Thank you to the Grade 11/12 students from Brookswood Secondary who participated in this invasive blackberry & ivy removal:
Hayden, Timothy, Jaece, Dom, Ava, Zayda, Hannah, Cassandra, Sarah, Agnes, Kaitlyn, Cabe, Carly, Tyler, & Benjamin
Lucas, Brayden, Dalyn, Kruz, Jacob, Linden, Jaidkin, & Dilano
A thank you to Ms. Wergeland, Mr. Ocampo, and Ms. Nadalin for engaging their students!
And a thank you to the community members who participated to support these youths’ efforts:
Connie, Francis, Gary, Haiyan, Heather, Hong, Jan, Kurtis, Leslie, & Quinn
Youth from Brookswood Secondary learned a lot about invasive plants alongside community volunteers who supported their efforts!
Impacts
- 36 Brookswood Secondary students and Community Members were engaged!
- 17 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
- 31 participants visited James Anderson Park for the first time
- 3 teachers (Ms. Wergeland, Mr. Ocampo, and Ms. Nadaline) brought their students.
- 96 hours were contributed towards restoring local habitat!
- 4.1 cubic metres (26 bathtubs) of invasive Himalayan blackberry & English Ivy was removed!
- 150 square metres of habitat revitalized!
Highlights
- Our participants were motivated by the progress we’ve made here with other activities we have run at James Anderson Park!
- Students had a great experiential learning opportunity with the English Ivy & Himalayan Blackberry and saw the negative impacts of these plants.
- Students learned the difference between these invasives and important native Trailing Blackberry & Salmonberry also on-site!
- Students worked together to clear this area, learning the big impact that organizing as a community around a cause can have!
- Our community volunteers helped to support these youth and shared some of their pro-tips for removing these plants!
- We rescued several trees from Ivy- giving them a better chance to keep growing tall & strong!
- After their hard work, everyone enjoyed some tasty snacks!
- Thank you to our community volunteers, all of whom helped to pack up our tools & supplies at the end of the activity!
- Community members joined us from Langley itself, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, and Abbotsford to participate today!
What Participants Said
Videos of student participants talking about the impact of this activity:
Student explaining why its important to remove invasive blackberry!
Student talking about how grateful they are to be helping remove invasive plants!
Student talking about working with their hands and making a difference!
Community Investment Partner
We sincerely thank the Township of Langley for their guidance and financial support, which have made a significant impact on both our youth and the environment!
BIG thank you to Tovery for her role in helping to organize this activity and to Olivia and Cara for working alongside us on-site!
Together we are creating opportunities for community members to come together, connect with each other and nature, and take care of the environment.
In-Kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters: OLA Bamboo for providing their amazing bamboo cutlery made in Canada for our community members at this activity!
Their mission is to reduce plastic waste by creating these great bamboo-based, eco-friendly alternatives!
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, 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 behavior 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 to create high-quality activities. Partnership building, fundraising, outreach, social media, activity logistics, leading on-the-ground, reporting on impacts and more – they do it all!
Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland Green Team Program Manager, led this activity with support from Lyda Salatian, our Founder and Executive Director who works hard behind the scenes as a key part of making these activities happen!