On Thursday October 21st, the Greater Victoria Green Team met with students from Royal Bay Secondary School to remove invasive Himalayan Blackberry at Murray Pond Park. For those unfamiliar with the park, blackberry bushes have completely taken over parts of the hillside. The GVGT volunteers have been working diligently over the years to remove the bushes compromising the natural habitat and threatening native plants. Today, 37 community members and students removed 10 cubic metres of blackberry logging 59 volunteer hours! It was a full day of hard work and we were all happy to retire to sparkling water and snacks at the end of our sessions!
THANK YOU
Thank you to our volunteers: Ralph, Emily, Morgan, Marlise, Tala, Erika, Marc, David and their two classes!
Thank you to our valued partner, the City of Colwood, for your continued support! Environmental stewardship is a collaborative effort and we depend on your support to further our mission and appreciate your dedication to restoring Colwood parks. We look forward to future events together!
A Photo Albums from the day are found here: First Session & Second Session
Group Photos
Highlights
- In total 37 GVGT volunteers came out and removed 10 cubic metres of Himalayan Blackberry. Our efforts totalled more than 59 volunteer hours!
- 7 people were introduced to the park and 15 people had never removed invasive species before!
Participant Quotes
I enjoyed everything about it because it was a completely different experience than anything I’ve ever done.
This program makes a big impact. It increases a sense of community involvement – so many locals stopped by and noticed and discussed our work- educates volunteers on invasive species, identification and safe removal and instills a respect for our native wildlife and diversity.
I enjoyed being outside with other people, but at a focused task where talk wasn’t a big focus. I’ve spent so much time cleaning up my own yard, it was nice to give back to the community in which I live.
Emily is a great leader, loved the fun activities today and all the super fun jokes!
