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Broombusters will clean up the greenery at Canal Waterfront Park

Volunteers are needed for Friday morning, May 22 to help cut down invasive plants
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Volunteers like this man from Gabriola Island have come out in droves to help cut down Scotch broom, which is considered an invasive plant in British Columbia. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

A group of broombusters will be at Canal Waterfront Park on Friday, May 22, cutting down the invasive Scotch broom plants in the area.

“This is the last cut of the season. We will still maintain social distancing,” organizers Joanne Sales and Wendy Friberg said. “We’ll work together to achieve this community goal—a broom-free beach.”

Volunteers will be at the beach from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. Anyone wishing to join them are asked to bring loppers, tools saws or anything else that can be used to take down the broom stalks. Volunteers need to wear gloves, sturdy shoes, a hat and bring their own water.

Friberg would appreciate a heads up if volunteers are coming—having a number will help ensure they have enough tools. She can be reached at wendyfriberg@gmail.com.

Anyone wanting to help out is asked to watch the video ‘How to Cut Broom’ on the BroomBusters’ website before arrival. The website can be found at www.broombusters.org/how-to-cut-broom.

“Elsewhere on the Island there have been many more broombusters than usual,” Sales and Friberg noted. “The isolation has made people more aware of the land close to home, and inspired a desire to protect it. So they are cutting broom to save their native plants, farms and beaches.”