Volunteers turn up to help rid the waterfront of invasive plant, Tansy
By Contributor
Saturday (April 26) 25 volunteers turned up to help restore a section of the Nelson Dog Park shoreline with over 50 native shrubs and trees.
This event was coordinated by the Central Kootenay Invasive Plant Committee (CKIPC) and the Friends of Kootenay Lake in collaboration with the City of Nelson and was made possible with support from community volunteers including, Treebear Native Plants, Kootenay Native Plant Society, the Youth Naturalists and the Prestige Lakeside Resort.
The volunteers came out in full force for three hours to dig out a large infestation of an aromatic perennial invasive plant, known as common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare).
The group planted over 50 native plants including, Sitka willow and red-osier dogwood, to create and restore some native shoreline habitat for birds and other native species.
“Invasive species have been introduced to Canada intentionally and accidentally, and can have a variety of negative impacts,” says CKIPC Executive Director Crystal Klym.
“These introduced, non-native species establish and spread successfully due to a lack of natural predators and controls. Invasive species are highly competitive and have the ability to outcompete native plant and animal species, impacting fragile native species and ecosystems, such as shoreline ecosystems along Kootenay Lake.” .
CKIPC and FOKL gratefully acknowledges the support of the Columbia Basin Trust and Mountain Equipment Co-Op in providing the funding to make this event possible.
