Ron McLean Park, Burnaby – June 5, 2022
Highlights
- 35 community members participated and contributed 94 hours total
- Thank you so much for your hard work Christina, Tatjana, Riko, Heikal, Brian, Yumi, Gabrielle, Paul, Mark, Alexandra, Benjamin, Chloe, Lorraine, Nathan, Marlene, Kyle, Kirk, Jo-Anne, Hoi Ning (Helin), Tin Yau (Tiann), Yvonne, Harry, Sylvie, Iryna, Change, Graham, Giulia, Mary, Evelyn, Hugh, Leah, Duncan, Emma, Orion and Saxon!
- 10 cubic metres of invasive English ivy and Himalayan blackberry was removed (equivalent to the volume of about 61 bathtubs), including many stubborn vines and blackberry roots! Be sure to check out the before and after photos at the bottom of the page!
- An area of 253 metres squared had invasive plants removed from it and was revitalized thanks to the hard work of our Green Team
- 20 participants visited Ron McLean Park for the first time
- 13 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
- This activity ran in celebration of Burnaby Environment Week and supported the amazing work of the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers!
- This was our 3rd visit to this location, with past activities occurring on September 25 and September 26, 2021. Click the dates to read the blogs (and see photos) from these activities!
On Sunday June 5, 2022 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of Burnaby joined forces to engage community members in an invasive plant removal at Ron McLean Park in Burnaby. This activity took place in celebration of Burnaby Environment Week!
Despite the rain, 35 awesome community members of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels joined us at this activity for a day of community building and habitat restoration. Together they not only removed an incredible amount of invasive plants (as seen through the before and after photos at the bottom of this page) and improved habitat health, but they had a great time and enjoyed the opportunity to work together in this beautiful outdoor setting. There are many benefits to being in nature including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, physical exercise and fresh air, improved memory, focus and mental clarity. Additionally, through this experience we are helping the community connect to and cultivate a deeper respect for nature, which helps instil responsible environmental behaviour that extends beyond our activities!
June 5th is World Environment Day. The purpose of this day and Environment Week is to raise awareness, celebrate environmental action and inspire positive change. From the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food the eat, and the places we live and play in, the environment takes care of us and we have a responsibility to reciprocate and take care of the environment back. Spend some time considering the impacts that we have on the environment from the things we do, places we go and things we buy. Becoming more aware of our impact is the first step and no action is too small to make a difference, especially when many people are doing them!
Kirk did not let rain or mud stop him from removing as much ivy as possible and maintaining a smile and positive attitude all day!
That’s one massive pile of invasive plants!
Our community members took home a gift from one of our in-kind supporters including Replaceable Head Bamboo Toothbrushes from life UNpacked, Coconut Lip Balm from Green Beaver, Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags from EarthRated, Swedish Dish Cloths from Swedethings, Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate from Camino, Tealight Candles from Honey Candles, and West Coast Seeds! If you have any suggestions for sustainable/eco-friendly rewards, know of or own a business who would like to provide in-kind to our Green Team, please contact Ashton Kerr, Program Manager, at ashton@greenteamscanada.ca!
Yumi, Tiann, Helin and Sylvie showing off their new Replaceable Head Bamboo Toothbrushes from life UNpacked!
Jo-Anne, Orion and Saxon eager to eat their Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate from Camino!
What Volunteers Said
“I enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to a worthwhile activity with other enthusiastic people. The impact of this program is enabling bio-diversity and creating community.”
– Graham
“I enjoyed meeting new people, being in the forest and working outside!”
– Riko
“I enjoyed the whole event. The organization was good, it was nice to have a snack break provided. I loved seeing the before and after photos. The thank you gift was the cherry on top!
This program has a beneficial impact on the local environment. I think it would give someone new to volunteering a good sense of how enjoyable volunteering can be”
– Jo-Anne
“I enjoyed meeting new people and working with them also seeing the results of the clean up. It is a great feeling knowing we cleaned up the park pulling out lots of invasive plants. The before and after results are amazing it is a huge difference.“
– Lorraine
“I enjoyed that tools were provided (nice to not have to bring a shovel on the Skytrain) and there were snacks! This program is improving the site ecologically.”
– Heikal
Thank You!
A big thank you to Rushi Gadoya and Mark Sloat at the City of Burnaby for partnering with our charity, Green Teams of Canada, to make this activity possible. Thanks to the City’s direction and financial support, we are empowering communities to take care of each other and the environment – a win for all! This activity is part of Burnaby Environment Week, be sure to check out the events happening around Burnaby this week including our next activity celebrating Environment Week at Central Park on Saturday June 11!
Thank you to Paul, Yumi and Lorraine from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers for bringing their passion and expertise to this activity. The Byrne Creek Streamkeepers are an incredible group that does a variety of stewardship and streamkeeping activities in the Byrne Creek/Ron McLean Park area. Join them to learn more about this beautiful park and what you can do to help care for the salmon and nature in the area! Visit their website or email byrnecreekstreamkeepers@gmail.com to get involved!
Before and After Photos
(click images to make them bigger)
