Volunteer With Us

Whether you come out for one morning or whether you come out every week, we would love to have you join us!

Thinking about helping out?  Want to spend some time outdoors and get some exercise, surrounded by nature?  Here is how it works....

We meet up every Tuesday morning at the Interpretation Centre of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden (FWG).  If you have never been there, click here for a map and directions.  Once you enter the grounds, keep going past the ball diamond and the utility building

until you reach the Interpretation Centre.

We start between 7:30am and 9:00am depending on how hot the day is expected to be.   If you plan to come, just send us an email the day before and we'll let you know what time we plan to start. 

We start off gathering tools and strategizing for our morning's activities.  From there, it's simple.  We head off, usually in small groups of 2-3 people, to an area and start the work.   Our goal is to cut down the Dog-strangling vine (DSV) before it goes to seed.  Of course, once we cut it, it keeps growing back and re-flowering, but the repeated cuttings do weaken it somewhat.  Once the seed pods have developed, we also bag and remove the cut DSV so that the seeds do not remain. 

You soon get to know your preferred technique.

Some take to the scythe.  It is a wonderful tool that was common on farms in years gone by.  It serves our purpose well because the landscape does not lend itself to mechanical tools and we need to be careful to not cut or injure the native plants we are helping to preserve.  It also allows you take out a fairly big swath in one smooth movement.  Very gratifying!





Others prefer the precision that comes with shears.  These are useful when working very close to trees and other plants and for snipping off individual plants in some areas.  They also work well on areas that are so thick with DSV that a scythe has trouble cutting through the vines. 

And, of course, there is always the option of ripping the offending plants out with your hands (bring work gloves or gardening gloves if you have them).  This is also helpful when you need to be precise but mostly it is just very satisfying!




By 10:30, we are usually ready for a well-deserved break.  If the weather isn't great, we may go back to the Interpretation Centre for the break, but sometimes it is just nice to settle into a shady spot and break open our respective snacks.

With all the naturalists and birders in the midst, you can't pass up a photo op with a visiting weevil. 

After the break, we carry on until about noon.  Of course, everyone has their own commitments and busy schedules to manage, so there are always individual variations to timing.

So, come join us!  Be sure to bring some water and a snack.  Bring gardening / work gloves, if you have them.  Dress for the weather.  We recommend long sleeves as some people get a mild rash from Dog-strangling vine.   And, come on out to help our natural environment thrive.

Click here  to find out more about our special Weeding Bees on July 10 and July 17, 2011.

Email us  for more information about helping out with our Tuesday Invasive Species Group or contact us  for more information about Fletcher Wildlife Garden.