We wish to send a HUGE thank you to the 26 volunteers from Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT), TLC, and Edward Milne High School for showing up on June 23 to help restore part of Ayum Creek Regional Park Reserve from the invasive Common Periwinkle (Vinca minor). The team put cardboard and mulch over a section of Periwinkle that had been weed-whacked by the Capital Regional District (CRD). Since Periwinkle can grow quickly from the intact roots, the layers of cardboard and mulch will kill the Periwinkle and provide material for other seedlings to grow in their place. This restoration project could not have been accomplished without the wheelbarrows and shovels from Saanich Rentals, more shovels from the Restoration and Natural Systems Program at the University of Victoria, and the awesome volunteers with their hard work and great attitudes!
Ayum Creek Regional Park Reserve is classified as a regional conservation area which means the primary purpose of the reserve is to protect the natural environment. The CRD are the landholders and managers of the park, and TLC and HAT have co-held a conservation covenant since 1998 that protects the area for future generations. The park plays an important ecological role as it protects salmon in the creek and includes sensitive riparian, estuarine, and terrestrial habitat. Stay tuned for more TLC volunteer opportunities throughout the summer and into the fall!
~ Erin, TLC’s Summer Covenant Program Intern
