There are three great benefits to taking part in an invasive species clear-up, says the Friends of North Saanich Parks community group.
The organization is holding a clear up at Nymph Point Park on Saturday, July 27 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Friends of North Saanich Parks’ mission is to support and sustain the ecosystems in the District’s parks. Executive Director Sharon Hope says there are benefits to joining a volunteer work crew.
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“There are three main reasons,” she says. “Firstly there are personal health benefits to being outside, it’s been demonstrated that when people are outdoors they have an improved state of mind. Also there is the social aspect. The people who volunteer are really very nice people from all walks of life and then of course there’s the ecological benefits.”
Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, lunch, some water and shovels, and meet at the nearby yacht club parking lot on Marina Way.
The main species the group will be targeting is daphne laureola. It is difficult to remove as it has a strong root and so volunteers will need to dig out each plant, instead of clipping. Gloves are recommended as the plant can secrete sap that irritates the skin.
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The group is usually very efficient and in Lillian Hoffer Park a number of clear ups has left “two dump trucks worth” of cleared plant matter. Hope says a core group of six people attend most of the clear ups but their ranks can swell to 14 with volunteers dropping by.
For more information email sharonhope@shaw.ca.
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