Natasha Baldin/Contributor
To kick off Make A Difference Week, the Greater Victoria Green Team visited Peter Grant Park in Sidney to remove nine cubic metres of invasive plants.
Seventeen community members from around Greater Victoria gathered in a community-building event on June 3 to clear the invasive English ivy and English holly from the park, giving native plant species more room to grow.
“When you see a hill full of invasive English ivy, you know someone has to do something. I’m just proud to be one of the ‘someones,’” said Greater Victoria Green Team volunteer Chiming Chow.
English holly and English ivy were both intentionally introduced from their native range in Europe and pose a danger to native species due to their ability to grow rapidly with little sunlight or water, according to the Invasive Species Council of BC.
This was the Green Team’s fourth visit to the park, bringing new and experienced volunteers together. Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith was also present at the event.
Greater Victoria Green Team program manager Kaitlin Warren said in an email that she was inspired to see the volunteers’ enthusiasm.
“Seeing how many people are ready and willing to help out and how much they all care reminds me how much hope there is for us in tackling the really large and complex issues,” she wrote.
The Green Team will be returning to Sidney on Sept. 9 to continue with the invasive plant removal and again on Sept. 23 to help with Sidney Tree Day by planting more native species of trees.
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