Thank you to everyone who participated in our TD Tree Days event:
Amandeep, Arun, Avery, Barb, Chris, Fazeel, Geoff, Gillian (Jill), Grace, Hannah, Harveen, Himanshu, Jagwant, Jashandeep, John, Kelsey, Kiranjeet, Lucky, Manpreet, Monika, Neetu, Rael, Ramneek, Raon, Roger, Rose, Shannon, Shehroz, Simrit, Upneet, Yeeun, YuGyeong & Zaryab!
Light rain didn’t stop us from making an impact at this 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.
Impacts
- 33 community members were engaged
- 18 participants visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
- 9 participants planted for the first time
- 15 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
- 18 participants visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland including from White Rock, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and Delta!
- 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
- 92.5 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
- 3.5 cubic metres (22 bathtubs) of invasive English ivy and English holly was removed once we finished planting
- 504 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 was the second of two TD Tree Days events we helped organize at Ruth Johnson Park this fall
- This activity built on the efforts of our team and the City of White Rock that started in this part of the park in 2023! Read summaries and see photos of past activities to see what the area used to look like!
- All ages, backgrounds, abilities & experience levels came out including TD employees, families, students, working professionals, retirees, first timers, & returning LMGTers
- We enjoyed yummy snacks including donuts, Timbits, coffee, hot chocolate, homemade vegan brownies, cucumbers, peanut butter pretzels, fruit gummies, coconut clusters, granola bars and more!
- Rose had heard about our Green Team before and while on her walk through the park decided to stop and plant a native rose bush with us!
- Special thank you to:
- Arun, our TD Site Leader from the Ocean Park TD Branch who helped lead this event
- City of White Rock staff Spencer and Ben for placing all of our plants, demonstrating planting techniques and supporting community members
- Members of the Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force for joining us, moving the tarps of our invasive plants removed, and sticking around longer to help pack up our vehicle
- Simrit for arriving early and handing out parking passes
- Avery for helping with set up, the placement of plants and educational signage, taking initiative to put out our snacks, and support with packing up
- Barb for helping with set up and the placement of our plants and educational signage
- Harveen for helping with loading up our vehicle
- Jill and Geoff for their help with bringing down supplies and packing up
- Everyone for such an amazing day!
What Community Members Said
Video of Hannah and Kelsey, who removed invasive plants from this park and cleaned up litter from the beach with our team earlier this year, speaking about the need to do something hands-on and make a positive change when you learn about environmental problems and how it feels to do so!
Video of Grace, who joined our team for the first time, speaking about how this is a great opportunity for youth to get involved in the community!
Video of Fazeel, the President of the Seaquam Secondary Volunteering Club, speaking about the impact of a community coming together, and how this is a fun environment to spend time with friends in!
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 Leader, Arun, from the Ocean Park 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.
Read a summary of our other TD Tree Days event at this park earlier this fall on Oct 5, 2024 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, Spencer and Ben helped ensure a smooth and fun day!
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters: Blume, Myni & Gathering Place for providing their health focused products to our community participants to take home. These businesses have wonderful, sustainable products that support more responsible consumer choices!
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, 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!
GTC Staff Who Made This Activity Happen!
Our staff work hard 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 behind-the-scenes support from Lyda Salatian, our Founder and Executive Director!