For the first event of the year, SSISC headed to Squamish Seedy Saturday, hosted by the Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN). Everyone loved Jeremiah and hated Knotweed.
Squamish Seedy Saturday is an opportunity for the gardeners of Squamish to get together and swap seeds. The aim is to build a resilient, local seed bank and get better acquainted with gardening best practices.
At the SSISC table, we were discussing the importance of protecting native species by avoiding gardening with invasive plants.
If you fancy getting involved but missed the event, check out the Squamish Seed Library, located inside the Squamish Public Library. This fantastic community initiative encourages collective seed adaptation. In short, diversity means resilience!
SSISC staff Becky and Clo, with our goldfish props Gideon and Gary! (Photo credit: Nina LaFlamme Photography)
The hot topics of the day were clear.
Our main question was ‘How do I get rid of Knotweed?’, which is not surprising. Japanese Knotweed is arguably one of the worst invasive plants affecting the south end of the region. Its tough roots and quick-spreading qualities make it very difficult to remove.
If you are also a victim of Japanese Knotweed, head to the Knotweed species page for our recommendations.
Jeremiah was a hit.
Not entirely linked to gardening, but our preserved American Bullfrog, Jeremiah was, as usual, a crowd-pleaser. Our froggy friend comes to all events with us because he is such a conversation-starter, and the Squamish gardeners were no exception.
American Bullfrogs are aggressive invasive animals. Thankfully, we have had no sightings of them in the Sea to Sky region. However, they have been spotted in the Lower Mainland. So, we must encourage everyone to get familiar with their appearance and call. If you hear or see them, report them!
Our Red-Eared Slider Turtle and American Bullfrog props nearly went home with a few children… (photo credit: Nina LaFlamme Photography)
Fun for all ages!
Whilst parents discussed the prevalence of invasive Foxglove in garden centres, children headed to the activity tables. For Seedy Saturday, everyone rolled out their best crafts and games.
The Don’t Let It Loose fishing game warned against letting pet Goldfish into wild ponds and rivers. That’s right – Goldfish are invasive animals in the Sea to Sky region!
Squamish CAN’s Seedy Saturday was a delight for local gardeners, including yours truly! (photo credit: Nina LaFlamme Photography)
Thanks to Squamish CAN for inviting us to Seedy Saturday, we had a blast!
Pemberton, you’re up!
Luckily for our Education and Outreach team, the Pemberton Seedy Sunday was during a gloriously sunny day. Around 200 enthusiastic plant people showed up to The Barn. What a fantastic turn out!
Perhaps it was the weather that drew in the crowds, perhaps it was the folk guitar band or perhaps it was our hand-crocheted goldfish. We shall never know.
Feeling social!
The Pemberton crowds were so lovely and chatty. We discussed everything invasive from nettle pesto recipes to the impacts of mowing invasive plants along the highways.
After the event, Becky and Clo postponed their inside office hours opting instead to film a TikTok. With those matching polos, they just couldn’t help it. Enjoy!
Thank you Stewardship Pemberton for hosting this fantastic event!
@ssinvasives Time to pull out the matching polos, and funky stickers, it’s event season! Our next event is an invasive plant pull for Earth Day, on April 20th, 1pm at Rose Park, Squamish. More details in our bio. To stay up to date with our events, sign up to our monthly newsletter! Head to our website ssisc.ca, or DM us and we’ll get you sorted. We can’t wait to meet you all and chat all things invasive species! Shoutout to @castateparks who totally did this first #EcoMeme #KardashianMeme #PembertonBC #EcoEvents #EarthDay2024 #EarthDay #SquamishEvents ♬ you copy me – Kardashian Daily Videos
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