BC youth builds community power to drive environmental change

Jun 1

Ashton Kerr and Greater Victoria Green Team participants after pulling out a large invasive blackberry root in Colwood. Photo supplied by Ashton Kerr

By Patricia Lane & Ashton Kerr

Ashton Kerr connects and empowers people to take action for the environment. As acting director of partnerships and programs for Green Teams Canada, this 28-year-old North Vancouver resident shares the power and value of community organizing to create meaningful change.

Tell us about your project.

Many people care about climate change but don’t know where to start. Green Teams of Canada (GTC) exists to change that.

GTC connects people to community and nature to improve well-being and inspire environmental action. Through habitat restoration and litter cleanups, we create tangible ways to care for local places.

Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue, it’s a human one. What sets us apart is our focus on people. We design inclusive experiences where participants, often for the first time, feel they belong and leave empowered to act.

Our success in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria is a proven blueprint for social and environmental impact. Professional community organizing can engage thousands, build local resilience, and strengthen human connection. With investment, we’re ready to scale this model nationally.

How did you get into this work?

I didn’t always know I’d work in the environmental field. Studying environmental science at UBC, I realized the challenge wasn’t a lack of research on environmental issues, but helping people know what to do with it.

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YCAA recipients

Peter Allan

BC youth builds community power to drive environmental change

Tell us about your project.

How did you get into this work?

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