On Saturday, June 19th 2021, the Greater Victoria Green Team and the Town of View Royal joined forces to remove invasive Scotch broom from Edwards Park in View Royal!
We had a great group of community members come out to help tackle the Scotch broom on the lower half of the park. We made a noticeable dent in it!
This was our second time in Edwards Park. We look forward to being back to continue removing the broom and other invasive plants, as environmental stewardship is an ongoing and long-term practice. This activity followed the current COVID-19 restrictions and implemented the safety measures outlined in our COVID-19 Safety Plan.
THANK YOU!
Thank you to Nelson, Hiro, Simon, Richard, Julian, Tyson, Derek, Laura, Amanda, and Chris for their hard work, and for the great conversation and connection we shared. It was a hot day and everyone worked hard!
A huge thank you to the town of View Royal for seeing our value and supporting the work that we do! We very much look forward to continuing our work in the community with you. Also a big thanks goes out to Chris Junck, the Habitat Restoration Specialist for View Royal, for being our main contact and for sharing their extensive knowledge about the park’s history and the native plants that call it home.
Photos from the activity can be found HERE!
Group Photo
Highlights
- 10 volunteers total, 2 new GVGT volunteers!
- 2 volunteers had never removed invasive plants before
- 5 volunteers introduced to park for first time
- 3 cubic metres of Scotch broom removed
- 27 volunteer hours put in!
- Habitat Restoration Specialist Chris Junck pointed out many native plant species, including one that is thought to be endangered
What Volunteers Said
“Well organized, clear focus on safety, everyone was well looked after on a very hot and sunny day. Much broom was removed.” – Richard
“Aside from the obvious environmental impact this program is a model for how to collaborate with local municipalities and civic organizations to support ecological stewardship, social responsibility, and community commitment. This is also a program that showcases the best local government’s dedication to quality of life.” – Richard
When asked about the benefits of this work, Tyson said “It’s physically active, I get to speak with great people… You get to see the fruits of your labour, you get to see how far you’ve worked, and you give back to nature in and of itself”
