*when you click on "upcoming meetups", "past meetups" or "our calendar" (on the left of this screen) do make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page if you are not logged into a meetup.com account.*
Looking for a constructive way to help the environment?
We’re a group of people from all over the Lower Mainland who get together several times a month to help Metro Vancouver Parks, cities, charities, non-profit organizations, societies, stewardship groups and watershed groups tackle an environmental issue that needs co-operation and teamwork to get done. We also volunteer at farms to promote local sustainable agriculture. Gloves and tools will be supplied as well as refreshments! If you care about the environment and local food security this is the group for you! All ages welcome!!
We volunteer in parks, along waterways (rivers/streams/marshes/shorelines) and at farms.
Activities include...
- Pulling invasive plants that are outcompeting and overtaking our native flora
- Planting native plants/trees
- Cleaning up (picking up garbage/litter)
- Preparing veggie beds
- Harvesting veggies
What will you get out of it? Here are a few things you’ll get. You’ll..
- Learn first-hand about the environmental issues faced in parks and along waterways
- Build stewardship and habitat restoration skills
- Restore a natural space
- Build knowledge and skills related to local food gardening
- Feel good getting your hands dirty and being active in something you believe in
- Meet like-minded people
- Learn to be a leader and work as a team
- Gain knowledge first-hand about all the amazing work being done in the lower mainland to take care of the environment and increase food security
- Explore places in the Lower Mainland you may have never been to before
- Gain volunteer hours (a letter to confirm your hours will be emailed to you as requested)
- Get exercise
- Have fun!
Our Partner
The Pacific Parklands Foundation (PPF) is our partner. Their mission is to protect green spaces, enrich communities and encourage philanthropy.
Funders
Without financial support the Lower Mainland Green Team would not be able to make nearly as much of a positive impact on the environment as it does. Thank you to our funders!!
Schein Foundation, TD Friends of the Environment, The Gosling Foundation and North Face Explore Fund.
Well wishes to the Lower Mainland Green Team
David Suzuki sent the LMGT a letter. He says "Volunteers are the heart and soul of Canada, deeply rooted in community and concerned and active on issues that matter." He also wrote "Thank you for all you do".
We received a postcard from Farley Mowat , a Canadian conservationist and author (he wrote Never Cry Wolf). His message: "Good luck to the Lower Mainland Green Team".
Consider making a donation to the Lower Mainland Green Team because..
1) While it doesn't cost anything for volunteers to participate, there are costs to run events such as: gloves, tools, equipment, refreshments, native plants/trees, signage, communication materials and organization/coordination.
2) You get more bang for your buck. Very little overhead for your money to disappear into. Also, very little bureaucracy, so a lot more gets done on much less money!
3) Our work has a direct positive environmental impact. Come see first hand.
4) We are transparent. The green team organizer will happily show you receipts.
5) You think the organizer is doing a good job and you want to make sure she keeps going.
How to donate
Our partner, The Pacific Parklands Foundation, collects donations on our behalf; therefore your donation is tax deductible.
There are two ways to donate:
1) Click on: DONATE TO THE LOWER MAINLAND GREEN TEAM then:
a) fill in the donation amount
b) indicate the donation frequency (one time or repeat)
c) Use the drop down menu at Fund/Designation to click on "Program - Lower Mainland Green Team".
d) Follow up with instructions on how you want your money to be used. Note: There is a 3.9% fee, paid to Canada Helps to administer donations online. The efficiency of donating online offsets the cost.
2) Send a cheque payable to the "Pacific Parklands Foundation" to the 6th Floor, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby BC V5H 4G8. Include instructions as to how you want the money used by the Lower Mainland Green Team.
Note: Send an email to lowermainlandgreenteam@gmail.com to let Lyda, the LMGT organizer, know you have made a donation and she will ensure the money was received.
Regular Updates
If you want to know the latest Lower Mainland Green Team happenings as they happen: We're now on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LMGreenteam
Contests and Perks
Current contests:
1) The first 3 volunteers to ride bicycles and the first 2 volunteers to provide rides to other volunteers to 3 green team events will get jewelry made of recycled bicycle parts (choice of bracelets, earrings and cuff links) by Re-Cycled Accessories http://www.recycledacc.com/
2) Our most active volunteer for 2012 will receive a Grouse Mountain Certificate to the Eye of the Wind Tour (a visit to the top of the wind turbine)
Perks for volunteers who have come out to volunteer (since we began in 2011) at least 3 times (one of each of the items per volunteer):
Media
The Lower Mainland Green Team has been in a number of media outlets. Please click on the following links :
Coquitlam Now, Dec 16, 2011 (page A7)
North Shore News, Nov 30, 2011 (page A21)
Peace Arch News Nov 1, 2011
Breakfast Television Vancouver Sept 26th, 2011
Delta Optimist July 29, 2011
Burnaby News Leader June 15, 2011
Vancouver Sun 15 April 2011 (this one has been taken down from the net)
The Surrey Leader April 20, 2011
Maple Ridge Times 18 March 2011
Langley Advance 8 March 2011 (our very first event was covered!)
History
We were founded on Feb 7th 2011. So far we have had 20 successful volunteer events. There is a short write-up and before/after photos for every single event. Please click on pages (if you're not logged into your meetup account, make sure to scroll down a ways to get to all the pages). See pictures from each of our events please click on photos
Who the hosts are of our events
Metro Vancouver Parks http://www.parkpartners.ca / http://www.metrovancouver.org
BC Parks http://www.bcparks.ca
City of Burnaby http://burnaby.ca/
City of Coquitlam http://www.coquitlam.ca
City of North Vancouver http://www.cnv.org
District of North Vancouver http://www.dnv.org/
City of Surrey http://www.surrey.ca/
City of Richmond http://www.richmond.ca/
Corporation of Delta http://www.corp.delta.bc.ca/
Pacific Spirit Park Society http://www.pacificspiritparksociety.org
Cougar Creek Streamkeepers http://www.vcn.bc.ca/cougarcr/
Burnaby Lake Park Association http://burnabylakepark.ca/
Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society http://www.sunnysideacres.ca
Friends of Semiahmoo Bay/Birds on the Bay http://www.birdsonthebay.ca/friends.html
Earthwise Society http://earthwisesociety.bc.ca/
Edible Garden Project http://www.ediblegardenproject.com/
Richmond Fruit Tree Sharing Project http://www.richmondfruittree.com/
Rivers Institute at BCIT http://commons.bcit.ca/riversinstitute/
Jericho Stewardship Group http://jerichostewardship.ca/
Evergreen http://www.evergreen.ca/
Friends of Hunter Park
Ceed Centre Society http://www.ceedcentre.org/
Aldridge Acres Connex School
Generous businesses
Each of the following businesses have donated product to Lower Mainland Green Team volunteers to reward their hard work taking care of the environment!
Mountain Equipment Co-op provided bike lights, bells, bike reflectors, carabiners, camping utensils and cups. A Canadian business that sells outdoor related items (e.g. for hiking, snowshoeing, biking, climbing, kayaking)
Burt's Bees provided earth friendly natural personal care lotions. They sell many natural products for the lips, body and hair.
Buff provided original multifunctional high performance headwear. a Buff can be worn as a hat, neck gaiter, balaclava, bandana, scarf, hair band, helmet liner, headband, and pirate-style cap or as a sun, wind or dust screen.
Icebreaker provided merino wool socks.
West Coast Seeds provided gardening gloves and seeds. Local business who sell gardening supplies
Fill Your Own provided steel water bottles. They are a local business who sell food containers, lunch bags, shopping totes and litter less lunch kits.
Kama Soap provided natural soap. They are Salt Spring Island based and make soap that is natural and with ingredients that are ethically sourced.
Re-Cycled Accessories provided accessories made of recycled bicycle parts
Grouse Mountain provided tickets to the eye of the wind turbine tour
Green Beaver provided natural lip balms
Camino provided fairtrade chocolate candy bars
EthicalDeal will provide $5 off first purchase. punch in the code "LMGT2012" when the pay screen comes up and you will be automatically discounted (starting Feb 1st 2012)
Hankettes provided reusable tea bags and Hankettes Handkerchiefs.
Honey Candles Ltd provided candles made of 100% beeswax
If you care Environment Friendly Products Provided kitchen and household products made to have the lightest carbon footprint possible
Wysi Wipe Introducing: the new way to wipe! Is Wysi™ a compostable facecloth; reusable towel or chemical-free wipe?
Ecoware Biodegradables FSC certified compostable natural wood cutlery
Earthen Compostable dinnerware made of fallen palm leaves
Choices Markets - 4 $25 gift cards to Choices Markets
Lesley Stowe Fine Foods / Two flavours of baked natural Raincoast Crisps, cranberry hazlenut and Fig & olive as well deserved refreshments while volunteering!
Kiju® juices Provided 100% organic juice.
PoopBags.ca provided dispensers with dog poop biodegradable bags in them
Clif Bar donated clif bars
Luna Bar donated luna bars
COBS Bread 2837 West Broadway location donated goodies for our Jericho Park invasive plant removal event on June 12, 2011
COBS Bread Ocean Park location (12857 16th Ave, Surrey BC) have donated yummy goodies for our Blackie Spit Clean-up and Scotch Broom removal event on April 17th
COBS Bread at Walnut Gate ( 20330-88th Ave) have donated yummy treats for our Derby Reach event on May 8th 2011
Ethical Bean provided four bags of fair trade organic coffee to the first 4 volunteers to participate in 4 Lower Mainland Green Team events.
Cravings (4061 200 Street Langley, BC) provided delicious muffins at our first Campbell Valley ivy pull on March 6th!
Photos/Video
We may take photos and/or videos at the events. These may be posted here on meetup and/or other sites like youtube. The photos may also be used for communication materials. If you prefer to not be on camera make this clear to whoever is pointing a camera your way and/or duck out!
Liability (please read before attending any of our events!)
The organizer and each and every one of its hosts and volunteer participants are in no way responsible and liable for your personal safety and health state, or the safety of your children before, during and at anytime after each event. By RSVPing "Yes", for Lower Mainland Green Team events, you acknowledge that you fully understand the nature of the activities, are aware of risks, and are sufficiently fit and capable of performing the activities, assuming all risks associated with those activities. All attendees hereby release and shall forever hold harmless the Lower Mainland Green Team organizer, all Lower Mainland Green Team hosts and other volunteers attendees and unconditionally waive any liabilities resulting from attending and/or participating in any Lower Mainland Green Team events. By attending our events you are taking personal responsibility for yourself and any minors in your care. Anyone under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
RSVP'ing and not showing up
There are two rules:
1. Because equipment, tools and refreshments are brought to each event based on the number of people coming, if you have RSVP'd 3 times that you are going to 3 events and without notice have not shown up, you will be removed from the Lower Mainland Green Team. To "un-rsvp" go to where you had originally clicked on "join us" on the event page and click on "change RSVP". Please do this by the day before the event.
2. If you sign up for an event with a restricted number of participants, the spaces become filled and there is a waiting list and you do not show up (and have no good reason) you will be removed. You must UN-RSVP at least 2 days before an event (to give other members a chance to take your vacated spot and participate)
Other volunteer opportunities
We hope that you will consider volunteering more regularly with the groups hosting our events once you've checked out what they do.
Please check out the following page for more environmental volunteer opportunities http://www.meetup.com/The-Lower-Mainland-Green-Team/pages/Other_Environmental_activities/
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