Officials launch grueling crackdown to remove stubborn invaders choking waterways: 'It's good to see towns ... finally starting to do something'

English ivy may look nice and bucolic, but in the U.S., it can be an extremely annoying and invasive vine. A dedicated group of volunteers in British Columbia, Canada, spent an afternoon clearing this creeping plant and preventing its spread. 

Sea to Sky Invasives (@ssinvasives) is a council based in Canada that uses its platform on TikTok to educate about the environment and actions you can take to help eradicate invasive species. 

@ssinvasives

The impact of our volunteers is truly incredible! 💚 In March, dedicated volunteers in Lions Bay worked together to remove an entire patch of invasive English ivy. In just a few hours – BOOM – the ivy was gone! Their hard work is helping to restore the local ecosystem, and we couldn't be more grateful. Want to make a difference in the Sea to Sky region? We offer volunteer opportunities year-round. Visit our website to sign up as a volunteer (🔗 in bio). #SeaToSky #EnglishIvy #VolunteerImpact #LionsBay #VideoDescription: Footage of a lush, ivy-covered natural space transitions to clips of volunteers in gloves, pulling up ivy stems and filling garbage bags. Overlaid audio dramatically states, 'In a moment… it could all go BOOM.'

♬ original sound - Sea to Sky Invasives

In one clip, they showed what it takes to go from an area covered entirely in ivy to bare soil. "Dedicated volunteers in Lions Bay worked together to remove an entire patch of invasive English ivy… Their hard work is helping to restore the local ecosystem, and we couldn't be more grateful."

The clip starts by panning over a small area covered with English ivy, then, set to some upbeat music, and viewers see half a dozen volunteers working diligently to pull up each and every branch and root. Finally, the creator pans back, showing the same area some hours later, almost entirely stripped of English ivy. All that is left is fresh earth and a few native plants, like ferns. 

Invasive species, as defined by the National Wildlife Federation, are "any kind of living organism—an amphibian (like the cane toad), plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria, or even an organism's seeds or eggs—that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm."

English ivy is native to Europe and Asia and was likely brought over as "easy" ground cover by settlers to the new continent in the late 1700s or early 1800s. One of the main issues with invasive species is that they have no natural checks and balances. They don't have proper niche competitors in their new ecosystems, and few animals are adapted to utilize them for nutrition. These features mean invasives have the uncanny ability to spread like wildfire. 

If you are considering this tough plant for your home, think again, and consider utilizing native ground cover. Clovers can be an easy option, and with their short stature, they can also save you time on mowing. Other options include native grasses and sedges, or if you'd like flowers, try something like wild geranium. 

TikTokers were impressed with these efforts and glad to see invasive plants being removed. 

"The good work," wrote one person who appreciates this eco-friendly behavior. 

Someone else said, "It's good to see towns in BC finally starting to do something about invasive plants.

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely 💯 It depends on the species 🤔 I don't know 🤷 No — leave nature alone 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Another commenter remarked on their own experience trying to eradicate this type of plant: "I'm fighting my city on allowing invasive plant removal on city land."

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