March 23 2023

It was a cold dreary Sunday but HAT and our incredible group of 15 volunteers persevered, clearing 500 square meters of invasive Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) from an endangered meadow landscape. This event was part of our current Good Neighbours Program which is working to support land owners/managers whose land contains remnants of the endangered Garry Oak meadow ecosystems (more photos at the bottom of this page).

This meadow is in a right-of-way for BC Hydro which has historically cleared all areas beneath their powerlines of vegetation, but in the process has inadvertently spread invasive species. The landowners have become Habitat Stewards of this meadow, caring for it for over 30 years. When BC Hydro first came along to clear the meadow of trees, the landowners stepped in the save the oak trees promising to prune and cut down trees as needed. This has resulted in 365 oak trees thriving in this small oasis, along with myriad wildflowers and wildlife dependent on those species.

In the workshop, the group of HAT volunteers and local landowners learned from Ronna Woudstra, HAT Stewardship Coordinator, about the most effective techniques to remove Broom from delicate oak meadows, which involves primarily cutting it down using loppers or saws and observing for sprouts from the base. The ideal technique depends on the site and can vary depending on the habitat type, slope, time of year, and other plant or animal species in the area.

The landowners, Ian and Ann Duncan, were very grateful for the support and learning experience, sharing this testimonial with us:

“ Thank you so much for all your work on a very soggy day! Our rain gauge measured 12mm by suppertime, more than half [of which] fell on our stalwart broom pullers. True wet coasters, they seemed to enjoy the work and the company, as did we. We counted 15 muddy bodies, including ourselves. The information shared was very informative - as a broom puller of 35 years, I learned new things today too!”

- Ian Duncan, Habitat Steward and landowner

This project was made possible by our funders: Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Victoria Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Metchosin Foundation, Heritage BC, the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, BC Conservation & Biodiversity Award, and many others found on our website, as well as private donations from individuals like you.

Want to learn more?

For more information about our Good Neighbours program please visit: hat.bc.ca/goodneighbours

For more information about stewarding oak ecosystems please visit: hat.bc.ca/oaks

Want to volunteer for events like these? Sign up HERE

Photos from the day: