On Sunday, August 23rd, Greater Victoria Green Team joined forces with the Municipality of Colwood at Murray Pond Park to remove invasive Himalayan Blackberry next to Royal Bay Secondary School. It was a gorgeous day, filled with laughter, gratitude and delicious berries that fuelled volunteers as they worked.
THANK YOU
Thank you to everyone for participating: Aaron, Alex, Asmita, Abby, Amanda, Boa, Claire, Danielle, Gordie, Hanna, Julia and Tina (Hanna’s kids), Mathew, Daisy, Richard, Robyn, Grace and Josiah (Robyn’s youngsters!).
Thank you to the Municipality of Colwood for continuing to support and contribute to GVGT programs – it is because of you that we are able to invest in our community while supporting ecological restoration efforts.
Group Photos (1st and 2nd sessions)!
Photo Albums from the day are found here: 1ST SESSION and 2ND SESSION
Highlights
- In total 24 GVGT volunteers worked to remove Himalayan Blackberry, totalling more than 30 hours!
- An impressive 13 cubic metres of invasive blackberry was removed from an area of 50 square metres
- Four kids attended – some of which were our hardest workers!
- Thank you to our in-kind sponsors who donated thank you gifts to our community: EarthRated dog poop bags, Green Beaver chap stick, Lush hard perfume and West Coast Seeds.
Participant Quotes
The connections forged, between people, between people and place, between personal and social goods, all make this program unique in VictoriaDuring this very difficult time there are few activities that can bring together like-minded people to support their community and reaffirm our common commitments. One important exception is the green Team. First and foremost, the Green Team is always putting the safety of participants front and centre. Whether it is keeping apart to insure physical distance, providing masks and sanitizer, cleaning tools, or just providing polite reminders, the Green Team response to COVID restrictions has been stellar.
The Green Team demonstrates constant dedication to the environment, to the community, and to the participants, while cultivating a strong sense of appreciation, belonging, compassion, and above all respect… Kudos to the Green Team, to Amanda especially, and to those who support what is the exemplar of community organizing in BC.
The chance to improve green spaces within the lower island is very rewarding. The change to the areas are easy to see and the chance to return native plants to help with the return of native birds and insects is extremely important to ensure biodiversity. Also the social aspect is very important as working as a team helps us all emotionally.
Before and After
Before 1 & After 1
Before 2
After 2
The Heap!
