Will you join us for the CLSS Annual Knapweed Pull?
When
This year’s annual knapweed pull will take place Sunday June 13th from 9am to noon as long as weather permits.
How to Sign Up
Please email us at Columbialakess@shaw.ca to let us know if you would like to participate or if you have any questions. We would appreciate your help!
What to bring
Make sure you come prepared with a mask, proper clothes for the weather, shoes that can get muddy, gardening gloves, bug spray, sunscreen, and a garbage bag to collect the knapweed if you have one! We will bring garbage bags but have limited supply.
Where
We will meet in the parking spaces by the gates of Spirits Reach (6800 Columbia Lake Rd) and disperse to various knapweed spots from there. The GPS coordinates are 50.24736, -115.87503.
Background
Knapweed is an invasive species that is spreading along Columbia Lake’s shore, especially by the train tracks. It can spread by cars, trains, and people. The most common place for knapweed to be present is by the train tracks on the west end of the lake. Knapweed tends to dominate other plants and has super shallow roots, so it decreases the stability of the land. The species flowers in late June and early July, making it important to get rid of as much knapweed as we can before they seed in July and August. Each plant can produce more than 140,000 seeds per year.
Identification
Two types of knapweed can be seen by the lake, spotted knapweed (left) and diffused knapweed (right). Knapweed can be identified as a green plant covered entirely with small hairs. Spotted knapweed has purple flowers and deeply-cut leaves whereas diffuse knapweed has white flowers with split leaves.
Other ways you can help
If you are unable to volunteer on June 13th but would still like to help us in our mission, if you ever come across these plants, carefully grab each weed individually by the base and pull out the roots and dispose of them in a sealed bag to prevent further spread.
