As time has ticked ever-forward and settlers moved into the lək̓ʷəŋən, Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples’ lands—now referred to as Greater Victoria—non-native plant species came along for the ride and now pose a problem to some local native species in the region.
Luckily, local environmentalist group, the Greater Victoria Green Team (GVGT) have dedicated much of their efforts to removing these invasive species of plants from the understory in public places in order to let native flora and fauna flourish.
Not only do they remove invasives but they plant trees and native plants throughout Greater Victoria and operate mostly on volunteer-power.
In 2023 alone, between the GVGT and their counterparts in the Lower Mainland, around 969 cubic metres of invasive plants were removed—that’s equivalent to approximately 36 school buses worth.
This was done by over 3,700 volunteers who contributed over 8,600 hours of restoration work.
“We use invasive plant activities as a tool to get people outside and connect to nature,” said Severine Tyszewicz, Program Coordinator for the GVGT.
“By enabling community members to take care of each other and the places they live, they are supported in improving their health and well-being and encouraged to become lifelong environmental stewards.”
She told Victoria Buzz it is also a great opportunity for people to get involved in their community and meet others in their neighbourhood.
See also:
- 15 must-see bands from in and around Greater Victoria to keep an eye on in 2024
- There’s a hot chocolate festival coming to Victoria at the end of January
The GVGT works closely with land owners, municipalities, land trusts, conservancies as well as educational institutions to determine what ecological work needs to be done and how community members can participate in the restoration work they do.
Through this, people are able to receive hands-on education and they can interact with unique and sometimes at-risk ecosystems.
Depending on the project they will plant native species such as: salal, ocean spray, garry oaks, douglas firs, bigleaf maples, snowberry and more as part of their work.
“Planting native species is a great way for people to participate in the restoration of their neighbouring greenspaces,” Tyszewicz explained.
“We planted a wide variety of native plants, large and small, with some larger trees requiring teamwork to dig holes and place the trees while smaller shrubs provided engaging work for some of the youngest members of our community.”
“Communities are a lot like ecosystems: they are healthiest when they are diverse,” she continued.
The next GVGT volunteer opportunity to connect with local ecosystems and neighbours will be on Sunday, January 28th at the UVic campus to remove English Ivyfrom around the Sedgewick building.
“This will be our first activity of 2024 and an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience doing ecological restoration, learn new skills and make new friends,” said Tyszewicz.
