Whoever said that August was for enjoying summer and slowing down a little, has not met our team!
Our Education & Outreach Team went above and beyond in August, hosting booths at two community events and carrying out 3 weed pulls. Read on to find out where they went and what awesome community groups they worked with.
Banishing Burdock from Whistler with WILD Outside
WILD Outside is a program of the Canadian Wildlife Federation that invites youth aged 15 to 18 to get outside and deepen their connection with nature. Participants participate in conservation, community service projects, and fun outdoor activities.
We were lucky to spend a morning with the WILD Outside Vancouver/Lower Mainland crew two weeks ago. After introducing ourselves and discussing our favourite plants (everyone had such good picks!), we discussed the threat of invasive species on the local ecosystem. Before we knew it, everyone had donned their gloves and was partnering up to start digging Common Burdock up.
We worked along the Valley Trail near Whistler Village, and also had a chance to chat with cyclists and passersby that came along. We even got a few cheers from onlookers, which is always encouraging!
In the end, the group removed 7 big bags of Burdock from the area; they sure earned their snack and a trip up the Whistler Gondola!
We were amazed with the difference the group’s made. Have a look for yourself:
We worked along the Valley Trail near Whistler Village, and also had a chance to chat with cyclists and passersby that came along. We even got a few cheers from onlookers, which is always encouraging!
In the end, the group removed 7 big bags of Burdock from the area; they sure earned their snack and a trip up the Whistler Gondola!
We were amazed with the difference the group’s made. Have a look for yourself:
Cleaning up the Smoke Bluffs with the Squamish Access Society
We had very little time to rest our tired, weed-pulling muscles because the very next day we were hosting an invasive species clean-up for climbers at Smoke Bluffs Park, in Squamish, in collaboration with the Squamish Access Society.
Volunteers gathered bright and early (7:30AM!) to learn about invasive plants commonly found in the area, such as Scotch Broom, Himalayan Blackberry, Butterfly Bush and Common Burdock. We then broke into smaller groups, and each team tackled specific areas of the park alongside SSISC staff. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?
This activity ran over two days. We were honoured and pleased to see familiar faces on the second morning as some volunteers returned to finish the work they had started the day before.
In the end, the Smoke Bluffs Park volunteers filled 74 big bags with invasive species – this was about 420kg of plant material. If you are unfamiliar with the metric system, think of it as over 900lb, or the average weight of a bison 😉
We want to acknowledge the hard work of the volunteers and partner organizations – thank you for your time, efforts and energy! Your enthusiasm is truly contagious; we will carry your banter and your smiles in our minds as we go into the fall.
Links
Species mentioned
You might also like
Add Comment