“If you want to change the environment, then you have to try to help change it,” says 13-year-old Vian Bermillo as he wrestles with a Himalayan blackberry cane – an invasive plant species, one of many which has infested a forested area in the grounds of Spencer Middle School.
The budding environmental caretaker was one of 100 Grade 8 students at the school taking part in the "Creatures of Habitat" event on Oct. 24, organized by Peninsula Streams and Shorelines.
Working alongside teachers, volunteers, City of Langford staff and representatives from Sooke School District, the students helped to carefully remove invasive plant species, including English ivy, Himalayan blackberry and bigleaf periwinkle.
With the invasive species reduced, it is hoped the natural habitat will be restored for native plants and wildlife.
"They're ruining our forest,” said 13-year-old Mikayla Bley, who adds the event has helped open her eyes to the damage invasive plants can cause.
“I see them around all the time, but I didn't know that they were invasive until now,” she says.
“I'm a really big nature person and I just feel like when people disrespect the planet, it's like really sad,” said 12-year-old Calleigh Poirier.
During the immersive environmental stewardship experience, students also found discarded items among the trees and bushes, including a birdbox and two functioning, and rather snazzy, wristwatches.
Thirteen-year-old Xavier Herd found a weathered dictionary – a glimpse into the past for the teenager more used to using the Internet for spelling and grammar.
“I think it's important for them to see that even though it's gated off and not a lot of people use that space, human impacts are still happening," said Deborah Deacon, environmental education and outreach coordinator for Peninsula Streams.
The goal of the event is not just to clear invasive plants, but to engage students in meaningful stewardship and inspire a lifelong connection to environmental conservation.
“Then they start caring a little bit more, they become familiar with it,” said Deacon. “They’re going to tell their parents, ‘You shouldn't be planting that, that’s an invasive.’”
The "Creatures of Habitat" program is one of Peninsula Streams' flagship environmental education initiatives, providing students with the opportunity to connect with their local environment through direct action.
Normally focused on schools in Saanich, this is the first time the program has been brought to the West Shore.
“I think this forest is a really great example of an opportunity for stewardship within a really developed and urbanized area,” said Deacon, who adds the teachers at Spencer Middle hope to make the clear-up event a monthly one.
District principal for Sooke School District, Denise Wehner, who joined the students at the event, also hopes the experience will help nurture a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.
“This opportunity aligns with the passion that today’s youth have for environmental issues, sustainability, and caring for the land as acts towards reconciliation,” she said. "The physical work outside helps students foster a deeper connection to nature and a sense of responsibility and agency in protecting the environment in their own backyard. They can see the tangible results of their efforts and feel empowered to make positive changes in their community.”
With the next generation of environmental caretakers armed with the knowledge and experience to help protect and nuture local flora and fauna, the future looks hopeful for Deacon and the team of Peninsula Streams volunteers.
“I never would have imagined I would hear a kid choosing hard labour over going to recess,” said Deacon. “It's clear how interested and invested these students are.”
