First row: Njeri Kontulahti (Branch Manager), Nathan (SNAP), Donna Rowand (Assistant Branch Manager), Mimi Murray (Account Manager), Danica Gill (Account Manager); back row: Jasbir Sidhu (Account Manager), Rose Dhillon (Account Manager), Jasbinder Dhami (Financial Service Rep), Adarsh Grewal (Wealth Advisor)

First row: Njeri Kontulahti (Branch Manager), Nathan (SNAP), Donna Rowand (Assistant Branch Manager), Mimi Murray (Account Manager), Danica Gill (Account Manager); back row: Jasbir Sidhu (Account Manager), Rose Dhillon (Account Manager), Jasbinder Dhami (Financial Service Rep), Adarsh Grewal (Wealth Advisor)

 

Vancity’s Surrey City Centre Community Branch presented Nathan Ross, program coordinator of the Surrey Natural Areas Partnership (SNAP) with a cheque for $5,000 for a Vancity Community Partnership Program grant.

The grant will be used to ​restore​ ​a​ ​wetland​ ​at​ ​the​ ​north​ ​end​ ​of​ ​Green Timbers​ ​Urban​ ​Forest​ ​Park​ in Surrey ​within​ ​the​ ​drainage​ ​basin​ ​of​ ​King​ ​Creek,​ ​a​ ​Class​ ​A​ ​salmon​ ​bearing stream.​

The Surrey Natural Areas Partnership is a partnership between the Green Timbers Heritage Society, the White Rock Naturalists Society, The Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society and the City of Surrey. Formed in 2001 it works to restore habitat and educate the public about Surrey’s natural areas. See more at www.surreysnaturalareaspartnership.com

This​ ​project​ ​will​ ​restore​ ​an​ ​ecologically​ ​significant​ ​seasonal​ ​wetland​ ​at​ ​the​ ​north​ ​end​ ​of​ ​Green  Timbers​ ​Urban​ ​Forest​ ​Park​ ​within​ ​the​ ​drainage​ ​basin​ ​of​ ​King​ ​Creek,​ ​a​ ​Class​ ​A​ ​salmon​ ​bearing  stream.​

​The​ ​project​ ​will​ ​be​ ​involve​ ​the​ ​removal​ ​of​ ​various​ ​invasive​ ​plants,​ ​garbage,​ ​and​ ​yard waste​ ​from​ ​the​ ​natural​ ​area,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​planting​ ​native​ ​trees​ ​and​ ​shrubs.​ ​SNAP​ ​will​ ​also​ ​promote the​ ​long​ ​term​ ​sustainability​ ​of​ ​the​ ​project​ ​through​ ​community​ ​outreach​ ​in​ ​the​ ​local  neighbourhood through ​canvassing​ ​the​ ​community​, ​educating residents​ ​about​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​our​ ​urban​ ​forest​ ​and​ ​offering​ ​information​ ​about​ ​the  negative​ ​effects​ ​of​ ​garbage​ ​and​ ​yard​ ​waste​ ​dumping​ ​in​ ​parks.​

​To​ ​ensure​ ​the​ ​planting​ ​is successful,​ ​the​ ​area​ ​will​ ​be​ ​revisited​ ​and​ ​maintained​ ​against​ ​recurrences​ ​of​ ​invasive​ ​plants, yard​ ​waste​ ​and​ ​garbage​ ​dumped​ ​in​ ​the​ ​area​ ​by​ ​future​ ​SNAP​ ​employees​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​City​ ​of  Surrey’s​ ​parks​ ​staff.

To learn more about SNAP visit www.surreysnaturalareaspartnership.com. To learn more about the Green Timbers Heritage Society visit greentimbers.ca.