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CITY PARK REHABILITATION

PROJECT

Evergreen

•National, not-for-profit, environmental organization

•Mission: Inspire action to green cities

•Vision: Green cities, healthy planet

• 4 key areas of focus: Green space, children, food, and cities

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Evergreen is based in Toronto – former Brickworks in the Don River Valley Office in Vancouver for programming here Network of associates across the country About 120 employees (only 5 full time in Vancouver)

City Park Rehabilitation Project

•2003 – Mahon Park Project •2005 – Mahon Park Stewards •2012 – City Park

Rehabilitation Project & the City Park Stewards

Presenter

Presentation Notes

2003 – public consultation process started by CNV, Evergreen brought on to help based on the work we’d done in Toronto Part of Park Master Planning process Soliciting input from community surrounding Mahon Park about issues of: Increased user impact on trails and park infrastructure Stream bank erosion along Wagg Creek Increased in invasive plant species from illegal dumping of yard waste 2005 – from that process stemmed the Mahon Park Stewards – a coordinated group of volunteers dedicated to restoring biodiversity to the park through removal of invasive plants and replacement with native tree and shrub species 2012 – based on success in Mahon park (and running out of places to work in Mahon) the program was expanded into other CNV parks

Project Goals

• Restore & enhance ecosystems of CNV Parks through invasive species removal & subsequent replanting with native vegetation.

• Engage community members in on-going stewardship & restoration activities.

• Provide educational opportunities for park users & community members about the ecological & social importance of parks & the risks facing them.

Invasive Plants

• Invasive plants are introduced from other parts of the world and can cause ecological destruction.

• No natural controls, such as insects, diseases, and competing plants, to keep them in check, and as a result may spread rapidly, crowding or choking out the existing native plants.

• Spread through illegal dumping of garden waste, movement of soil and seed dispersal by wildlife, wind and water.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

There are lots of plants from other parts of the world that are not considered invasive – the key is that presently, no natural controls exist to keep them from spreading or choking out other native plants.

Native Plants

• Occurs naturally in a particular region, ecosystem or habitat - and occurred prior to European contact.

• Native plants have co-evolved with animals, fungi, and microbes to form a complex network of relationships. These plants are the foundation of native ecosystems, or natural communities.

Project Activities

• 11 monthly stewardship & restoration events

• Earth Day & Rivers Day

• 20 additional events • Evergreen Adventure Camp • Interpretive Mahon Park Tours • Blackberry Bake-off • Invasive Weaving with NVCAC • Community Engagement • Field Trips

Project Statistics

• 2015 • 600+ participants engaged • 395 native trees and shrubs planted • 237 cubic meters of invasives

removed

• 2016 to date • 640 Volunteers • 416 Native Trees & Shrubs planted • 647 cubic meters of invasive removed • 341 participants engaged in 19

education & outreach events

• 23% of volunteers from DNV

CNV Support

• CNV Environmental Technician

• CNV Facilities & Operations Staff

• Transportation of invasive plant material for compost

• GIS support with AlienMap

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Project is 50-50 split between Evergreen and CNV, each covering half of the costs – Evergreen through fundraising and grant applications Amplification of efforts of city crews – chemical control and manual removal of poisonous plants Volunteers handle the “easy” plants

CNV Results

• 91% reduction in incidence of Giant Hogweed

• 71% reduction in incidence of Japanese Knotweed

• Reduction in majority of invasive plants

• Nearly all trees cleared of climbing ivy

Presenter

Presentation Notes

With the start of the AlienMap GIS tracking program we’ll begin to get better data about the results of other invasive plants removed

Last Event of 2016

•Saturday, November 26

• 9 am until 12 pm

•Kings Mill Walk Park (on the Spirit Trail next to Bodwell High School

•All tools, gloves, and training supplied

•Plus refreshments!

Helpful Resources

• www.evergreen.ca

• www.cnv.org/cityparkstewards

• Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver - http://www.iscmv.ca/

• Native Plant Society of BC - http://www.npsbc.ca/

• Laura Nickerson

• [email protected]

http://www.evergreen.ca/�

http://www.cnv.org/cityparkstewards�

http://www.iscmv.ca/�

http://www.npsbc.ca/�

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