In addition to work parties in various locations, we maintain a few demonstration sites on the island.

We cut the broom at a site on Long Harbour road identified by the SSI Conservancy sign, and remove Hairy Cat’s Ear and broom from an enclosure in Andreas Voigt Nature Reserve. We now see native wildflowers flourishing in both these locations. We’ve removed Gorse from the top end of Booth Canal Road, and planted native shrubs in its place.

To gain a greater understanding of the extent of noxious Gorse shrubs, we have recently launched a Gorse Mapping Project; using the popular free app iNaturalist (https://inaturalist.ca/). When someone submits a photo, the app provides probable identification and records the location of the plant. Knowing the scope of the gorse problem will help us press governments and our local road maintenance contractor Emcon to deal with this serious fire hazard.