I have been involved in gardening and taking care of animals since I was a child. Finding and joining the Greater Victoria Green Team gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills regarding plants, to make a positive impact in the environment and to be a role model for others to follow in the steps of the GVGT in taking care of the planet. I enjoy volunteer work, nature and helping species-at-risk. Every activity the team does is very exciting to be a part of.The most activity I like other than saving species-at-risk is to clean up beaches, I like doing that for many reasons some of them are: we honor the earth by cleaning it, take away all the small pieces of plastic, thread, glass, etc… to prevent fish, birds and other creatures from swallowing them which causes death.My thoughts and hopes are for more human beings to think of their everyday activities (e.g. plastic waste, car exhaust, paper usage…etc) and how they impact on the environment and for more individuals to be involved in protecting endangered species. In the end, humans are responsible for keeping the planet balanced and good for all species to live in peacefully. This way, hopefully, we will all someday have a planet less polluted, greener and happier!

Hello, this is Conway reporting in. I’m 33 years old, and have “the knack” for all things electrical and mechanical. I was built from the bones of the world’s greatest scientists and engineers, but was never designed to be human. When not working or disciplining my renters for leaving all the cupboards doors open, again, I can sometimes be found playing volleyball or pulling plants out of the ground.My hobbies are some of the more difficult video games, building things, and creating solutions to problems which don’t exist. I volunteer with Amanda’s Greater Victoria Green Team for a few reasons. In no particular order: 1) The snacks and swag; 2) Getting to contribute to something positive outdoors; 3) The cats. All production ceases when a neighbor cat comes to say hi; 4) It’s a great venue to meet new people; 5) I can use the root puller to take down invasive trees.

I joined the Greater Victoria Green Team in 2015 as a way to be involved in the community. The diversity of the people and places is refreshing and I love how organic the conversations are with volunteers. It brings me hope to see the pockets of communities taking care of their backyards and perhaps, as we raise the next generations of caretakers, we can reverse the flora damage we have brought to the wild spaces of this region.

I joined the Lower Mainland Green Team because I was looking for an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the community through environmental protection or restoration activities. Since then, I have been inspired by the enthusiasm and determination of the people I have met at LMGT events! As a LMGT leader, I want to continue to learn from others about people and nature, and how we can make choices to better protect and conserve the environment. I hope that more people participate in outdoor, hands-on activities like the LMGT to learn about and enjoy nature, and feel like an active member of the community. I hope to see you out there soon!

I joined the Greater Victoria Green Team in March. I appreciate the opportunity to join this wonderful team as a volunteer. This team has given me tons of knowledge about the environment and also about Canadian nature. I am so glad to meet new friends here and likewise co-operate with each other with a smile.After participating in this team, certainly my mind was changed; I tend to look for plants and wild nature: weeds, invasive species, Canadian native plants etc. It has been a good opportunity to learn about our earth and experience these events. What can we do for the earth? We are able to participate in the Greater Victoria Green Team and help to restore our local environment.In the future, I hope that people are more interested in the environment, face the problems and do something about them. It is not only large things but also we are able to discover small things around you. Moreover I hope that people can be more warm and gentle-hearted by getting in touch with nature. I love nature and connecting with people from the all over the world. I love ”Green Team”!!

I joined the Lower Mainland Green Team in 2013 because I felt the urge to get outside, get my hands dirty, and make a difference. As a Green Team Leader, I would like to gain experience working with volunteers and help the LMGT build capacity so that it can continue to do good work.My hope for the future is that people will grow more aware and appreciative of the connections we have with the environment. Even in the heart of the city, we are still and will always be a part of nature. This hope runs through my work as a writer and essayist, and I’m always interested in exploring stories with themes of nature, culture, and identity.

I joined the Greater Victoria Green Team as I knew this would provide a terrific opportunity to participate in a variety of areas and environmental activities in our community. I believe public involvement is a central part of sustainable living. Each event has added knowledge and hands on experience with regards to local conditions that might not be widely known. Meeting the many people and other groups caring for our parks, the sharing of information, a real feeling of community with other volunteers of the Greater Victoria Green Team truly adds to the quality of life.My hope for our future, is that Green Teams of Canada will expand to other communities across our country, offering continued optimism through community participation.

I joined the LMGT because I wanted to do something for the environment. This group was perfect for me since I enjoy volunteering, being active and I love the outdoors! As a LMGT leader I hope to learn more about how our community and the environment interconnect, and not to forget, being able to distinguish and take care of the different kinds of invasive and non-invasive species we have in our province. My hope for the future is to see a shift into a more sustainable world, where humankind and nature can coexist, in that we use it to our advantage to sustainably obtain our basic needs, rather than to suit our wants.

I joined Greater Victoria’s Green Team as a newcomer to Victoria and the west coast. I love the outdoors and have a keen interest in the environment and being part of a larger community of environmental enthusiasts. Through the GVGT, I have had the opportunity to meet great people and get to know so much about Victoria’s ecosystems. It has also helped me get to know so many of the beautiful places in and surrounding Victoria.The Green Team instills such a strong sense of comradery through very humbling and informative work. Getting outside and working with communities in restoration and other projects, helps to bridge the gap between people and the natural environment. This is very much a field that I hope to work in one day and the Green Team has helped me gain invaluable experience.Organizations like Green Team that engage community members in environmental work, help people become more aware and educated about the natural world we live in, all the while instilling a fun and social experience. I hope for a more socialized approach to environmental issues. Where an openness to teach and learn from each other, while working outdoors will help promote a greater sense of gratitude for our natural environment. Hard work; Humble attitude; Helping hands.

My name is Elissa Astorino and I am a Team Leader for the Lower Mainland Green Team. I joined the team to gain valuable leadership skills while making a difference in our environment. I hope to increase environmental awareness in my community as many people are unaware of the current issues. A particular interest to me is bringing awareness to what is entering waterways around the world. Many household products contain harmful toxins which end up in our waterways. Pesticides, fertilizers, as well as the chemicals used to make many of the clothing we buy in local retail outlets, are also ending up in are waterways causing extensive damage. Making people aware of these issues, and the options we have to prevent this type of pollution, can really make a difference on this planet. I also believe buying local products can have a positive impact on our communities, environmentally and economically. I look forward to working with the community to preserve this awesome planet and make a difference for the future generations to come.

As a new arrival from Calgary, the GVGT gives me an opportunity to combine my belief in the importance of natural places in our lives and well-being with working with others who share these values. The GVGT allows me to visit a wide variety of local parks and natural spaces. No project is the same thing twice and the variety gives me a chance to learn new skills. One week, we may be removing tiny bits of Styrofoam from a local beach to protect ocean fish. The next week, we are cutting black berry canes to create natural barriers to humans as well as to provide food and shelter for a variety of animals and plants. It is so rewarding to arrive at a meadow covered with ivy and leave a few hours later with the invader removed and replaced by newly planted Garry Oaks.I am thrilled that the Green Team receives funding from the business community, e.g. Telus and hope that more companies as well as governments realize that putting money into our green spaces is not a cost but an investment for the future.

I’ve always had an enjoyment of being outdoors and an appreciation for nature. The LMGT has provided me with an opportunity to be outside while contributing to improving our natural areas. My hope is that more and more people of all backgrounds continue to come out and contribute their time to improving the environment in our city. I also hope that society in general can become more conscious of the environment and repair the disconnect I feel exists between humanity and nature. Currently I’m a student in KPUs Environmental Technology Program and when I’ve got free time from studying I like to get out and do some hiking and geocaching.

I joined the LMGT to get some outdoor time & exercise while meeting nice folks. After some time with the group I find Lyda’s enthusiasm and optimism infectious & it eggs me on to try and do more for the group. Hopefully bring some of my other skill sets in to help the group reach a wider audience. After all it is a commendable effort to bring urban sedentary folks out to nature and for that I salute the good people here. I hope to learn more about our local parks / eco systems. More about volunteer work and its invariable hurdles in our area. More from different nice people in different walks of life through conversations and observation. My hopes for the future that I’d like to see are practical and sustainable ways for people to stay healthy by enjoying outdoor activities such as the group promotes, eat nutritious food locally grown, minimize outside effects on our eco systems, look for practical and sustainable solutions for nature and industrial progress to co-exist with each other with a well managed risk mitigation plan. It is indeed foolish to think that we can live without either, so to look forward to a lasting marriage of these elements…

I joined the LMGT to have a reason to get out into parks on a weekend and to make some use of the native and garden plant lore I accumulated working in landscape and nursery. And I see the monotony that certain plants create, smothering all takers. It’s satisfying to tilt against such weeds, hand-to-hand combat against brambles and such, well, and help some LMGT events run smoother.

I first got involved in ecological restoration in Victoria. I was new to the city and looking for something to do. It fit perfectly with my vision of what I want to do in life: honour and connect to the Earth, and do physical things with happy people outside. I hope to learn more about plants and how to best manage invasive species. I think the LMGT represents what I want our world to be: people working together for something greater than themselves.

I originally joined LMGT as a way to do something that was both very hands-on and had a positive impact in the community. As a materials engineering student, I didn’t feel like I had enough opportunities be involved in environmental stewardship through school and work, so I looked for volunteer opportunities. Besides becoming more knowledgeable about Metro Vancouver’s parks, I hope to generally learn more about what makes volunteer events successful. Though I grew up in North Delta, I spent most of the past year working in Cleveland, and I will be returning to Cleveland later this year. I would love to see the spirit of LMGT spread to other places. I believe getting people together to do hands-on environmental activities goes a long way to building strong and healthy communities.

I am a first-year Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation student at BCIT and an avid outdoors person. I first joined the Lower Mainland Green Team in the spring of 2012 after moving back from Victoria. My reason for joining was to get involved in local restoration activities and to meet like-minded people that are passionate about the restoration and conservation of our communities’ wild spaces. As a Lower Mainland Green Team leader, I am hoping to develop my presentation and leadership skills while sharing and expanding my knowledge of invasive and native plants that I have learned both from this organization and my post secondary education. I hope for the future that more and more people become reconnected with the natural world and begin to acknowledge their roles as stewards of the environment. In my opinion, the Lower Mainland Green Team has been an awesome tool for spreading this kind of awareness and for providing a fun, meaningful sense of community for everyone involved. I’m looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces out there this spring and summer!

I have always had a strong interest in the environment and have wanted to get a more hands-on approach at helping change local areas that need it by volunteer more. I was drawn to the LMGT because of the large variety of events put on for the past 3 years. By becoming a LGMT I hope to learn to speak more confidently in groups and learn the skill sets to lead future events. In the future I hope that the more people in cities have their own gardens or support local agriculture by purchasing from nearby sustainable markets. I am currently enrolled in the EPT program at Kwantlen. After I graduate I plan to travel and volunteer in different countries before I come back to start my career.

I have been involved in parks restoration projects as a volunteer for several years, mainly on the North Shore. I became involved with Lower Mainland Green Team as I was impressed with their broad-based community work. I believe it is critical to get more young people involved in the stewardship of their natural environments, and LMGT has an effective approach in attracting volunteers using social media. Metro Vancouver is growing rapidly. As population density increases, my hope for the future is that easy access to well maintained natural spaces will be available to everyone, as this will be a significant factor impacting physical and mental health. Strong community interest and involvement will be necessary to protect and preserve natural spaces.

I joined the Lower Mainland Green Team because I believe that it is worth making an effort to keep what we have. I prefer not to spend my time pointing fingers at others and demanding change in them. I believe that real power comes from our own actions and choices. The LMGT allows me to exercise this strength. Sometimes I feel like I am up against a battle too large to win, but when I see the people who have chosen to give up a few hours of their day to join in it heartens me. It is a very satisfying feeling to see the difference between how a park looks when we start and how it looks when we leave. I hope people will not be overcome by despair at climate change but will take the opportunity to make real change in their personal choices.

I joined the LMGT for camaraderie in the outdoors and to be involved with plants and trees since I don’t have a garden at home. Since becoming a volunteer, I realize that one person alone can make a huge difference on the environment and collectively we can make an enormous amount of change. As a leader I look forward to learning how to engage volunteers and boost enthusiasm for our very important work.Every day individuals, no matter their age, are connecting with nature and the environment and my wish is to see those numbers increasing as well as the awareness of our impact on the earth. I hope local government will make siginificant steps in the short term towards increased sustainability, protection of our farms and utilizing eco-friendly alternatives that will make a tremendous difference in the long term. We have to protect what can so easily and so quickly be lost. I grew up in a small coastal BC town enjoying all the opportunities that nature had to offer and having lived in the big city for over 14 years now, I haven’t lost that connection.

The reason I joined LMGT is that I’m interested in environmental health and how our environment affects the health of ourselves and others. But after a few times volunteering with this group, I realized that the LMGT actually gets out into the environment and help make a difference in our community. I enjoy how this brings people of all ages outside with a common goal, while getting exercise, which improves our own health and helping our communities, which improves our environment.As a LMGT leader, I hope to gain personal development in my communication skills, albeit in smaller groups. My hopes for future, is for more people to enjoy the nature around us and that we should never take it for granted that it’ll be there in the future, without doing our parts, however small. And although I am guilty of the following to some extent, I hope to see people buy less stuff with unrecyclable packaging, and less consumed with material goods.

I started volunteering with the LMGT because I wanted to find an opportunity that would allow me to be outside and connect to like minded people. I also wanted something that I could bring my little sister (through Big Sisters BC) to where we could work together. I love that the LMGT has events that are focused on youth as I think it is very important for us to get the younger generation out in nature. I would love to see youth volunteering because they love to, like my little sister does, and really caring about preserving the earth. I believe that getting youth to care about the earth is the secret to keeping it healthy.As a LMGT leader I hope to be more engaged in the volunteer community and share my passion about the environment with others.

I joined the LMGT team to be able to meaningfully participate in a community events that allowed both myself and my son to be outside with a like-minded group of individuals. I have a background in invasive species ecology and understand how important these volunteer events are to maintaining our natural areas in a state that provides habitat both native plant and animal species. My son loves LMGT events – his participation in the events ranges from pulling ivy to directing the adults to exploring the forest for bugs and worms. He especially loves the cookies!In the future, we would like to see more people engaged in these kinds of stewardship activities. Not only are they a great way to get outside and see all the green areas our city has to offer, but it also a very tangible (visual) way to see the difference your effort can make.

I joined the LMGT to be able to first get a chance to be outdoors and learn about this beautiful city that I live in and have yet so much to discover about. It’s given me a chance to visit the various parks in the lower mainland that I would never have been to before and learn about the ecosystem and about conservation. It also teaches me about what the invasive plants can do to the environment. I get to do a lot of hands-on work and it feels good seeing all the bags full of greenery the group has work on. I also get to learn about the local food production and learn about preparing and harvesting vegetable beds. Where these go to and how it supports the community. I have 2 teenagers who join me whenever I have the opportunity to volunteer and it teaches them about working as a team, habitat restoration skills, the ecosystem and plus it gives them the volunteer hours.I hope in the future that people will become more aware and caring of their environment and having groups like LMGT will make it more fun and at the same time meet new people.

I joined the LMGT because I was looking for a way to volunteer and be better to the environment. While I know everyone has various commitments, I’d love to see everyone come out a few times a year to volunteer in local parks. My sister (who doesn’t usually love the outdoors) celebrated her 27th birthday by inviting her friends to a LGMT event and you wouldn’t believe how much everyone loved it. It’s hard to explain to people the benefits that they’ll experience from being outdoors – you really have to try it to see what I mean!