The wildfires that rampaged through and around Los Angeles at the beginning of the year prompted 120 new volunteers to join the Broombusters Invasive Plant Society in an effort to prevent the same catastrophe from happening here.
Joanne Sales, executive director of the Vancouver Island-based non-profit organization, told North Cowichan council at a meeting on March 11 that there’s been an increase in wildfires globally, and the primary culprit is climate change.
She said on Vancouver Island, the main invasive species is Scotch broom and that FireSmart has listed the invasive plant as one of the highest-risk flammable plants in the region.
“So wildfires are now one of our greatest concerns,” Sales said. “In 2024, 600 volunteers cut broom for more than 6,000 hours with the support of 17 local governments on the Island.”
Broom spreads densely and rapidly and grows huge quickly, crowding out native trees and plants, and also negatively impacts agricultural production because it’s toxic to grazing animals and plant life as it displaces grasses and foods that animals eat.
It has been spreading quickly across Vancouver Island since the invasive species was intentionally introduced in 1850 by Captain Walter Grant who planted broom at his farm near Victoria.
The yellow plants are easy to spot as they proliferate on the sides of highways, BC Hydro transmission line corridors, and any other cleared areas where it can get a foothold.
A study by the Invasive Species Council of BC concluded that Scotch broom is the invasive species that is causing the greatest harm to species at risk in the province.
As Sales pointed out, it is also very flammable and those who are looking to stop its spread, including Broombusters, have said that allowing it to grow densely over the extensive network of B.C. Hydro’s transmission lines from Campbell River to Victoria creates a dangerous pathway for wildfires to spread quickly across the Island.
Sales told council that more volunteers in the North Cowichan area had stepped forward to volunteer to help clear broom, which should be cut while in bloom from mid-April to the end of June, in the past, and Broombusters would like to see more people step forward and get involved.
“People and groups can choose a site, gather friends, sign wavers and Broombusters can provide training, tools and signs for them,” she said.
“We can’t leave this problem for future generations. Now is the time to stop the spread of broom.”
Mayor Rob Douglas said Scotch broom does seem overwhelming at times, and he joined one of the local volunteers with removing broom last year.
He said it’s labour intensive, but after a few hours work, you can definitely see it makes a big difference, especially if you get more and more people involved.
“In North Cowichan, we are in the process of developing a biodiversity protection policy and that does include a focus on addressing the impacts of invasive plants on biodiversity, and we anticipate that there will be some recommendations that will be relevant to the Scotch broom problem,” Douglas said.
For more information on the society, go to www.broombusters.org.
