Blog  May 4, 2012

On your marks, get set, go green!

The Loraxettes, winners of the Funkmaster Prize in the Green City Race (Photo: Sheryl Yen)

On April 21, participants in Evergreen’s inaugural Green City Race in Vancouver, BC, were favoured with spring sunshine as they warmed up their minds and muscles. Twenty-five teams of two and three congregated in Evergreen’s Urban Orchard where they eagerly awaited instructions for their upcoming adventure.

And what an adventure it was! Racers were asked to use their wits and their own two feet to solve clues and complete “green” challenges around Vancouver. The first challenge was to plant an apple tree in the Urban Orchard, which all the teams did with stunning speed and agility! The Orchard now has 60 heritage apple trees in full bloom, livening up the Great Northern Way Campus.

Team Bad Lattitude planting an apple tree in the Urban Orchard (Photo: Sheryl Yen)

After completing the first challenge, each team received a bag of clues that would lead them around the city to green landmarks, Evergreen projects, and interesting “sustainability sightings.” Each kit also included critical tools such as day passes for transit and the telephone number to call for hints!

All 25 teams did a fantastic job of solving the clues and making their way around the city by foot and transit. Each clue, when properly solved, led them to a challenge or a particular location that would provide the info they needed to get to their next destination. In addition to the Orchard challenge, participants were asked to complete two more challenges at Evergreen sites. At the City Hall Community Garden, they raced against the clock in a water conservation activity, and in Still Creek they tackled tricky invasive species like blackberry.

Participants removing blackberry in Still Creek (Photo: Sheryl Yen)

Other clues led racers to green sites like the Neighbourhood Energy Utility, a Green Streets Herb Garden, and the MOBY Garden, among others. For bonus points, racers took photos of green sightings like fair-trade coffee beans and electric car charging stations. Many also captured images of their team members performing random acts of kindness such as pinning a thank-you note to a bicycle or high-fiving a bus driver. Additional points were handed out for funk and creativity, of which there was a ton!

The race winner was Team Bad Lattitude, who blew everyone away with their speed and knowledge! At a close second was Team Green Banana, and the Loraxettes won the Funkmaster prize for their creative costumes and continued displays of funk throughout the day. Intrigued? Check out this great blog post by racer Kathy Whittam, or see some race photos on our Facebook page.

We’d like to thank everyone who came out to the race and gave it their all. Volunteers and staff were amazed by the excitement and perseverance of all the teams, and we hope that racers were inspired to get involved with Evergreen and be a part of the race in 2013!

Evergreen would also like to thank ethicalDeal.com, our promotional partner, and the Vancouver Foundation, Intact Foundation, Crescendo Fund, and the Glenn and Annetta Agnew Memorial Fund for their contribution to Evergreen’s work in Still Creek. For information on how you can support this event next year please email Danielle Rana, BC Development Associate, at drana@evergreen.ca.