On Sunday, September 26, I had the opportunity to volunteer with the Lower Mainland Green Team at Ron McLean Park in Burnaby. The Lower Mainland Green Team, founded in 2011, is a registered charity that organizes invasive removal and planting events at parks all around the Lower Mainland.
It was my first time at the Ron McLean Park, which features the beautiful Byrne Creek running through it. (I heard from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers that in about a month there will be spawning salmon going up the creek. So, I will have to return to see that.) Byrne creek contains a beautiful forested trail, rich with native plants, including several hundred year old red cedar, ferns, elderberry, beaked hazelnut, dwarf oregon grape, and more.
Ashton Kerr of the Lower Mainland Green Team was leading the event. 35 volunteers had signed up and Ashton was there with a warm welcome for them all. Everyone signed into the event digitally on their phone or on 3 iPads that were available for use. All the tools had been sanitized and laid out nicely on the grass. Ashton gave an informative talk about how to identify Himalayan blackberry and English ivy, as well as how to use the tools, before the volunteers headed into the forested trail to begin removal work.
We filled up tarp after tarp of ivy that was threatening to climb up several trees along the trail. I also made the effort to dig out several large blackberry roots. In addition, we located 40 tennis balls (the trail was beside a tennis court) and other assorted garbage.
After a solid hour of invasive removal work, we broke for a well deserved break. We were surprise to find a delicious assortment of snacks all laid out for us volunteers to enjoy – from fresh made hot chocolate and juice to granola bars and trail mix. We also enjoyed some social time during the break, chatting with fellow volunteers.
Then we headed back down the trail for another hour of removal work. In the end, we succeeding in taking out an impressive 9.5 cubic metres of invasives (equivalent to the volume of almost 60 bathtubs!).
All in all it was a great event within a beautiful park an amazing volunteers. I was impressed by how well Ashton Kerr with the Lower Mainland Green Team, ran the event – from the smooth sign in, to the sanitized tools, to the intro talk, to the snacks, and support for volunteers. Great job Lower Mainland Green Team!
You can also read Ashton Kerr’s blog post about the event here.