Photo: Armstrong Community Stewardship The Lorax made a brief celebrity appearance at the first Armstrong Community Stewardship Weed Pull Day earlier this month. Huculuk Park was the mustering site for approximately 50 volunteers, including students from two local schools. The day began with Susan Brown’s Armstrong Elementary Grade 3 class who heard from both the Lorax and Lara Philips of the Invasive Species Council of B.
C. about how important it is to recognize and control the spread of invasive species to support the survival of our native plants and animals. With the arrival of Shawna Ternent’s students from Pleasant Valley Secondary, Philips provided further instruction on the specific invasive plant species to be found in the adjacent Meighan Creek area and their harmful impact on the wetland ecosystem.
Then the work began. Each high school student paired up with a younger counterpart and with shovels, clippers and bags in hand, headed off in search of invasive plants. The first invasive on the list was burdock.
Large stands of burdock were located on both sides of the creek and students began the arduous task of digging up the roots. Burdocks not only proliferate and crowd out native plant species, but they pose a threat to small bats and birds who can get trapped in the tall burrs. To discourage a re-growth of burdock, students were given native chokecherry seeds to plant in the disturbed soil where the roots were removed.
The morning’s teamwork resulted in the .