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Invasive species organization seeks volunteers for Whistler Valley Trail project

Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council wants Whistlerites to 'adopt' a section of the Valley Trail
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The Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council is looking to recruit volunteers to rid the Valley Trail of common burdock, a tall invasive herb. Photo courtesy of The Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council

If you're interested in helping rid Whistler of a pesky weed this summer, the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council (SSISC) would like your help.

The organization is looking to recruit volunteers to rid the Valley Trail of common burdock and is launching its Adopt-A-Trail program for the second year running.

"We really need every section of the Valley Trail to be adopted to have an impact," said Clare Greenberg, executive director of the SSISC.

Common burdock is most distinguishable by its purple flower heads that mature into prickly and clinging brown burs, as well as its large wavy-edged leaves.

Those burs, which contain seeds, can easily get stuck on people and animals and be transported down the trail, said Greenberg.

"They essentially hitch a ride along the trail network on people's clothes and pets," she said.

Burdock can displace indigenous plant life, resulting in less food for certain animals, such as bears, she added.

"There have (also) been bats and birds that have been stuck in the burdock burs and died-so it's a wildlife hazard as well," said Greenberg.

To make things easy, the SSISC has broken the Valley Trail down into sections, with each less than 100 metres long.

The organization is hoping that the project can be seen as a "team-building" activity for local businesses, that they may commit to taking on a section in order to build camaraderie and do something positive for the larger community.

(Individuals, and groups of friends, are also encouraged to adopt a section.)

To facilitate the adoption process, the SSISC has created an interactive map, which allows users to see which sections of the trail has been adopted and displays key information, such as the density of burdock in a particular section.

It can be viewed at ssisc.ca/adoptatrail.

To help entice people to take part, the SSISC is offering prizes supplied by local companies such as Scandinave Spa , Whistler Day Spas, Forged Axe Throwing, and Mogul's Coffee House.

"We are really looking for companies and families and groups of friends to take it on," said Greenberg, who said she would "love" to see 100 people in total sign up.

Greenberg added that this project is by no means reserved for green thumbs.

"It's a species that is relatively easy to remove," she said, adding that a how-to video is included on the organization's website. "You just need a shovel and you can dig it up."

Removal essentially involves digging up the taproot, or severing the root at the collar (directly below ground level).

All flowering heads and burs must then be bagged and disposed of with general household waste or in the invasive species bin at the transfer station. (The leaves, stems, and roots can be left to compost on site.)

Greenberg said that she hopes to see uptake on the program this year, adding that there is simply "way too much" common burdock in Whistler for SSISC staff to handle by itself.

"We thought it would be a good candidate for volunteers and for the community to help with," she said.