Get out your best pair of garden gloves and go to battle for the Salmon Arm foreshore.
For the past couple of years, the Shuswap Naturalist Club and Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society have been tackling a “growth” problem in the SABNES nature sanctuary along the foreshore.
“No, it isn’t an overpopulation of wildlife,” says naturalist Ed McDonald. “Rather, an invasive perennial vine called woody nightshade has taken over large parts of the marsh, choking out native species that create suitable habitat and nesting material for fish and birds.”
McDonald says the most effective way to slow the spread of this prolific invader along the foreshore is by hand-pulling, bagging and disposal in the landfill.
The target area for the next weed pull on Oct. 18 will be a section of trail between the beaver pond and Christmas Island. The Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society supports these weed pulls by providing bags, gloves (parts of the plant are somewhat toxic), and by paying the costs for access to the CSRD landfill.
Willing workers are needed to help carry out this activity. If you can lend a hand for a few hours from 8:45 a.m. go to to the entrance gate of the nature reserve.
“Be sure to wear old clothes and waterproof footwear,” says McDonald. “We are also looking for a few pickup trucks to haul away the many bags of plants that we will collect. Let’s keep our foreshore environment a healthy and inviting place for wildlife.”
For more information, email mcdonald@airspeedwireless.ca or call Ed McDonald at 250-835-8802.
@SalmonArm
barbbrouwer@saobserver.net
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