Firefighters lend a hand
Last week's ivy pull was a great introduction to the spring gardening season.
On Sunday, March 2, a group of volunteer gardeners gathered beside the Lions Bay village hall to rid a large garden patch of invasive ivy.
"The event went extremely well," says Butterflyway Ranger Val Morton. "There was a good turnout with about 30 people in total."
Participants ranged in age from toddlers to those in their 80s.
"Taiya, Hana’s daughter, at less than one year old took the opportunity to snooze in her snuggly and Audrey and Lina who are two-three (years) did their best to pull a bit of ivy," says Morton. "We even had a few teens pitching in."
A surprise contingent were members of Lions Bay Fire Rescue.
"The firefighters had a dual purpose," Morton says. "They took the opportunity to educate interested villagers about how to landscape their property using FireSmart principles. They also lent their muscle to the difficult job of pulling and sawing the most difficult ivy roots and sweeping up and loading the ivy into trucks as the event progressed."
After a week of threatening weather, the skies were clear. About half a ton of ivy was collected from the area near the stop sign close to the village office.
After the ivy was pulled, some of it was repurposed into woven baskets. The ivy weaving session was organized by long-time residents Ingrid and Andrew Wray, with the help of Clo Godbout-Gauthier from the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council.
When the weather improves, Morton and her crew plan to replant the area with pollinator-friendly native plants.
She says that one of the main goals for the project was to inspire others to start working on the ivy and other invasive plants that are creeping over the village and crowding out the native species in this area. She reminds gardeners who are planning to pull out their ivy to be alert to any ground nesting birds, and suggests saving your largest efforts for outside the nesting season.
Morton sends out "heartfelt thanks to all those who came out and pitched in to help."
She acknowledges the massive extent of ivy growth around the village, and says the task might feel overwhelming, but she is undaunted.
"If we all work together, we can make a difference," she says. "Every little bit helps!
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