It’s time again for Greenways Land Trust’s annual community Broom Bash.
This year, the event will be held this Saturday, May 11, in the Campbell River estuary, and all are invited to join in for the fun. This year is a particularly special event: 2019 marks the 20th year in a row that Greenways has been bashing broom with the Campbell River community.
The event will again take place from 10 a.m. until noon on the Myrt Thompson trail (at the end of Maple Street). Volunteers will be provided with tools and gloves, as well as snacks donated by Thrifty Foods, water, tea, and coffee.
Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) is an escaped garden ornamental, common in disturbed areas. When the species invades an area, it displaces native species that grow naturally in the region – something that has widespread implications for ecosystem health.
Over the past several years, Greenways has worked to remove invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and Scotch broom in the estuary, and have planted native species in their place.
Returning to the same location year after year to remove the invasive species from the area is a long-term strategy to allow native species to establish themselves and, hopefully, thrive.
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As May is Invasive Species Action Month each year, it’s appropriate – but not the reason – that it’s also the time the annual Broom Bash occurs.
In order for broom-infested areas to be efficiently treated, the plant needs to be removed at a specific time in its life cycle, which is why spring is the best time to tackle the issue.
For more on invasive species in B.C. and various activities being organized to tackle them, visit bcinvasivesmonth.com, bcinvasives.ca (Invasive Species Council of BC), and find out how to properly dispose of them at cswm.ca (Comox Strathcona Waste Management).
For questions or more information about this weekend’s event, contact Greenways Land Trust directly at 250-287-3785, or by email at info@greenwaystrust.ca
miked@campbellrivermirror.com
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