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Our group works to educate our community about the benefits of native plants and the negative impacts of prolific, invasive species that often out-compete them. We encourage the planting, tending and restoration of native species that are well-adapted to local conditions and provide important habitat for wildlife, birds, butterflies, wild bees and other pollinators.
Membership is free and open to residents on SSI.
Contact Deborah Miller for more information.
Activites
Education
We attend the Garden Club plant sale and Seedy Saturday with educational materials and samples, ready to discuss the benefits and methods of encouraging native plants and removing invasive plants. We write articles for local media and have a list of links to useful online information, located under the “Resources” section of this website.
Invasive Species Control
We provide information and support to individuals and neighbourhood groups working to control and remove non-native weeds.
We also host two Invasive Plant Drop-off days each spring. The Fire Department works with us on this, as broom and gorse are severe fire hazards. Chipping costs are covered thanks to a grant from the SSI Conservancy and donations by those bringing broom, gorse, holly, ivy, blackberry, daphne etc. for disposal. We appreciate the support from chippers Ron Cook, Ben Barter and Cam Proudfoot, as well as Emcon Services, Fisher Road Recycling, and Island Savings Credit Union.
Action and Advocacy
In addition to work parties in various locations, we maintain a few demonstration sites on the island.
We cut the broom at a site on Long Harbour road identified by the SSI Conservancy sign, and remove Hairy Cat’s Ear and broom from an enclosure in Andreas Voigt Nature Reserve. We now see native wildflowers flourishing in both these locations. We’ve removed Gorse from the top end of Booth Canal Road, and planted native shrubs in its place.
To gain a greater understanding of the extent of noxious Gorse shrubs, we have recently launched a Gorse Mapping Project; using the popular free app iNaturalist (https://inaturalist.ca/). When someone submits a photo, the app provides probable identification and records the location of the plant. Knowing the scope of the gorse problem will help us press governments and our local road maintenance contractor Emcon to deal with this serious fire hazard.
NPS News, Resources, & Events
Gardening in a Changing Climate
Future-proof your Home with Water Management: Save Money and Improve Resiliency by Harnessing Your Water Resources – Video
Welcoming Native Pollinators to Our Neighbourhood Gardens with Bee Expert Bonnie Zand- Video
NATIVE PLANT STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES
Removal of Yellow Flag Iris
NPS News, Resources, & Events
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