Thank you Greater Victoria Green Team for coming out & engaging in this work:
Adam, Amanda, Andrews, Atticus, Christopher, Clayton, Cliff, David, Elizabeth, Emma, Felix, Georgia, Grace, Harj, Jennifer, Joanne, Julie, Kay, Kayden, Lorraine, Lucy, Mark, Mason, Mauricio, Michelle, Niki, Otone, Randolph Ray, Rei, Rena, Sadie, Samantha, Scott, Shane, Sophia, Steve, Susanna, Timothy, Valerie, & Zoe!
Impacts
- 40 community members engaged
- 125 hours contributed to habitat restoration
- 21 people planted trees for the first time
- 10 people removed invasive plants for the first time
- 10 people visited Philip Brethour Park for the first time
- 50 trees planted including (Karpick Maples, London Plane & Red Oak)
- 4 types of native trees (Garry Oak, Red Alder, Big-leaf Maple and Pacific Crabapple) were provided by Town of Sidney as giveaways to participants
- 9.5 cubic metres (about 62 bathtubs full) of invasive English ivy, English holly, Daphne, & Himalayan blackberry removed
- 140 square metres of habitat revitalized
Highlights
- Community members of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and experience levels joined us today, including folks from Sidney and beyond (North Saanich, Langford, Victoria & Oak Bay)!
- You could feel the sense of community at this activity, with everyone working together with people they just met to work together to dig holes and plant 50 trees (Karpick Maples, London Plane and Red Oak) together!
- Town of Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith and Councillors Steve Duck & Scott Garnett joined us to thank the community and get their hands dirty!
- A variety of delicious snacks like tomatoes, cucumbers, mandarins, bananas, mini donuts, veggie chips, cupcakes and cookies were enjoyed during our snack break!
- Had quite a few families come out, which was awesome
- Special thank you to Mason for arriving extra early to help with setting up
- A big thank you to EVERYONE who helped pack up our tools and supplies, especially Shane and Grace who stayed back all the way to the end
- Thank you Otone and Adam for grabbing the directional arrows
- Everyone put in an amazing amount of effort to plant those large trees and made a HUGE difference at this beautiful neighbourhood park!
- It was great to return to this park and continue the great restoration efforts
- Check out our previous times removing invasive plants & planting native trees: Sep 6 2025, Sept 21, 2024 & Sept 7, 2024!
What Community Members Said
Video of Sadie talking about the impact of planting trees!
Video of Joanne talking about her fun experience!
Video of Mark talking about the benefits of participating in GVGT activities including physical exercise and community impact!
Video of Clayton talking about how much he enjoys being a part of these activities!
Video of Valerie talking about the joys of participating in GVGT activities with all ages!
Video of Emma talking about the great experience she had volunteering with her whole family!
Video of Sophia talking about how she enjoyed planting trees and pulling out invasive plants
Video of Mauricio talking about the stress-reducing qualities of removing invasive plants!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the Town of Sidney for providing the financial support, ecological expertise and guidance for this activity!
We extend our sincere gratitude to Mayor McNeil-Smith and Councillors Garnett and Duck for joining us and supporting our partnership!
Through this partnership, we are creating opportunities for community members to come together, connect with each other and nature, and take care of the environment.
Thank you to Town of Sidney staff Kristi, Denby, Clayton and Mike for supporting this activity on the ground!
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporter LUSH for providing their eco-friendly personal care products for our community members!
Participants enjoyed taking home body scrubs, bath bombs, body wash, and lotions in recycled and reusable containers.
This Canadian business has 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 Kaitlin. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Greater Victoria 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!
This activity was run by special guest Lyda, Green Teams of Canada’s Founder and Executive Director, with support from the Greater Victoria Green Team’s Program Assistants, Nicola and Madison!
Interim Partnerships Manager, Kaitlin, who works hard behind the scenes to run and grow our Greater Victoria Green Team, also supported this activity behind the scenes!