Thank you so much Lower Mainland Green Teamers for your hard work and enthusiasm:
Alexa, Ali, Amy, Andrew, Antony, Behnam, Bill L., Bill M., Brittany, Cathy, Chris, Clinton, Cyrus, Daphne, David, Devin, Dorothy, Elaine, Evan, Gary, George, Heather, Hong, Hyunjae, James, Jan, Jie, Joanne, Jon, Julia, Kaden, Katie, Leah, Leela, Li, Lin, Lyda, Malia, Maya, Megan, Meggy, Mehar, Benjamin, Mina, Mya, Olivia, Parveen, Patrick, Paul, Qi, Ryan, Shawn, Stephen, Sue, Terry, and Tracy!
Thank you as well to our volunteer Litter Leader Amos who played a vital role in leading this community clean-up!
It was a beautiful day to walk along the waterfront while connecting with new friends,
making a difference in the community, and preventing ocean pollution!
Keep reading our impacts, highlights, and more from the day…
Impacts
- 56 community members engaged, a new record for our White Rock Litter Cleanups!
- 8 people visited White Rock Beach for the first time
- 22 people removed litter for the first time
- 171 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- Over 123 lbs of litter of all shapes, sizes and weights were removed from the beach, promenade, and areas along Marine Drive!
- Over 2,500 pieces of litter were tracked and removed including:
- 1,337+ cigarette butts
- 254+ bits of paper and cardboard
- 354+ food wrappers
- 35+ pieces of glass
- 146+ cups & lids
- 88+ plastic bags
- 115+ bottles & cans
- 19+ pieces of metal
- 19+ pieces of styrofoam
- 6+ electronics & batteries
- and more!
- Some interesting finds include…
- Frisbee
- Lego
- Flip Flops
- Diaper
- a Watch
- A Whole Paper Bag Lunch
- Part of a Firework
- Blue Bear
- Toothless Toy
- Plastic Confetti
- Birthday Girl Baloon
- Debit Card
- Socks
- Underwear
- A Carrot
- Plates
- And more!
Highlights
- This was the first of two community litter cleanups we’re running in White Rock this Summer! Our next is on Sun. Aug. 17th, find info & sign-up by clicking here!
- City of White Rock Councillor Bill Lawrence joined us to pick up litter and shared his appreciation for everyone’s hard work! Thank you Councillor!
- This activity was featured in the Peace Arch News!
- Read the article published on July 18, 2025 here!
- Or find it under the Media Coverage section of our website here!
- Several community members joined us at both our July 19th Cleanup in Burnaby and this cleanup in White Rock! We’re grateful for their amazing dedication & efforts!
- We split into 3 groups to maximize our impact across the waterfront but everyone got to enjoy time walking along the beach, promenade, and sidewalks while cleaning up the community!
- Participants enjoyed learning about different kinds of litter, common misconceptions, and the impact that these items can have on our wildlife, our environment, and ourselves!
- Many passersby thanked us for our work, and even asked about how they could get involved too!
- In our intros, Cathy & Rowena shared how they had met at Green Teams activities in the past and have become great friends since, just one example of how we connect with new people and bond at these positive activities!
- We got to enjoy ocean views up close at our snack break by the sea including a spicy fava bean mix, veggie tempura crisps, brownies, cucumbers and more!
- Community members joined from across the Lower Mainland, including from White Rock, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond, and New Westminster to make a positive impact, which goes to show the power of these activities to bring people together!
- People of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels came out including families, students, working professionals, retirees, first timers, returning LMGTers and newcomers!
- We even had Devin’s furry friend Loki join us to help out!
- Special thank you to:
- Our volunteer Litter Leader Amos for doing a stellar job leading participants along their cleanup routes!
- If you’re interested in volunteering to be a Litter Leader at an upcoming litter cleanup, we welcome you to apply on our website HERE!
- Lin, Ben, Mina, Elaine, Stephen, Lyda, Shawn and others for helping pack up our supplies into the van during and after the activity!
- Every single person who joined us for this wonderful event, spending quality outdoor time in great company, and sharing their dedication to the community!
- Our volunteer Litter Leader Amos for doing a stellar job leading participants along their cleanup routes!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the City of White Rock for providing financial support and direction to make this activity possible!
Together we are achieving our common goals and creating connected, healthy and resilient communities engaged in environmental stewardship.
This was the first of two beach/street litter cleanups we’re running in White Rock this summer, and our 6th of 9 activities we are organizing with the City of White Rock this year!
SIGN UP to join our next cleanup along the beach and Marine Drive on Sun. Aug. 17th from 9:45am to 1pm to build on these impacts!
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters!
Lush provided their fantastic shower gels and body conditioners 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 Ashton Kerr. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Lower Mainland 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!
Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland Green Team’s Program Manager, Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager, and Heather Rawling, our new Greater Victoria Green Team Program Manager, all led this activity together!
Our Founder and Executive Director, Lyda Salatian, also joined us today! She does a ton of hard work behind the scenes to guide this organization and support our staff!