Organizer calls pulling ivy in qathet surprisingly satisfying

Piles of English ivy can bee seen on the sides of park trails in qathet. It has been diligently pulled out by volunteers in order to keep the rapidly growing plant at bay. 

Kate Sutherland has been organizing a monthly ivy pull event since January 2022, and had 16 volunteers come out last month. 

The next pull is Saturday February 22, rain or shine, meeting at the corner of Mowat Avenue and Irvine Street, on the back side of Valentine Mountain.

"Each pull is 90 minutes long," said Sutherland. "Long enough to make a difference, and not so long that it is hard to fit in with everything else [people do in a day]."

According to the Invasive Species Council of BC, English ivy was intentionally introduced from its native range of Europe. It has since spread throughout rainforest understories, where it can grow as a dense mat that suppresses native plants or climbs up trees, reducing their lifespan and leaving them more susceptible to wind damage.

"The English ivy on Valentine Mountain is not as pervasive as, for example, the forest next to the Wildwood hill," said Sutherland. "Pulling each month, we’ve been able to keep some areas clear of visible ivy; the inspiration has been, in part, to nip the spread of ivy, to not let it become pervasive."

Sutherland said the group endeavours to pull without damaging native plants, such as Oregon grape.

"It is surprisingly satisfying to pull ivy," said Sutherland. "The work is like brushing teeth; it’s not something you do just once. As long as there is ivy in qathet, with birds eating the berries and spreading them around, we will need to pull ivy to keep it in check."

Sutherland said the activity is a way of giving back to a beautiful place like qathet.

"Another impact has been to increase the pulling of ivy in other parts of town," said Sutherland. "One regular in the group had the idea of creating a sign that would invite other people to pull ivy." 

Now, there are 10 signs around town that have been placed at trailheads.

Anyone who wants to know when future pulls are happening can request to be on the list by emailing Sutherland at [email protected].

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