks Services, for attending and his support of community stewardship initiatives, and Margaret Lidkea for joining us and her decades of ecological stewardship
- 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 Anderson Hill Park since 2019! Check out past activities below:
What Community Members Said
13 participants shared what this activity meant to them:
Video of Amelia and Rebecca, speaking about helping nature, pulling invasive species for the first time, and meeting people from all different backgrounds
Video of David, speaking about being new to Victoria, meeting new people and being outdoors to help the environment
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 district to build connection, improve well-being, and create lasting environmental and community impact.
Special thanks to Oak Bay staff and volunteers Chris, Margaret, and Christina for their valued contributions in bringing this activity to life.
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!
- Gathering Place for providing their fair-trade, organic spices. They are is a family business based in Campbell River, BC. We direct source 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 Sara Schwartz, our Greater Victoria Green Team’s Program Manager.
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!