What a fun Invasive Pull we had today! 18 volunteers gathered at the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden in South East Vancouver. The volunteers were led by Executive Director, Grace Nombrado, with co-lead support from volunteer Connie Gerow.
Together, we cleared invasive English ivy and lamium from the Champlain Heights Trails – one of Vancouver’s last surviving native forests. We managed to remove a total of 1,080 L (1 large and 3 medium green bins) worth of invasive species!
Our volunteers ranged in age from 1 years old to 62 years old.
At the event, our youngest volunteer, Gloria, was getting tired. So, our oldest volunteer, Jeannine, who has mobility challenges, offered to push Gloria on the swing in a nearby playground. Gloria proceeded to fall asleep in the swing. Gloria’s mother, Anthea, was able to continue removing some invasive plants, while her daughter napped. Meanwhile, Jeannine was in her happy place pushing Gloria on the swing.
Everyone of every age and ability can have a volunteer role with Free the Fern!
Thank you to our volunteers: Andrea, Anthea, Cole, Connie (co-lead), Evan, Erin (set-up), Gloria, Grace (lead), Iestyn, Janet, Jeannine, Jenny, Maile, Moira, Nathan, Rosanna, Sofia, and Trevor.
We would love to have you join us at our next Invasive Pull. We gather on the first Saturday of each month from 10am-12pm. So, the next event will be on Sat, April 4. What better way to spend your Easter weekend than giving back to nature?