Prince George, B.C.- The call is out for volunteers to help rid the City of some noxious, invasive plants.

 

For the past three years, the Integrated Pest Management t Prince George City Hall has been trying to secure some funding from the Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants program . “We applied for $10,000 and this year, we have received half that amount” says Claire Watkins, the Integrated Pest Management Co-Ordinator for the City of Prince George.

 

Tomorrow, some 50 adult volunteers are needed to help rid the Hudson’s Bay Slough and Carrie Jane Grey Park of the invasive plant species, “Common Tansy”. ( shown in photo at right, photo courtesy City of Prince George)

 

The day will see volunteers dig out the invasive species, and plant new, native shrubs and trees. “We have close to 700 shrubs and perennials to plant in the area. We are hoping the new plants will help shade-out the Common Tansy because it needs full sun to survive.”

The  City team will provide tools, gloves and garbage bags and volunteers will be assigned to a trained leader, to work on a specific area.

 

While there are some who may think the volunteers are being called upon to do the work which would have normally be done by the City’s Parks department before it was reduced in a cost cutting measure, Watkins says that’s not the case. “Invasive plant issues have really only come to the attention of the City in the last 7 or eight years. We partner with the Northwest Invasive Plant Council and we supply them with money to treat invasive plants within the City of Prince George.  lt has always been that way.” Watkins says she, along with an assistant and a labourer can tackle small invasive plant sites, the Slough and Carrie Jane Grey Park are just too big to handle without outside assistance. 

 

Watkins say she has a top five list of invasive plants she would like see wiped out of Prince George. Common Tansy is number one on that list, and Canadian Thistle is right behind it. In the third sport, is Burdock, followed by Mountain Bluet, and Orange Hockweed is number 5.

 

“There is nothing non-chemical that works on orange hockweed” says Watkins,  and with regulations in place prohibiting the use of herbicides, it is challenging to stay on top of the spread of some invasive plants. “It is one of the plants that came in and got established before anyone really knew it was here.”

 

Tomorrow morning, the work at the Hudson’s Bay Slough starts at 9:00 a.m. while the work at Carrie Jane Grey Park will start at 1:00.

 

Volunteers are encouraged to park in the car lot near Gyro Park on 20^th and follow the signs and ribbon to the   Slough area, while Carrie Jane Grey volunteers should enter from Massey at the first entrance closest to 20^th and the Park sign, drive back towards the canal and follow  the signs and ribbon.