Invasive Species Removal at Knockan Hill Park, View Royal – April 1, 2023
Highlights
- 36 community members of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels joined us and contributed 115 volunteer hours total
- Thank you so much for your hard work and for making this day amazing: Diana, Marianne, Ty, Laura, Karen, Khushi, Paul, Nancy, Malcolm, Bree, Kate, Daniil, Akari, Michelle, Kimberley, Devin, Tristan, Emily, Josie, Heather, Rob, Elizabeth, Kiersten, Bethany, Evelyn, Sabrina, Emily, Olivia, Kaleigh, Kirstine, Tallia, Ainsley, Jim, Blake, Oliver, and Nicole!
- 15 cubic metres of invasive species were removed!
- Species removed included English Ivy, Daphne, Himalayn Blackberry, and Bur Chervil!
- An area of 650 metres squared had invasive plants removed from it and was revitalized thanks to the hard work of our Green Team
- 19 participants visited Knockan Hill Park for the first time
- 12 participants removed invasive plants for the first time
Thank you to the Town of View Royal for partnering with us! Their support made this activity possible.
Extra thank you to Chris, View Royal’s habitat restoration coordinator for helping facilitate this activity! Anyone interested in getting involved with environmental stewardship initiatives in View Royal should email Chris at restorevr@gmail.com for more information.
Thank you as well to Nancy, the lead steward for Knockan Hill Park in Saanich’s Pulling Together program, for joining us today! Anyone interested in monthly work parties at Knockan Hill Park should contact Nancy at nancy.densmore@shaw.ca.
Before & After Photos
On Saturday, April 1 2023, the Greater Victoria Green Team and the Town of View Royal partnered up to remove invasive species from Knockan Hill Park! 36 amazing community members came together to help revitalize this gorgeous park. Everyone put in a lot of hard work, and together we removed about 15 cubic metres of invasive species—equivalent in volume to 94 bathtubs!
One of the species that has been causing a lot of trouble at Knockan Hill Park in particular is bur chervil. This plant quickly outcompetes native species to take over an area, and spreads easily through its sticky burrs that cling to animal and human passerbys. This time of year is perfect for removing bur chervil, because once it sets seeds removal attempts can actually spread it further.
Another plant we tackled was English ivy. This vine quickly grows on top of trees and shrubs, blocking light and competing for water and nutrients. Ivy severely weakens the trees it grows on, and can cause them to die within a decade if left unchecked.
City parks like Knockan Hill are important refuges for urban wildlife, including pollinators, birds, and mammals. Removing invasive species like bur chervil and English ivy is extremely important for maintaining a healthy habitat within this park!
The award for longest piece of ivy from the day goes to Kiersten and Elizabeth!
It’s never too early to bring your kids outside to pull some invasive species!
By learning about environmental issues such as those caused by invasive species in a hands-on way, communities are better equipped to tackle such problems. Additionally, our community members met new people, gained new skills and were able to experience the benefits of being out in nature including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, and improved moody, memory, focus and mental clarity. Not to mention the great physical exercise everyone got while restoring the area! By connecting people to nature, we help instil responsible environmental behaviour that extends beyond our activities.
Volunteer Testimonials
“I enjoyed seeing a new park [and] removing removing invasive plants so native plants can thrive.”
– Evelyn
“It was a great opportunity to get some physical activity outdoors while meeting new people!”
– Josie
Community in Action!
Thank you to Lush & Earth Rated for donating eco-gifts for our hard-working community members to take home!
Our community members took home a thank you gift from one of our in-kind supporters! If you have any suggestions for sustainable/eco-friendly rewards, know of or own a business who would like to provide in-kind to our Green Team, please contact interim Program Manager Kaitlin Warren at kaitlin@greenteamscanada.ca
This activity was organized by the Greater Victoria Green Team‘s Program Coordinator, Maria Varem.
Maria was hired through Green Teams of Canada’s Youth Leadership Program. Interested in getting involved? Hiring for next year’s Youth Leaders will begin in the next couple of months! Keep an eye out on GTC’s website and social media for more information.