Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) has been helping maintain Mansons Landing Provincial Park since 2016. They’ve been putting up railings to prevent further erosion of banks, putting up interpretive signage and maintain the trails. FOCI also holds a Broom Bash every year. 15 volunteers and staff showed up to remove this invasive species on Saturday, March 21, 2025.
Cortes Currents asked Helen Hall, FOCI’s executive director, “Is this a good turnout?”
Helen Hall: “We’ve got a lovely turnout of people this morning, all ages and we’re anticipating more people will turn out throughout the morning. We’ve also got BC Parks rangers coming out to help us as well, which is great news.”
One of the rangers, Tom Porsborg, was working right beside us.
Cortes Currents: So what’s it like coming out here on a Saturday afternoon to join this group?
Tom Porsborg: “It’s always fantastic coming out to a small community and to see the community involved in looking after the parks and the natural environment.”
Cortes Currents: Is it really important to get broom out of the parks?
Tom Porsborg: “It is, especially in areas where there isn’t shade or canopy closure. Where you have open sun, broom is really invasive and it can take over pretty quick.”
Arlene Tompkins added “So if you can stop them or control them, it’s a good thing to do for native species.”
Cortes Currents: Is this your first time?
Arlene Tompkins: “I’ve been out in previous years.”
Cortes Currents: How many years?
Arlene Tompkins: “I’ve lost track. I missed last year, I think I was out the two previous ones.”
Sam Gibbs said. “I brought my son and my daughter here because we use the lagoon all the time. It’s good to show them that we need to take care of it as well as use it.”
There was a woman on the slope overlooking Manson’s Lagoon. As I approached, she nodded towards her daughter and suggested, “She could interview you.”
To which the girl chirped out, “What does that mean?”
Cortes Currents: Actually, could I ask what, are your names?
Mother: “Anne”
Daughter: “Graciella”
Cortes Currents: “What’s your last name?”
Mother: “My last name’s Dzakovic. And your last name’s?”
Daughter: “Gibb”
Anne Dzakovic: “Graciella Gibb.”
Cortes Currents: I had been listening to them play a name game and so asked, how do you spell it backwards?
Graciella Gibb: “Big!”
Cortes Currents: And why’s that?
Graciella Gibb: “Cause I’m big!”
Anne Dzakovic: “Because you’re five, right?”
Graciella Gibb: “Yeah.”
Cortes Currents: Okay, so either of you? Is this your first time here?
Graciella Gibb: “It is for me.”
Anne Dzakovic: “It is for you. It’s not my first time. I’ve done the Broom Bash before.”
Cortes Currents: What makes it special?
Anne Dzakovic: “Well, my partner Sam works for FOCI and he helps organize this day. So we come and support him in his work, but also I like making sure that this ecosystem is preserved. And if there’s a bunch of us doing it, then many hands make light work. It feels like a good day out, it’s nice weather today and it’s a nice day out for the kids too.”
Graciella Gibb pointed to my recorder: “What’s that?”
Cortes Currents: That’s a recorder. Is this fun?
Graciella Gibb: “Yeah.”
Cortes Currents: What’s fun?
Graciella Gibb: (laughs) “Pulling up the broom.”
Her mother echoed, “Pulling up the broom.”
Helen Hall: “ The reason we started clearing broom on the Spit originally was because of the coastal sand ecosystem. This grassy looking habitat doesn’t look like very much, but it’s actually an ecosystem that’s quite rare up and down the coast. When we started, about six years ago, it was covered in broom and it was getting shaded out. So we decided to remove broom from there. Then we realized it was also all over the Spit. So partly to stop it growing back onto the beach, we decided to clear it on the Spit. Then we realized that the broom was out competing native shrubs like huckleberry.”
“We’ve now been doing this for six years and we are begining to see a difference. The coastal sand ecosystem is starting to thrive and we’ve noticed a lot more native shrubs coming in. It’s a good news story, but we have to keep on it because broom just keeps growing back. So it’s great to have volunteers coming out today to help do this.”
Links of Interest:
- Articles about, or mentioning FOCI’s Broom Bash
- Friends of Cortes Island Website
- Articles about, or mentioning FOCI
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