91原创 Environmental Partners Society executive director Nichole Marples and several volunteers were busy in the shade of a sun awning set up in the parking lot of the 91原创 Home Depot store, separating bunches of plants that are native to B.C. into small paper bags.

It was Saturday, June 4, the 91原创鈥揂ldergrove MPs annual seedling giveaway, with 500 native B.C. plants available.

鈥淣ative plants are naturalized to our environment they provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators and they are beautiful and rural,鈥� Marples explained, as the volunteers prepared and plants for distribution.

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As people lined up, the hosting MP, Tako van Popta, began handing the plants out.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a tradition that I inherited from my predecessor, [the late MP] Mark Warawa,鈥� explained van Popta.

The Nootka rose is a native B.C. rose with a pleasant smells that can be used to make tea, while the Tall Oregon Grape plant is 鈥渧ery attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators and provides the first source of nectar for our pollinators in the springtime and the last source of nectar in the fall,鈥� Marples elaborated.

The giveaway coincided with Canadian Environment Week, which celebrates Canada鈥檚 accomplishments and encourages Canadians to contribute to conserving and protecting their environment.

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More photos from the seedling giveaway can be viewed on the