What happened over the summer
Here’s a brief overview of what’s happened, or is happening around Green Timbers over the summer.
Green Timbers Day
June 16, 2019 – an event held with with SNAP and City of Surrey by the Lake. About 163 people came by to say hi.
We had some impromptu trash collection (thanks again, Trevor and Jen!). Another family found a snake skin
Erratic vandalized
This is irritating. The new path that runs from 140th Street parallel to 100th Avenue to the 100th Avenue Parking lot also runs by the big erratic. Unfortunately, some yahoos couldn’t enjoy it as it was and turned it into a giant playground, stripping off the moss that covered it, propping logs against it so they could clamber up to the top, and leaving their trash behind. Aaargh.
I use a picture of the erratic from a few years ago on the header of these emails. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this any more.
Watermain along 148 Street
You’ll have noticed Metro Vancouver has been working on upgrading the water main that runs along 148 Street. The City won’t be widening 148th St to four lanes as originally planned, so there will be minimal effects to the urban forest.
Link: http://www.metrovancouver.org/Search/Pages/results.aspx?k=148%20Street
Pump has stopped working
We received a note from Ken Crosby, the City’s Natural Area Coordinator that the pump that supplies water to the marsh has stopped working at the end of August. It should be working again soon. It has resulted in a reduction of water flowing from the marsh down the creek and into the lake. The creek is currently dry and there is a minimal observed reduction in water in the lake. The current precipitation will help in the short term in providing water into the system.
Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership
The 2019 SNAP program ended at the end of August. It was very successful, with lots of ideas to carry forward for next year. In August a few highlights were:
- Site visits with MP Dhaliwal and MP Aldag
- SNAP was featured in Surrey Now-Leader
- Tree Care team hosted their second Neighbourhood Tree Care Party
- All three SNAP teams assisted with a volunteer invasive removal event that included the Surrey Youth Stewardship Squad
- SNAP attended several events
Work in Green Timbers Urban Forest continued:
- Tree Care team continued watering Garry Oak trees
- Outreach team spent 33.5 hours hosting within GTUF and helped to host the SYSS Amazing Race which took place in GTUF
- Restoration team performed a litter pick, removed a variety of invasive species and installed a swallow box
July
Surrey-Langley SkyTrain would cost $3.12B, TransLink says (July 19, 2019)
…Green is concerned about the impact to the Serpentine River and the Green Timbers Forest.
“They’re going to have to clear-cut a good chunk of forest on either side of Fraser Highway,” he said.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/surrey-langley-skytrain-would-cost-3-12b-translink-says-1.4515564
August
Volunteers help remove invasive plants from Surrey park (August 16, 2019)
Environmental groups can be a ‘stepping stone’ for future career
A park in Newton was buzzing with volunteers removing invasive species recently, but the evening wasn’t all about habitat restoration.
Members of SNAP (Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership) and SYSS (Surrey Youth Stewardship Squad) were at Hazelnut Meadows Park in Newton to remove blackberry bushes, an invasive species, but Shenae Borschneck, the program co-ordinator for SNAP, said the day was mainly about SNAP youth getting to mentor SYSS volunteers aged 13 to 17.
https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/volunteers-help-remove-invasive-plants-from-surrey-park/
RCMP to relocate forensic lab from Vancouver to new facility in Surrey (August 13, 2019)
RCMP National Communication Services Cpl. Caroline Duval responded to questions from the Georgia Straight about the new National Forensic Laboratory Services (NFLS) laboratory in Surrey.
Cpl. Duval said that the RCMP’s NFLS in Vancouver is being relocated to the RCMP B.C. Headquarters (which opened in 2013 and cost $1 billion, according to CBC News) at 14200 Green Timbers Way in the Green Timbers area of Surrey.
The new facility, which covers 7,446 square feet, is approximately twice the size of the previous location and will be staffed by 105 employees (NFLS has a total of approximately 300 employees).
https://www.straight.com/news/1284001/rcmp-relocate-forensic-lab-vancouver-new-facility-surrey
Youth volunteers improve South Surrey’s Chantrell Creek Park (August 7, 2019)
Invasive species removal among initiatives of SNAP, SHaRP groups
Young Surrey nature enthusiasts were out in force last week, as part of a team that gathered to enhance Chantrell Creek Park.
In total, 38 volunteers – from Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP) and the Salmon Habitat Restoration Program (SHaRP) – worked to creative native amphibian habitat, improve beaver-protection fencing and remove invasive plants from the park, which is located at 13741 24 Ave., near the headwaters of Chantrell Creek.
https://www.surreynowleader.com/community/youth-volunteers-improve-south-surreys-chantrell-creek-park/
Surrey Youth Team Up to Enhance Chantrell Creek Park (August 6, 2019)
Surrey, BC – Surrey’s youth were out in full force last week caring for nature as members from sister programs, Surrey’s Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP) and Salmon Habitat Restoration Program (SHaRP), took on invasive vegetation and created new wetland habitat at Chantrell Creek Park.
www.surrey.ca/city-government/29820.aspx
