Thank you to Grade 3/4 students from R. C. Garnett Elementary who participated in this invasive blackberry & ivy removal:
Dawson, Cara, Owen, Evelyn, Eleonor, Addison, Caleb, Nigel, Cecilia, Ollie, Yuguen, Dean, Elliotte, Sivan, Weston, Savannah, Cameron, Kayla, Alvaro, Eva, Ina, Rielle, Brynn & Kyara
Luji, Joanna, Audrey, Tripta, Brooklyn, Phoenic, Daniel, Charlotte, Aidan, Sanjay, Kayla, Ishani, John, Yunchae, Vi, Elliot, Heeju, Jessica, Alfonso, Jesse, Ashal, Paisley, Emily, Toniya, Violet & Isabella
A thank you to Ms. Stephenson and Ms. Tazumi for engaging their students!
It was a beautiful day and Grade 3 & 4 students made a BIG impact at this local park!
Impacts
- 50 Grade 3 & 4 R.C. Garnett Elementary School students were engaged
- 42 students removed invasive plants for the first time
- 30 students visited James Anderson Park for the first time
- 2 teachers (Ms. Stephenson & Ms. Tazumi)
- 1 parent (Carly)
- 75 hours were contributed towards restoring local habitat
- 3 cubic metres (19 bathtubs) of invasive Himalayan blackberry & English Ivy was removed
- 95 square metre of habitat revitalized
Before & After (Oct 16 to today)
Highlights
- This activity was featured in the Langley Advance Times!
- Read the Oct 24, 2024 article HERE
- Or find it under the Media Coverage section of our website here
- The teachers & all the students walked to this activity (over a km and half each way!)
- Students observed worms, beetles & spiders enhancing their understanding of biodiversity
- Under the guidance of Ms. Stephenson and Ms. Tazumi, students participated in this hands-on environmental activity and learned how to support biodiversity!
- One of the parents (Carly) joined us!
- Students worked as a team!
- This hands-on approach not only educated students about invasive species but also instilled a sense of responsibility towards their local environment, empowered them & created lasting memories
- After their hard work, students enjoyed a brownies, fruit sticks, granola bars & juice
- We built on previous work at this park. Other activities we have run at James Anderson Park:
What Participants Said
Videos of Grade 3s & 4s participants talking about the impact of this activity:
Students explaining how blackberry grows & spreads
Student talking about how fun it is to remove invasive plants
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, Brennan, Thomas and Mitch.
Together we are creating opportunities for community members to come together, connect with each other and nature, and take care of the environment.
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!
Lyda Salatian, our Founder and Executive Director led this activity with behind the scenes support from Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager.