Thank you to the Grade 4 students from R.C. Garnett Demonstration Elementary School who participated in this invasive blackberry removal!
Ms. Tazumi’s Class: Jeslyna, Thomas, Prabhleen, Nathan, Cecilia, Eunbin, Emma, Ellie, Wynn, Melissa, Eli, Miles, Kash, Mason, Bryn, Savannah, Inaya, Isabel, JoJo, Rudraansh, Alex, Marcus, Sienna, Alexa, Shivansh, Jordan, Joseph, & Aadhya!
Ms. Stephenson’s Class: Shrija, Karthika, Yana, Aiden, Claire, Yavuz, Leo, Arnesh, Kaley, Hannah, Charlotte, Aubrey, Kailey, Aaron, Daniel, Eloise, Katherine, Alex, Gabriel, Carson, Eva, Radvin, Rashein, Alana, Isabella, Dominic, Piper, Jet, & Blake!
A thank you to Ms. Stephenson & Ms. Tazumi for engaging their students!
It was a beautiful sunny day and these students had a great time learning about invasive plants while making a great impact on Meadows Edge Park!
Impacts
- 57 Grade 4 students from R.C. Garnett Demonstration School were engaged!
- 40 students removed invasive plants for the first time
- 43 students visited Meadows Edge Park for the first time
- 2 teachers (Ms. Stephenson and Ms. Tazumi) brought their classes
- 5 parent volunteers and 1 Special Education Assistant jumped in to help out, and it was the first time for them too!
- 101 hours were contributed towards revitalizing local habitat!
- 3 cubic metres (19 bathtubs) of invasive Himalayan Blackberry was removed
- 26 square metres of habitat revitalized!
Highlights
- We built on the work of community & youth activities we ran here this Spring to continue stewarding this park after we began our work here way back in 2023!
- Students worked their way in from the trail, removing a lot of new growth blackberry and focusing on the smaller roots that are key to preventing the spread of these plants and a great help in maintaining our progress here!
- Thanks to coordination with Ms. Stephenson & Ms. Tazumi, students participated in this hands-on environmental activity and learned how to support biodiversity!
- This hands-on, experiential approach educated students about invasive species but also instilled a sense of responsibility towards their local environment, showcased the power they have to make a difference & created lasting memories!
- The teachers & all the students got some extra healthy exercise walking to this activity!
- Students worked together as teams to tackle these plants!
- Thanks as well to Charn & Justin from the Township of Langley who helped cleaning up all the plants we removed, encouraged the students, and helped with some stubborn roots!
- After their hard work, students enjoyed some fruity juice and healthy granola bars!
What Participants Said
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!
This was the seventh of NINE activities we are organizing in partnership with the Township this year!
BIG thank you to Tovery & Chris for their role in making this activity a success as well as Justin & Charn who helped out on-site coaching the youth and hauling away those invasive plants!
Together we are creating opportunities for youth and 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 run high-quality community activities. Outreach, activity logistics, social media, reporting on impacts, partnership building and more – they do it all!
Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland Green Team’s Program Manager led this activity with behind-the-scenes support from Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager who plays a key role in building the partnerships that make these activities possible!