Thank you to everyone who participated in our TD Tree Days event:
Alyssa, Anwar, Athena, Avery, Aydin, Brenda, Brooke, Chaeum, Charlie, Christian, Christina, Cooper, Dianne, Etsuko, Fairy Wei, Fatima, Frank, Gary, Geoff, Gillian, Gina, Harveen, Hong, Jackie, Jan, Jie, Jordan, Joshua, Justin, Kim Haiyan, Kirsten, Lenita, Lydia, Polina, Rael, Raon, Roger, Sean, Semi, Sesame, Shan, Shang, Sharmilla, Shuang, Sorain, Stella, Ting, Wendy, Xiaoran, Yeeun, YuGyeong, Zidane, Mayor Knight, Councillor Cheung, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Lawrence, Councillor Partridge and Councillor Trevelyan!
This was an unforgettable TD Tree Days event at Ruth Johnson Park! Not only did we get to plant hundreds of native species, but we also had time to remove lots of invasive plants that were threatening native plants and trees in the area. Everyone left with a smile on their face!
Video of Community Members in Action!
Check out our 22 second video of community members in action!
Impacts
- 61 community members were engaged
- 26 participants visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
- 27 participants planted for the first time
- 26 participants visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland including from White Rock, Surrey, Langley, New Westminster, Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond
- Our activities are designed to foster a sense of community that extends beyond municipal borders. By engaging community members from across the region, we are reminded that we are part of a larger, interconnected community and have a shared responsibility of creating a cleaner, healthier environment regardless of where we call home
- 158 hours were contributed towards restoring local habitat
- 376 native trees and shrubs were planted, including Big leaf maple, Vine maple, Sword fern, Twinberry honeysuckle, Red elderberry, Oceanspray, Nootka rose, Oregon grape and Snowberry
- 7.5 cubic metres (47 bathtubs) of invasive English ivy and English holly was removed once we finished planting
- 552 square metres of habitat was revitalized
Highlights
- This was a TD Tree Days event organized with TD and guidance and support from the City of White Rock
- This TD Tree Days event was featured in the Peace Arch News!
- Go to page A14 of the Oct 31, 2024 paper to read the article!
- Or find it under the Media Coverage section of our website here
- This was the first of TWO TD Tree Days events we are organizing at Ruth Johnson Park this fall!
- We organized a TD Tree Days event last year in this part of the park
- White Rock Mayor and Council joined us
- Thank you Mayor Knight and Councillors Cheung, Lawrence, Klassen, Partridge and Trevelyan for being part of special occasion and planting with us!
- Our team has been organizing activities in Ruth Johnson Park since 2013. This activity built on efforts that started in this part of the park in 2021!
- See photos of our Mar 3, 2021 activity (amazing before/after photos!) engaging local high school students HERE. This was the first activity Ashton led when she started as Program Manager!
- All ages, backgrounds, abilities & experience levels came out including TD employees, families, students, working professionals, retirees, first timers, & returning LMGTers
- We refuelled with yummy snacks during our break including brownies, muffins, chocolate croissants, mandarin oranges, veggies and dip, and more!
- Special thank you to:
- Our TD Site Leaders Sean and Sharmilla from the White Rock TD Branch who helped lead this event
- City of White Rock staff Jamie and Mike for placing all of our plants, demonstrating planting techniques and supporting community members
- Anwar, Jan and Gary for leading the packing up of our tools and supplies
- Everyone was so kind and eager to make a difference! We had nothing but smiles all day long 😄
What Community Members Said
Video of Jamie, City of White Rock staff who frequently cares for Ruth Johnson Park, speaking about the impacts of the day!
Video of Polina, a White Rock resident, speaking about how inspiring it is to see people coming together to make a difference in her community!
Video of Justin, staff with TD Wealth at the White Rock Branch, speaking about his connection to the White Rock/South Surrey community and how nice it is to see people helping care for this park so we can all enjoy it for many years to come
Video of Jackie, a White Rock youth who first joined our team with his school in April 2024, speaking about how much he likes these activities!
TD Tree Days
We worked with TD to deliver this TD Tree Days event thanks to support received from the TD Tree Days grant.
Special thanks to Blayre and our TD Site Leaders, Sean and Sharmilla from the White Rock TD Branch!
TD Tree Days is a flagship volunteer program of the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and aims to provide TD colleagues, their friends and family, and community members, the opportunity to volunteer to help build healthy communities by planting trees and shrubs in urban and rural greenspaces.
This year, TD is working together with 75 different organizations to plant over 30,000 trees and shrubs which will add to the more than 520,000 trees & shrubs that volunteers have planted through TD Tree Days since 2010. In alignment with the TD Ready Commitment, TD Tree Days events are helping to create a more vibrant planet by growing and enhancing green spaces in communities within the TD footprint.
Join our next TD Tree Days event at Ruth Johnson Park on Oct 19 – SIGN UP HERE!
Guidance & Support
Thank you to the City of White Rock for being a Community Investment Partner to make our work in White Rock possible.
Their direction and support was key to making this activity the success it was and included the selection, ordering and placement of all of our plants, a demonstration of proper planting techniques and support for community members. City staff Justin, Jamie and Mike helped ensure a smooth and fun day!
We were honoured to have Mayor and Council also join us!
It was inspiring to hear the Mayor speak about the formation of our partnership years ago. Lyda, our founder, gave a presentation to Council proposing a partnership and requesting financial support from the City of White Rock to organize environmental activities aimed at connecting and empowering people to take care of themselves, others and the places we live. White Rock Council was so supportive that they approved our partnership on the spot – making them the first municipality to do so! Mayor Knight was on Council at this time and was part of this monumental decision that has led to incredible impacts ever since.
In-Kind Support
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, litter clean-ups and more, 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 Happen!
Our staff work hard behind the scenes to bring high-quality community activities to you. Partnership building, fundraising, outreach, social media, activity logistics, leading on-the-ground, reporting on impacts and more – they do it all!
Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team (LMGT)’s Partnerships Manager led this activity with support from Lyda Salatian, our Founder and Executive Director!