West Beach, White Rock – September 18, 2021

September 20, 2021

Group Photo

Highlights

21 community members participated and contributed 57.5 hours total
Almost 14 cubic metres of Himalayan blackberry was removed (equivalent to the volume of about 88 bathtubs!) including some massive, stubborn root crowns
9 volunteers visited West Beach for the first time
14 volunteers removed invasive Himalayan blackberry for the first time
One of our participants, Sarah, photographed this event. We can’t wait to see how her photos turned out!
Tarp tying tricks were shared by Jennifer, making it easier to move the green waste!
Volunteers took home a gift from one of our in-kind sponsors who generously donated their products to our community including: EarthRated dog poop bags, tea lights and matches from Honey Candles, West Coast Seeds, Swedish dishcloths from Swedethings, Crush and Brush Toothpaste Tablets from Nelson Naturals and lip balm from Green Beaver!
We were featured in the Peace Arch News/Surrey-Now Leader TWICE! Click HERE to read the first article spreading the word about this activity and click HERE to read the second highlighting everyone’s hard work!

Check out ALL PHOTOS from the day HERE!

On Saturday September 18, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team kicked off the fall 2021 activity season with the City of White Rock by removing invasive Himalayan blackberry from West Beach in this oceanside municipality.

Despite a rainy forecast and drizzle at the start, the sky opened up and sun shone down on our community members as they restored this local dune ecosystem. A strong sense of community and positive energy was felt among all participants who worked together to show the blackberry who’s boss!

Through continued efforts from the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of White Rock, this dune ecosystem is set to be restored with native plants that mimic the ecosystem’s natural succession. Over time this will not only create a beautiful, healthy environment, but will also help stabilize these slopes along the beach.

Environmental stewardship is a collaborative effort and it is important to return to sites to ensure a long lasting impact. This was our second time at West Beach and we will be returning to this location on Saturday October 9, 2021 to continue our restoration efforts! Keep an eye on our Meetup page for this activity to be posted very soon!

This activity followed the COVID-19 Safety Plan of our charity, Green Teams of Canada, and current province-wide restrictions with safety measures in place to ensure participants could connect with each other and nature safely.

Thank You!

Thank you to all of the hard-working, enthusiastic community members who attended this activity: Jennifer, Doug, Robyn, Marc, Doreen, Alexis, Carly, Matthew, Owen, Diana, Ghazlia, Chelsea, Richard, Sarah, Thomas, Elizabeth, Jun, Yihui, Annie and Sarah. We are especially thankful to everyone who for stuck around after the activity to help take down and pack up equipment from the day!

A huge thank you to Egan Davis, the City of White Rock’s Manager of Parks, for joining us to experience what the Lower Mainland Green Team has to offer! Egan’s passion and commitment to restoration and community is clear and we absolutely love working with him at the City. Thank you for supporting our valuable work!

This activity was made possible through the amazing partnership our charity, Green Teams of Canada, has built with the City of White Rock.

What Volunteers Said

“I feel the impact of this program is giving people the opportunity to be out in nature helping the environment, meeting new people and leaving a spot in better condition than it was before we got there. Very well run event with all the tools, sign in, parking passes, snacks, etc. I felt appreciated and in turn I was happy to put in 100% effort!” – Marc

“I enjoyed the nature, the weather today and this activity in general. I feel the impact of this program is being part of the community and contributing to the environment” – Chelsea