Green Team organized seven activities in Sooke region last year

Kristen Dey, left, Patty Meads and Torrey Archer with cardboard used to cover the periwinkle locations at Ayum Creek Park, during a Greater Victoria project last spring in Sooke. (Jack Most/Sooke News Mirror)

A unique and innovative environmental organization that emphasizes volunteerism and nature wants to form a partnership with the District of Sooke.

The Greater Victoria Green Team has organized or taken part in seven activities in the Sooke region in the last year.

“We are focused on the people side of ecological restoration and work to rally the community together to help out environmental improvement projects across the region from Sooke to North Saanich,” Amanda Evans, the Green Team’s program manager, told council recently.

The Green Team proposes a collaborative agreement with the district, which would cover half the $2,000 cost to host an event. The other half would come from the Gosling Foundation.

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Last year, the Green Team’s events in Sooke included work at Whiffin Spit, Ayum Creek Park and Ed Macgregor Park. The work parties removed invasive plant species, cleaned up beaches and restored more than 800 square metres of habitat.

“The impact we’ve had in Sooke has been tremendous,” Evans said.

But along with the environmental impact, increased public education and volunteer participation are key to the program.

More than 100 people volunteered for Sooke projects last year, including 41 youth, while across Greater Victoria more than 3,300 people volunteered for projects.

Sooke councillors generally agreed with the value of the program, but questioned the need to fund it in parks, sine the district has its own parks department.

Evans said the Green Team work is in addition to anything the parks department would do daily.

Council asked staff for a report suggesting activities the Green Team could undertake, the costs, and an analysis of the contract.



editor@sookenewsmirror.com

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