On Wednesday June 9th, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of White Rock partnered up to remove invasive species from Ruth Johnson Park in White Rock. The sun was shining for two classes from Earl Marriott Secondary School to walk from their school to participate in this activity. Our work focused on removing Small-flowered Touch-me-not (a relative of Policeman’s Helmet) and Himalayan Blackberry, two invasive species that were dominant in this area of the park where we had previously planted trees in 2019. The students did an excellent job of tackling this species while being careful to protect native species. We were very impressed by their ability to identify the differences between native Trailing Blackberry and invasive Himalayan Blackberry!

Prior to starting our work, we found a small bird’s nest in an invasive blackberry bush which was home to some very hungry babies! This nest was uniquely shaped and demonstrated how Himalayan Blackberry is not all bad (although the negatives tend to outweigh the positives). We cordoned off this area and made sure to stay clear of it, except to quietly observe the nest from a distance.

It was amazing to see all of the students engaged in teamwork to improve the biodiversity of this area and their own wellbeing, as being out in nature has countless benefits! We hope you all had a good time and will join us the next time we are in the area! Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity had two sessions engaging youth and implemented the safety measures outlined in our COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Thank You!

Thank you to Mr. Roberts’ and Ms. Knapp’s classes for coming out to get some hands-on outdoor education in the community: Hong, Jackson, Adam, Luca, Dorcas, Evan, Evelyn, Reesha, Alora, Olivia, Hartley, Siwen, Aashka, Ava, Yanxi, Efe, Sakura, Alaska, Elden, Jordan, Diya, Neele, Robyn, Sophie, Kate, Devin, Maria, Devin, Asha, Lauren, Shamia and two more students who forgot to sign in, but removed an outstanding amount of blackberry!

A huge thank you to Egan Davis, the City of White Rock’s Manager of Parks, for being our wonderful partner for this activity. We are proud to work with the City to improve ecosystem and community health in the White Rock area and look forward to our future activities!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE and second session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 33 LMGT volunteers participated and contributed 55.5 hours total
• About 2.8 cubic metres (~17 bathtubs!) of Small-flowered Touch-me-not and Himalayan Blackberry was removed
• 22 volunteers visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
• 30 volunteers removed invasive species for the first time
• We rescued some of the native trees we planted in 2019 from being overtaken by blackberry
• A small bird’s nest was found and protected while we worked (picture above!)
• We were featured in the Peace Arch News and Surrey-Now Leader! Read the article HERE and on page A26 of the June 17, 2021 paper HERE. Lois Smith also wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of Peace Arch News about us, read it on page A7 of the June 24, 2021 paper HERE!

Before and After (scroll down for more photos)

Action Shots

On Saturday May 29, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of White Rock joined forces to remove invasive Himalayan blackberry from West Beach in White Rock. We couldn’t have asked for a better day or a better site as everyone got to enjoy sunshine, a gentle breeze and a day down at the beach. Together participants pulled out some of the largest Himalayan blackberry crowns we have seen and helped restore this natural area. We had a mixture of experienced Lower Mainland Green Team volunteers and community members joining us for the first time who were able to socialize and connect with each other in a safe way!

Environmental stewardship is a collaborative effort and it is important to return to sites to ensure a long lasting impact. This was our first time at this site and we look forward to being back to remove more blackberry and eventually plant some native species! We received lots of support from passersby who were excited to see this type of initiative happening in their community and were keen to learn how they could participate. Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity had three sessions engaging a youth group in the first session, up to 9 people in the second and third session and implemented the safety measures outlined in our COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Thank You!

Thank you to the 1st Semiahmoo Scouts and Venturers for coming out to get some hands-on outdoor education in the community: Sacha, Heather, Dusty, Zak, Devon, Greyson, Ann, Stephanie! A big thanks to Heather for organizing on your end!

Thank you to all of the hard-working, enthusiastic community members we had out: Doreen, Francis, Sanja, Vicki, Doug, Xuguang, Rita, Paul, Diana, Jordan, Connor, Kaz, Samantha, Yuxuan, Ivy and Remi!

A huge thank you to Egan Davis, the City of White Rock’s new Manager of Parks, for coming out and supporting the valuable work that we do! We absolutely love working with the City of White Rock and have nurtured a wonderful partnership with them since 2013. We look forward to continuing our work in the community with you!

We want to extend a special thanks to Nick Greenizan from Peace Arch News for providing amazing coverage for all of the work we do in White Rock. A number of our volunteers found out about this opportunity through the article you shared HERE and your coverage goes a long way in supporting the work of our charity!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE, second session HERE, and third session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Third Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 24 LMGT volunteers participated and contributed 36 hours total
• Over 2 cubic metres of Himalayan blackberry was removed, including some of the largest root crowns we have seen!
• 9 volunteers visited West Beach for the first time
• 13 volunteers removed invasive Himalayan blackberry for the first time
• Our youngest volunteer was Remi at 3 years old
• Lyda, the Executive Director and Founder of our charity Green Teams of Canada, came out for the first session and part of the second to take some awesome photos
• 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, soap from Eartheasy, and West Coast Seeds
• We were featured in the Peace Arch News TWICE! Click HERE to read the first article and HERE to read the second, which was also printed in the June 10, 2021 paper!

What Volunteers Said

• “I feel this program brings communities together to work towards a common goal, removing invasive plants, in this case, and a sense of pride when we have the before and after pictures to show how a group of people can achieve great accomplishments… Thank you Ashton and Lyda and the City of White Rock for putting this event together and getting communities outside in a safe and productive manner!” – Diana

• “Great to meet diverse people while having a positive impact on the environment” – Doug

• “I enjoyed all of it… I am very excited to be a part of a team that digs up invasive species. I definitely want to be a part of re-planting native species in their place.” – Samantha

Action Shots

On Saturday April 24th, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of Richmond joined forces to celebrate Earth Week 2021 and remove invasive Himalayan blackberry from Terra Nova Park in Richmond! Despite some on and off rain, it was a great day and the perfect temperature to get outside and restore this local park. Community members of all ages and experience levels came together to learn about the increasing threat of invasive species with climate change, how to identify Himalayan blackberry and remove it. Teamwork was used to dig up stubborn crowns and it was empowering to see the huge difference that a seemingly small group of people could make! The work of these community members built on the efforts of those who joined us last week on April 17, 2021 and those who came out to our first activity at this park in November 2020. Environmental stewardship is a collaborative effort and it is important to return to sites to ensure a long lasting impact. Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity had three sessions engaging up to 9 people in each session and implemented the safety measures outlined in our COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Thank You!

Thank you to all of the hard-working and enthusiastic community members we had out: Suzie, Harkaran, Shane, Francis, Apple, Liz, Dan yang, RuiRui (Lillian), Rachel, Deng, Kaleb, Taylor, Aqeel, Gary, Jun, Ethan Lennart, Stephanie, Tia, Rana, Mimi, Vicky, Nicole, Ye-fee and Talia!

A huge thank you to Magnus Sinclair from the City of Richmond for being our partner and making this opportunity possible! We are excited to be a part of the City of Richmond’s Earth Week 2021 celebration and look forward to running future activities with you!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE, second session HERE, and third session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Third Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 24 LMGT volunteers participated and contributed 34 hours total
• 2.5 cubic metres of Himalayan blackberry was removed, including dozens of stubborn root crowns!
• 14 volunteers visited Terra Nova Park for the first time
• 21 volunteers removed invasive Himalayan blackberry for the first time
• We found lots of worms, slugs, beetles and other helpful soil organisms, and Suzie almost took home a pet slug on her backpack!
• We were visited by two Anna’s hummingbirds and got to hear their bird call!
• Volunteers took home a gift from one of our in-kind sponsors who kindly donated their products to our community including: EarthRated dog poop bags, tea lights and matches from Honey Candles, soap from Eartheasy, and West Coast Seeds
• We were featured in the Richmond News! Click HERE to read the article.

What Volunteers Said

• “It was satisfying and well organized and felt impactful.” – Talia

Action Shots

On Thursday April 22, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of White Rock joined forces to celebrate Earth Day 2021 and remove invasive English Ivy from Ruth Johnson Park in White Rock! Students from Earl Marriott Secondary School made the most of the beautiful sunny day by walking from their school to this local park to learn about invasive species, how climate change creates conditions for these species to thrive, and how they can take action. In removing the English Ivy, students helped increase biodiversity by making space for other native species to grow. These students demonstrated excellent teamwork and it was rewarding to come back to this site after our activity in March 2021 to continue our collaborative restoration efforts. Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity was for youth only and implemented the safety measures outlined in our COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Thank You!

Thank you to Ms. Knapp’s Yearbook class and Mr. Robert’s Grade 8 PE class for coming out to this activity to celebrate Earth Day!

Thank you to all of the hard-working participants we had out: Anna, Max, Paisley, Kathryn, Ashley, Linda, Luka, Martin, Wenxun, Jillian, Alex, Derek, David, Andy, Avery, Julia, Ethan, Isabella, Ella, Ryan, Maya, Sydney, Cole, Katalina, Ellie, Cruz, Niko, Richard, Kaylem, Adam, Alfie, Kaelyn, Charlie, Sierra, Jackson, Amelia, Valentina, Carter, Alex, Gavin, Eva and Bianca!

A huge thank you to Rosaline Choy from the City of White Rock for being our partner and making this opportunity possible! Many thanks as well to Ken from the City of White Rock for setting up barricades to keep our volunteers safe and limit the amount of foot traffic in the area we were working in. We deeply value our partnership with the City of White Rock and look forward to our next activity!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE and second session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 42 students from Earl Marriott Secondary School participated and contributed 75 hours total
• 8 cubic metres of English Ivy was removed, which is approximately the volume of 50 full bathtubs!
• 36 volunteers visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
• 35 volunteers removed invasive English Ivy for the first time
• 3 trees were freed from Ivy
• Teamwork was used to pull out stubborn vines
• Students found it satisfying to pull out long vines and felt a sense of accomplishment
• We were featured in the Peace Arch News TWICE! Read the articles HERE and HERE!
• A beautiful flowering Trillium plant was found and extra care was taken to not disturb this plant.
  • Trilliums are a very slow growing plant that only begins to flower when they reach 7-10 years of age. As beautiful as the flower is, do not pick it! Picking the flowers can be detrimental to the plant

Action Shots

On Saturday April 17th, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team and the City of Richmond joined forces to celebrate Earth Week 2021 and remove invasive Himalayan blackberry from Terra Nova Park in Richmond! We had beautiful summer-like weather with nothing but sunshine and warmth to make for a fantastic opportunity to get outside and connect to nature. Community members of all ages and experience levels came out to this local park to learn about the increasing threat of invasive species with climate change and how they can take action. The Himalayan blackberry didn’t stand a chance against these volunteers, who persisted and removed dozens of root crowns to prevent regrowth. It was rewarding to come back to this site after our activity in November 2020 to continue our collaborative restoration efforts. Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity had three sessions engaging up to 9 people in each session and implemented the safety measures outlined in our COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Thank You!

Thank you to all of the hard-working and enthusiastic community members we had out: Yvonne, Frank, Francis, Blair, Jeffrey, Steven, Ryan, Shu, Erzsi, Ashley, Sophie R, Xander, Peton, Cade, Sophie T, Boris, Brendan, Gulmira and the kind gentleman who was walking by and hopped in during the second session!

A huge thank you to Magnus Sinclair from the City of Richmond for being our partner and making this opportunity possible! We are excited to be a part of the City of Richmond’s Earth Week 2021 celebration and look forward to our future activities, including one next Saturday April 24th, 2021 at the same location!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE, second session HERE, and third session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Third Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 19 LMGT volunteers participated and contributed 25 hours total
• 2 cubic metres of Himalayan blackberry was removed, including dozens of stubborn root crowns!
• 5 volunteers visited Terra Nova Park for the first time
• 16 volunteers removed invasive Himalayan blackberry for the first time
• Worms, slugs, and other fun bugs were discovered in the soil
• Volunteers took home a gift from one of our in-kind sponsors who donated their products to our community: EarthRated dog poop bags, lip chap from Green Beaver, soap from Eartheasy, and West Coast Seeds
• We were featured in the Richmond News! Click HERE to read the article.

What Volunteers Said

• “I enjoyed working hard and pulling the roots out of the ground! There were clear directions to the location, snacks and refreshments, as well as appropriate tools!” – Ashley

• “Got outside in some great weather, got some exercise, helped out in my community, maintained social distance. The contribution of a single person seems small, but with many volunteers and several sessions I expect a lot will be accomplished. In times of tension, it’s good to work towards a shared goal.” – Blair

• “I enjoyed socializing and the accomplishment of removing roots!“ – Cade

• “The impact that I found to be at the core of this program is to really help people understand what the green team is about. There is a shared sense of community where people are willing to come together and understand the problems revolving around our environment on which the land does not belong to us. The acknowledgement that because we are a part of our beautiful ecosystem, we such learn more about it.” – Sophie

Action Shots

On Friday April 9th, 2021 the Lower Mainland Green Team teamed up with the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) to remove invasive Himalayan blackberry from Maple Ridge Park in Maple Ridge! Despite a rainy forecast, the weather held out for our volunteers to work together to restore a sensitive habitat in the park that was overrun with blackberry. Volunteers shared an enthusiasm for the work and enjoyed the opportunity to get outside to do something together safely! Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity was for youth only and engaged students from Thomas Haney Secondary School and Maple Ridge Secondary School.

Thank You!

Thank you to Brian William’s Outdoor Pursuits class from Thomas Haney Secondary School and Ramona Cruickshank’s students from the Wings Program at Maple Ridge Secondary School for coming out to participate in this activity!

LMGT Volunteers:
Nicole, John, Brian, Dale, Kalem, Eleanor, Vika, Ary, Isabela, December, Sarah, Caleb, William, Nathan, Jordan, Evan, Josh, Jacob, Caleb, John, Lisa, Erin, Jacob, Jessica, Peter, Michelle, Ramona, Emily, Dylan, Charity

A big thank you to Greta Borick-Cunningham and Sophie Sparrow from ARMS and their Maple Ridge Adopt-a-Block Program, and the Stewart Family Foundation for the funding to make this activity possible! Thank you as well to Jasmine Sidhu from ARMS for your support during the activity! We deeply value our partnership with this local organization, and together are a force to be reckoned with. It was an absolute pleasure running this activity with you and we look forward to the next!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE and the second session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 28 LMGT volunteers participated and contributed 47 hours total
• 5 cubic metres of Himalayan Blackberry was removed from a sensitive habitat
• The site was prepared for a native species planting activity that will be run by ARMS in the coming weeks
• 3 volunteers visited Maple Ridge Park for the first time
• 25 volunteers removed invasive Himalayan Blackberry for the first time
• A Croc and a skateboard were found and removed by volunteers
• A wish was made on a wishbone shaped root crown
• This activity was featured in the Maple Ridge News! Read the article HERE and see it printed in the April 9, 2021 paper

What Volunteers Said

• “I think this program is very well run. It was very accommodating to all our students who have differing abilities. The people running it were very knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming. I think it would be great to offer this to all schools in the Maple Ridge District as a field trip. This is important work.“ – Erin

• “It was good to actually see progress… Raised awareness for sure.” – Brian

• “I liked cutting the blackberries out.” – Jacob

• “I enjoyed being outside and helping out.” – Emily

• “Significant impact to be able to actively participate regardless of one’s exceptionality. The connection to land and the environment. I felt amazing during and after and so did the students and their families. This experience I think will lead to the students now wanting to participate in more activities like this” – Ramona

Action Shots

On Friday March 5th the Lower Mainland Green Team teamed up with the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) to remove invasive Himalayan Blackberry from Reg Franklin Park in Maple Ridge! The volunteers demonstrated an incredible amount of teamwork and enthusiasm to restore this local park, and thankfully the weather held out asides from some wind! Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity was for youth only and engaged students from the Environmental School.

THANK YOU

Thank you to Chris Moerman’s Grade 3/4/5 class and Sarah Macdonald’s Grade 6/7/8/9 class from the Environmental School for participating! The energy of everyone at this activity was inspiring and we look forward to engaging your classes again.

A big thank you to Greta Borick-Cunningham and Sophie Sparrow from ARMS and their Maple Ridge Adopt-a-Block Program for making this activity possible! We deeply value our partnership with this local organization, and together are a force to be reckoned with! It was an absolute pleasure running this activity with you and we look forward to the next!

Photos from the Day HERE!

Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 35 LMGT volunteers from grades 3-9 walked from their school to participate in this activity and contributed 105 hours total
• 6 cubic metres of Himalayan Blackberry was removed
• 2 students visited Reg Franklin Park for the first time
• 10 students removed invasive Himalayan Blackberry for the first time
• The site was prepared for a native species planting activity that will be run by ARMS on Friday, March 12th!
• Volunteers shared and built on their existing knowledge about the impacts of invasive species and climate change on a local scale
• The Maple Ridge News came out to highlight the efforts of our volunteers, check out the article and video HERE!
• Volunteers took home a gift from one of our in-kind sponsors who donated their products to our community: EarthRated dog poop bags, lip chap from Green Beaver, soap from Eartheasy, and West Coast Seeds

Slideshow

On Wednesday March 3rd the Lower Mainland Green Team joined forces with the City of White Rock and the White Rock and South Surrey Naturalists to remove invasive English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry from Ruth Johnson Park and the Eva Bene Butterfly Garden! It was a beautiful day and the volunteers were visited by a pileated woodpecker, a hummingbird and found some worms while digging in the Butterfly Garden! This was the first activity that our new Program Manager, Ashton, has run since stepping in this role. Following the current COVID-19 restrictions, this activity was for youth only and engaged students from Semiahmoo Secondary School.

THANK YOU

Thank you to Susan Hunter’s two Grade 8 classes from Semiahmoo Secondary for participating in this activity!

A big thank you to the City of White Rock’s Manager of Engineering, Rosaline Choy, for making this activity possible! We deeply value our partnership with the City of White Rock and look forward to our next activity. Thank you as well to Kason for setting up barricades and pylons around the site to ensure the safety of our volunteers, we really appreciate it!

Photos from the first session can be found HERE and the second session HERE!

First Session Group Photo

Second Session Group Photo

Highlights

• In total 47 LMGT volunteers contributed 80 hours and removed almost 10 cubic metres of invasive species
• 34 volunteers visited Ruth Johnson Park for the first time
• 45 of these volunteers removed invasive species for the first time
• The White Rock and Surrey Naturalists engaged 12 of these volunteers in the Eva Bene Butterfly Garden
• Volunteers learned about the impacts of invasive species and climate change on a local scale
• For most of the volunteers, this was their first time being to Ruth Johnson Park and first time removing invasive species
• A pileated woodpecker and a hummingbird came by for a visit!
• We were featured in the Peace Arch News TWICE! First article can be found HERE and second article can be found HERE (also published on the FRONT PAGE of the March 11, 2021 newspaper).

Slideshow