[Nick Heath]

SKABC have offered and Parks Canada have accepted our offer to do a weekend of volunteer work to control Scotch Broom at James Bay Prevost I 29-31 May 2026.
Parks Canada staff will supervise for one day. Volunteers will camp on site. Access will be by kayak from Village Bay or Long Harbour ferry terminals. Our group will be small, limited to approx. 6.
SKABC had offered to assist at Portland I in 2024 but Parks Canada were reluctant to accept, citing their resource limitations.

Clipping Scotch Broom  is fairly easy and simple, but its spread has been massive and it is fully established on the Gulf Islands and on S and Central Vancouver I., so control rather than elimination is the sensible goal. In the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, there are worse infestations at Portland I, Tumbo I, Saturna I, Sidney I and  parts of the Pender Is etc., but this little area in the orchard at Prevost I is limited in size and the Broom encroaches on the  campsite, so is a suitable target for SKABC’s volunteers.

Several groups like Broombusters of Qualicum (see their videos) specialize in attacking Broom.

The trip might be cancelled if too many bird nests are detected by Parks staff in the Broom bushes a week or so beforehand.

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