Around 25 Elphinstone residents came together on Wednesday, Aug. 31, armed with shears, pruners and machetes, with one goal in mind - to knock down the invasive knotweed.
Members of Elphinstone Electors' Community Asso-ciation and local residents answered the call of Area E director Lorne Lewis, when he asked for volunteers to take action against the Japanese knotweed that was invading the area along the creek by Chaster House, and advancing toward Chaster Park.
Fourteen-year-old Evan Drescher and other workers hauled and dragged loads of the long bamboo-like stems to a waiting open shipping container, while others got their exercise stomping down the load.
After four hours of work, the tired, happy crew was treated to a feast, with Chef Lewis working the barbecue.
The next step will be further clean up of the site, then large tarps will be placed over the area to block out sunlight.
"By no means is this aggressive plant finished. We will be monitoring the site from month to month with more work in the spring to keep it from spreading, as any little piece of this plant is capable of re-growth," said Vel Anderson from the Elphinstone Electors. "This plant can increase erosion along streams when the bare ground is exposed in the winter."
Found in many areas of the Coast, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) forms aggressive, dense thickets maintained by extensive and deep, creeping rhizomes. New shoots are known to penetrate thick asphalt. Dense stands, capable of crowding out all other vegetation, often degrade native plant communities. It spreads quickly and is extremely aggressive and persistent. ?
-Submitted
