A lot of people talk about the environment but the local Habitat Improvement Team does something about it.
Sponsored by Whistler Blackcomb, which provides vehicles and equipment, HIT is a grass roots community effort where participants play an active role in improving the local environment. Activities range from organizing local aid shipments for a mountain community in Romania, to planting trees in the alpine, to recreating fish habitat by putting wood debris and planting around local creeks.
The first night is on Tuesday, June 22 and will continue work ongoing on the Singing Pass trail into Garibaldi Provincial Park.
Other events include:
• July 6 - Riparian planting with the Whistler Fisheries Stewardship Group
• July 20 - Packing winter clothing for Romania and Nepal
• August 3 and 17 - In-stream project with the Whistler Fisheries Stewardship Group
• August 31 - Planting White Park Pine in Blackcomb's alpine in partnership with a UBC and Ministry of Forests Project. The species is under attack from an invasive fungus.
To take part in next week's project meet at the base of Blackcomb at 5:45 p.m., ready to leave at 6 p.m. for the job site. Volunteers should come dressed for the weather and the work, which can get pretty dirty. Volunteers can expect to work for up to three hours. Refreshments will be provided at Merlin's afterwards.
HIT was formed in 1997, and has completed 87 projects in the past 12 years. Roughly 15 to 20 participants take part each week, adds up to more than 4,000 hours of field work.
