Murray’s Pond Park looks a little less cluttered these days after the Greater Victoria Green Team tackled habitat restoration to celebrate BC Trails Day.
June 1 also marked the first day of the Society for Ecological Restoration’s Make a Difference Week and it was filled with smiles at the Colwood park where the team defeated stubborn taproots and root crowns of unwanted plants to create space for more native species to grow.
In partnership with the City of Colwood providing the ecological direction & expertise and local developer, GableCraft Homes providing the financial support, the Greater Victoria Green Team engaged 24 community members, removing invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom.
The team removed about seven cubic metres of invasive plant material – the equivalent of 44 bathtubs full – to revitalize 200 square metres of park area.
A good-natured competition for the wackiest root had people excited to dig out the root crowns of the invasive blackberry plants. Participants voted for their favourite wacky root and the winner received a BC Trails Day hat.
Next up, the green team plans to remove invasive species in Uplands Park, Oak Bay, on Saturday (June 8). Learn more at meetup.com/Greater-Victoria-Green-Team.
RELATED: ‘Green, clean, invasive plant-removal teams’: Victoria Green Team’s history
