Dedicated volunteer group rips out thousands of harmful plants at local park: 'It's up to all of us'

A group of civic-minded volunteers in Nova Scotia is working tirelessly to remove invasive plants that have overrun a much-loved park.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the volunteer group is operating in Reservoir Park in Wolfville. The efforts are being overseen by David Steele, a retired local who wanted to put his golden years to good use. Explaining that he lives just minutes from the park, he was moved to act when he noticed how overgrown with invasive plants some parts of the popular space were getting.

"It is one of my favorite areas for walks and just hiking," he said. "I began to notice the uniformity of the vegetation growing along a lot of the trail sides."

Among the most troublesome invaders is buckthorn. Native to Eurasia, buckthorn is a menace in North America, as it is highly adaptable and resilient and crowds out native flora. It's especially pervasive because it can spread easily without any disturbance to the soil. The National Park Service notes that it can thrive in just about any environment with enough moisture. It's fiendishly difficult to get rid of once it takes hold, but that hasn't deterred Steele's group.

As part of a two-pronged approach, the group is working to clear areas of invasive plants in the spring to plant native species later in the year. The work is challenging but attracts volunteers, young and old, who want to take action in their community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those efforts can clear thousands of plants a day.

The Blomidon Naturalists Society, a local conservation group supporting the project, outlined the scale of the problem. In just one square meter, 80 invasive plants were found.

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In addition to supporting local action, there's a simple and cost-effective way to boost the ecosystem, and it begins at home. Rewilding a yard with native plants saves time and money on garden work in the long term while providing an ideal habitat for crucial pollinators. An upgraded natural lawn doesn't need the same level of maintenance that a water-guzzling monoculture grass lawn demands.

Jodi Mackay, the mayor of Wolfville, told the CBC that the park is one of the town's "natural treasures, and it's up to all of us to help protect it."

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