KIDS BECOME ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS OF SAANICH PARKS

This week kids at Meadow and Marigold Park were introduced to the dangers invasive plants pose to our parks and communities. As part of Saanich's Neighbourhood Playground Program, time will be spent each week with the kids helping them learn about the variety of native plants that compose the park vegetation and the habitat these areas provide for wildlife and how they are affected by invasive plants. The activity will not only be educational but will also act to reconnect children with nature by allowing the kids to get involved and become stewards of an urban park.

On the left, kids at Marigold Park pass around samples of common invasive and native plants while being told what types of characteristics they can look for when trying to tell the difference between native and invasive species.



On the right, kids at Meadow Park listen attentively while inspecting many of the plants they will be encountering next week. The kids will be removing several invasive species including: English ivy, Scotch broom, daphne, English holly and Himalayan blackberry.

Each week the kids will be given a challenge to remove all of the invasive plants from a particular area of the park. Having learned how to identify invasive plants and knowing that they threaten local biodiversity and have impacts on the natural processes that maintain critical habitat, the kids will better understand the importance of the work they will be doing. Removing these plants will require hard work, cooperation and will hopefully encourage kids to take ownership and responsibility for the health of our local parks.