The C.A.R.E.S. Lang Creek mɛtokomɛn Native Plant Garden Invasive Species Removal and Revegetation Project

Lang Creek Invasive Species Removal and Revegetation is a project in partnership between the Lang Creek Native Plant Garden, qathet School District, Scott Malin’s Grade 5/6 Class from Kelly Creek Community School, and the property owner of the Powell River Salmon Society. It is also connected to a qathet School District initiative known as C.A.R.E.S. (Community Action and Restoration Education and Stewardship Program). Together, the full name of this project is “The C.A.R.E.S. Lang Creek mɛtokomɛn Native Plant Garden Invasive Species Removal and Revegetation Project”.

At its core, C.A.R.E.S. is about giving back to the land. Aligned with qathet School District’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, the C.A.R.E.S. program highlights place-based and land-based learning alongside stewardship education to produce tangible results that students can be proud of. The C.A.R.E.S. program explicitly works in partnership with various community groups and organizations, bringing school and community together to support meaningful and lasting action projects.

The most recent project targeted an Invasive Species called Yellow Arch Angel, which has overtaken the bank of the spawning channel at Lang Creek. Students in Mr.Malin’s Grade 5/6 class from Kelly Creek spent 3 of their mornings on site helping remove this invasive plant. 

During their first visit, students learned to identify and inventory the native plants located on the stream bank amidst the Yellow Arch Angel. During subsequent visits, students learned experientially about 2 removal techniques: mechanical pulling and tarping. These techniques were implemented with careful attention to preserving the native plants and protecting the stream from sediment. Each group of students was supported by an outstanding volunteer from the Lang Creek Native Plant Garden, the Retired Teachers' Association of Powell River, as well as students in the Coast Mountain Academy Program.   

This project is a multiyear, intergenerational project. Working together and giving back to the land is hands-on learning that everyone can feel good about.  Students involved today will pay their learning forward to next year’s students who will continue to remove the Yellow Arch Angel and will also use the native plant inventory data to design and implement the revegetation plan.