About 70 Grade 5 students joined hands earlier this week to remove invasive Himalayan blackberries at Routley park in 91原创.

In total, nine cubic metres of the invasive plant were removed, which is equivalent to the volume of 56 bathtubs.

The event, organized by the charitable organization Lower Mainland Green Team and Township of 91原创, saw participation from students and teachers of R.C. Garnett Demonstrations School and 91原创 Meadows Community School.

Invasive Himalayan blackberries didn鈥檛 stand a chance, with many students remarking, 鈥渢his is fun鈥� and 鈥淚 could do this all day,鈥� as they cut brambles and dug up stubborn roots. A few students described the roots as 鈥減otatoes鈥� because of their large size and weight and shouted 鈥渁nother potato鈥� every time a root was removed.

Cooler temperatures and light rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of these youth, who were excited to spend the day outside making a positive impact in their local park with their classmates.

鈥淚n addition to improving environmental health at Routley Park, these youth were able to get exercise outdoors, try something new, work together as a team, and connect to nature,鈥� said Ashton Kerr, program manager at Lower Mainland Green Team.

鈥淎dditionally, they were able to experience the mental and physical health benefits of being out in nature including reduced levels of stress and anxiety, and improved mood, memory and focus,鈥� Kerr added.

Next, the charitable group will engage a total of 120 Grade 5 students from Richard Bulpitt Elementary School at James Anderson Park on Monday, Nov. 21 and Thursday, Nov. 24.

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