An effort to protect Stanley Park's wildlife had a group of bankers trading their suits and ties for waders and rubber boots on Thursday.
A dozen HSBC Canada employees joined members of the Stanley Park Ecology Society in their efforts to rid the park's Lost Lagoon from invasive species.
The rubber-clad crew waded into the water as part of the fifth year of the initiative to preserve the park's wildlife and delicate underwater ecosystems.
This year, they set their sights on two detrimental plants: the yellow flag iris and purple loosestrife.
The yellow flag iris can grow up to 1.5 metres tall, and spreads aggressively through wetlands, according to the ecology society. To remove it successfully, the plants must be dug up or seedpods cut off, but yellow flag produces a substance that can cause skin irritation so it must be done carefully.
The purple loosestrife is a perennial that can reach 3 metres tall, and is able to produce more than 2.5 million seeds each year, the society says. Plants can be removed by hand using special hooks to scoop the roots out of the mud. In areas where its complete removal isn't possible, the society will cut off the flowers where the seeds are contained.
This initiative, along with a $50,000 donation from HSBC, will go a long way to improve the freshwater habitats of at-risk wildlife. The ecology society will also be adding plants in the future that at-risk species of birds like to nest and live in.
