This activity was organized in partnership with the City of Colwood
Thank you to all of the Dunsmuir Middle School students who joined us from Anastasia Wilson Burke’s classes!
Youth Impacts
22 youth were engaged, contributing 33 hrs to environmental action!
- 72% removed invasive plants for the first time
- 91% visited Matilda Park for the first time
Change starts with people. To have a lasting environmental impact, people need to feel connected, capable and empowered to take action.
Our activities are designed to increase:
- Community resilience & social connection
- Well-being through time in nature
- Participation in climate & environmental action
- Awareness of environmental issues
- Connection to local places & natural areas
- A culture of volunteerism & civic engagement
Environmental Impacts
- 3 cubic metres of invasive Himalayan Blackberry were removed (equivalent to the volume of 19 bathtubs!)
- 26 square metres of habitat were revitalized
Highlights
- These Dunsmuir Middle School grade 6s worked so hard to make such a large impact!
- Special thanks to Anastasia Wilson Burke for coordinating her class to participate in this activity!
- We witnessed fantastic teamwork to dig up stubborn blackberry roots!
- Students got to learn how to safely use a new tool, loppers, to cut Himalayan blackberry canes!
- A passerby said: “It’s so awesome to see you all doing this!”
- Our experiential activities support key BC curriculum competencies and learning outcomes, including:
- Core Competencies: Communication, Thinking, Personal & Social
- Career Education: Community involvement, volunteerism, leadership
- Physical & Health Education: Outdoor activity, well-being, & connection to nature
- Science: Human impact on ecosystems, biodiversity
- Social Studies: Civic responsibility & engagement with community initiatives
- … & many more!
- We’re grateful to engage students in two activities at this park this fall thanks to our partnership with the City of Colwood!
What Youth Said
Video of Stella, Vincent, William, and Hudson speaking about how satisfying it is to remove invasive Himalayan blackberry!
Video of Chassyn and Malia speaking about how they had fun, liked helping the environment & they’d love to come back and do it again!
Community Investment Partner
Delivered in partnership with the City of Colwood, our Community Investment Partner.
Green Teams of Canada and the City of Colwood are working together to achieve our shared environmental and community objectives.
The City provides ecological direction, while we bring expertise in community engagement – mobilizing people to take meaningful environmental action and inspiring future stewardship.
This partnership includes financial investment from the City to build connection, improve well-being, and create lasting environmental and community impact.
Special thanks to City staff Graydon and Gord for their valued contributions in bringing this activity to life.
Staff Who Made This Activity Possible
Our dedicated staff are passionate about community engagement and environmental action. Their work includes extensive outreach, activity logistics, social media, reporting on impacts, partnership building and MUCH more!
This activity was run by Chevy Alexander, and Ashley Bell, our Greater Victoria Program Managers.
We Are All In This TOGETHER! The Future Depends on Us
The Greater Victoria Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada, engaging communities in hands-on environmental action since 2014.
We bring people together to improve well-being and inspire environmental stewardship. Through activities like invasive plant removal, native species planting, and litter clean-ups, participants take practical action and see the impact they can make.
What sets us apart is our focus on people. Our activities are inclusive and accessible to all ages, abilities and experience levels, especially those new to environmental action. Many join for the first time, deepen their understanding of environmental issues and leave feeling capable and motivated to take future action.
We also strengthen and support the broader stewardship network by working with governmental agencies, non-profits, land trusts, volunteer-led groups, schools, and businesses, bringing new people into existing efforts and expanding their reach. Many participants go on to deepen their involvement, take on leadership roles, or contribute to other initiatives.
We believe lasting environmental change starts with people. By creating meaningful opportunities for people to take part, we help build more connected, resilient communities.
We can all make a difference!