Volunteer -No Ivy Day in Vancouver

Volunteers Needed to Tackle Invader on “No Ivy Day” This Saturday!

Vancouver Urban Forestry is partnering with neighborhood associations and community stewards to provide work parties to remove English ivy at two sites in Vancouver, Clay Canyon and Behrens Woods.

Volunteers are needed to help make No Ivy Day a success! Individuals or groups interested in participating in No Ivy Day should contact Jessica Antoine at (360) 619-1108 or [email protected] for more information and directions. Ivy removal work parties are great opportunities for service clubs, workplace volunteer groups, youth organizations and anyone looking for a fun and active way to improve the local environment.

Originally planted as an ornamental groundcover, English ivy (Hedera helix) is a non-native invasive plant that thrives in the Pacific Northwest’s mild climate. It has aggressively spread throughout the region and is literally choking forested natural areas to death. Mats formed by ivy vines on the forest floor can become so dense they kill native trees and shrubs and prevent the germination of new seedlings. Mature vines climb into the canopy of trees, blocking sunlight, breaking branches with their excessive weight, and competing for space, water and nutrients. In this way, English ivy causes the premature decline and death of otherwise healthy trees. The widespread ecological effects of ivy invasion include reduction in tree canopy, loss of plant and animal biodiversity, and increased erosion.