Himalayan blackberry can be a real problem along riparian watercourses.  In disturbed, sunny areas, it chokes out native plants and reduces biodiversity.  It doesn't provide real shade to creeks and streams, and prevents older successional species like Fir and Cedar from getting established. 
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Now Himalayan blackberry has a problem, and that's US!  We've been using a mattock to dig out blackberry roots, and this small tool makes easy work of digging out the root balls. It's SO satisfying to clear a small area in a short amount of time.  It's easier to carry out this work in the cooler months when we can wear long sleeves and pants to protect our skin from the thorns.  Wearing thin gardening gloves with a thicker leather pair of gloves on top helps protect hands, though some thorns still manage to get through!  We load the cut brambles on a tarp and haul loads away for disposal by the City.  Over several years, we've been able to suppress the Himalayan blackberry enough at the Morningside culvert that native Thimbleberry are thriving.  
Along the gravel path to the tennis courts in Morningside Park, the Oceanspray are finally getting a chance.  Persistence is paying off!

Walley Creek is very different above and below Shores Drive.  Where the creek flows past the RDN GNPCC its course has been altered so that it's cut off from ground water infiltration by a clay liner.  To make stream flow even more challenging, the GNPCC removes ground water periodically to maintain the function of the settling tanks that treat the City's waste water.  Some ground water does make it into Walley Creek below the Shores Drive bridge, and we want to maintain these base flows for fish habitat.   

Our focus on the RDN property is to improve the riparian area by replacing invasive Himalayan blackberry with native plants, as we've done in Morningside Park.  Maintaining  shade and native plant composition gives the greatest chance of survival for fish and other animals that live in and around the creek. 

On March 1, a strong group of volunteers used loppers and mattocks to remove fresh growth in an area we cleared a year ago.  On March 3, a grade 7 class from École Hammond Bay moved soil and bark mulch into the polygons, and planted native ferns, salal,  Oregon grape, and Oceanspray.   It's exciting to continue working our way up the creek, involving great volunteers and students.

To date, our work removing invasive species has been focused on
reach 1 (from the beach at Nina's up to Morningside Drive) and
reach 2 (Morningside Park, between Morningside Drive and Shores Drive). 
Today we made our first foray into reach 3,
where the creek flows through the RDN GNPCC property. 
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The mouth of the culvert upstream of Shores Drive is completely overgrown with invasive Himalayan blackberry, as most disturbed, sunny spots are.  We used loppers and pickaxes to chop down the canes and dig out the roots, filling a large bin and opening up the space.  The plan is to mulch heavily with wood chips and plant quick-growing successional species - red osier dogwood and big leaf maple, followed by later succession species like Cedar and fir, either seeded from local species or planted intentionally.

We have initiated a project with Frank J Ney school (upper reaches of Walley Creek) that would take place over three or more years, where we'd invite students and families of the elementary school to get involved with invasive species removal and finding a balance between children accessing the area for exploration and learning while encouraging ecological health. 

Module 8 of the Streamkeepers handbook is all about preventing domestic animals from having unlimited access to the stream.  We sometimes joking refer to the children that play in the riparian area as livestock, but the truth is they can have a very serious negative impact on the plant community by unknowingly trampling everything while engaged in their busy imaginative and construction play.

One teacher had the brilliant idea of telling the children that it hurts the trees when their "toes" (exposed roots) get stepped on.  After a year of reminding the children, there are now ferns and salmonberry bushes growing up in between the trees "toes" in this place between the school and the creek.

An important goal of our Streamkeepers group is providing opportunities for young people and their families to connect to nature, and enjoy the mental health benefits of time outdoors, especially in creative or community-minded endeavors.  While we want to limit the children's access to the streambed (to protect aquatic invertebrates, salamanders, frogs, and fish) we want them to KNOW this place and learn with and from its seasonal cycles.   We look forward to beginning this project with the school, as a learning opportunity, community building endeavor, and ecological restoration project.

aerial photo of Frank J Ney Elementary and adjacent green space

This year we were helped by a hard working, hilarious crew! Most of the volunteers also play basketball together at school.  They joked and laughed together while they worked.  I loved the “blackberry brigade” they figured out!  Clearly they are used to working as a team. 
We focused on removing invasives from the area adjacent to the "salamander meadow", since there were nesting songbirds in the area adjacent to the gravel path.
Volunteers hauled out four bags of English Ivy and a huge pile of Himalayan blackberry.
​Best of all we heard a woodpecker and lots of song sparrows, and saw the red backed salamanders that are so unique to that little wetland.   

Over Spring Break we worked hard to cut back Himalayan blackberry along the streamside and and dig out the tenacious knuckles left behind.  While a small excavator can be helpful with this work, we used loppers and shovels so as not to disturb the native thimbleberry plants interspersed with the Himalayan blackberry.  There is also a lovely carpet of native trailing blackberry in this area that we tried to gently move aside during this work.  A huge thanks to NALT volunteers who helped with this physically demanding task.  Also, Bruce dug Daphne while the kids bagged ivy.

After a 2 year hiatus due to Covid restrictions, we again organized a work party in the park adjacent to École Hammond Bay.  This event started in 2017 and makes a tremendous positive impact on the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the park.  It gives graduating elementary school students an opportunity to give back to an area they enjoyed playing and learning in.

On June 21, 2022 a hard working group of grade 7 students and their families removed invasive plants in Morningside Park.  This year we were also joined by the school principal and other community volunteers.  We reflected on our commitment to understanding how human activities have impacted the stream ecosystem in the same way that settler activities have impacted indigenous communities.  Spending time tending and appreciating this place is an act of reconciliation as much as environmental healing.

We targeted blackberry bushes that are crowding out native plants in the riparian area, and Bur chervil that's growing along the gravel path to the tennis courts.  We also continue to carefully pull ivy and bag it for safe disposal.  We watch the maples grow taller and provide shade for native plants like Salal, Orgeon grape and ferns.  We continue to reflect on how we can educate the children who enjoy this space about how to prevent erosion, and avoid disturbing the animals that live in and around the creek.

Again this year we deferred our annual invasive removal with Ecole Hammond Bay students, since the public health regulations aren't changing to allow large outdoor gatherings until after June 15. For now, we're working with our small group of volunteers to remove invasive plants in the riparian area between the gravel path and Walley Creek adjacent to Ecole Hammond Bay.

Last year we almost eradicated the thistle that had completely overtaken the area. That allowed other invasive plants to thrive, so this year we are tackling Himalayan blackberry, Daphne (Spurge-laurel), English Ivy, and Bur Chervil. (To identify invasive plants in your area check out the Invasive Species Council of BC website.). These plants are competing with native baby Fir, Cedar, Arbutus and Maple trees, and Salal, Oregon grape and Ocean Spray shrubs for space, light and nutrients.

Our hope is that this concerted effort will eventually allow the native plants to become established, creating a more biodiverse and healthy riparian ecosystem.

Our annual invasive removal in Morningside Park looked a little different this year.  With schools closed and everyone practicing physical distancing, we relied on a small group of friends and family to tackle invasives in Morningside Park.  Thistle, Daphne, and Ivy out-compete native plants like Oregon grape, ocean spray, and tiny fir and Cedar for sunlight and nutrients.  By removing as many invasives as possible, we hope to encourage the diverse native plants to thrive. 

Illegal dumping of yard waste continues to be a problem in Morningside Park.  Year after year we discover leaves, grass clipping, and even Christmas trees dumped over people's fences into the sensitive riparian area.  Years ago someone broke up an old patio and threw the concrete chunks and fence post footings "away".  "Out of sight, out of mind" behaviour degrades the slope stability, causes erosion, smothers native plants that are stabilizing the bank and providing shade, and can crush/impede wildlife. Through talking to residents who back onto the creek, we know that most neighbors understand the importance of properly disposing of yard waste.  However, a part of restoration still includes removing materials that have been illegally dumped.  We're hoping our continued work and outreach eradicates this problem!

This was the third year grade 7 students from École Hammond Bay participated in a work party to give something back to this community park that has been a place to explore and appreciate nature during their time in elementary school.  Parents conceived this project as a way for students to be meaningfully involved in fundraising for Grade 7 year-end activities.  Each year students gather pledges for a couple of hours of work with the Walley Creek Streamkeepers, DFO and City of Nanaimo staff.  Extra funds are donated back to the Streamkeepers, who use the funds to help with our outreach and education activities.  Every year the young people have a chance to learn about the importance of native plants and trees to stabilize the stream banks and provide shade and habitat for fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and mammals that live along Walley Creek.  Then they participate in removing invasive species like Daphne, Himalayan blackberry, and ivy so that native plants and trees can flourish.  Their hard work and enthusiasm help us accomplish so much in this beautiful little City Park!