Invasive Species Council of British Columbia

For Educators

Units: Student Land Stewards – Activity 7; We Care for the Land – Activity 10: Become Land Stewards! Plan a Weed Pull

Grade: 4 to 9

Duration: 2-3 hours

Setting: Outdoor

Subjects: Career Education, Science

Physical Activity: Yes

This lesson includes tips on organizing an invasive species removal event with your students.

This is the last activity in two learning resources. Please see the Overviews for We Care For the Land and Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species (Grades 4-6) or Student Land Stewards in Action (Grades 7-9) for more information on these resources, including the lesson sequence.

This resource was created through the financial support of the Provincial Intermediate and Middle Years Teachers’ Association (myPITA).

Learning Objectives

By participating in this activity, students will:

  • Safely use tools and equipment to remove invasive plants.
  • Understand how invasive plant removal can help restore habitats.
  • Demonstrate care for the environment.
  • Increase self-confidence and collaboration with classmates to work towards a common goal.
Inquiry Questions
  • How can I be an environmental steward of this place?
  • What invasive species are in this place, and what are their impacts?
BC Curriculum Links

Core Competencies

  • Personal and Social- Contributing to Community and Caring for the Environment

Science Big Ideas and Content

  • All living things sense and respond to their environment (Grade 4)
  • Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment (Grade 5)
  • Multicellular organisms rely on internal systems to survive, reproduce, and interact with their environment (Grade 6)
  • Evolution by natural selection provides an explanation for the diversity and survival of living things (Grade 7)
  • The Earth and its climate have changed over geological time (Grade 7)
  • Cells are a basic unit of life (Grade 8; Content: Characteristics of life)
  • The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them. (Grade 9)
  • Sustainability of systems (Grade 9, Content)

Science Curricular Competencies

  • Demonstrate curiosity about the natural world (Grade 4)
  • Identify some simple environmental implications of their and others’ actions (Grade 4)
  • Identify some of the social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations (Grades 5-6)
  • Experience and interpret the local environment (Grades 4-9)
  • Communicate ideas, explanations, and processes in a variety of ways (Grades 5-6)
  • Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through personal or collaborative approaches. (Grades 4-9)
  • Consider social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations (Grades 7-9)
  • Express and reflect on [personal, shared or others’]/a variety of experiences and perspectives [and worldviews] of place (Grades 4-9)
  • Contribute to finding solutions to problems at a local and/or global level through inquiry (Grade 9)
  • Use equipment and materials safely, identifying potential risks (Grades 5-6)
  • Ensure that safety and ethical guidelines are followed in their investigations (Grades 7-8)
  • Assess risks and address ethical issues associated with their proposed methods (Grade 9)

Physical and Health Education- Curricular Competencies

  • Participate in daily physical activity at moderate to vigorous intensity levels (Grade 4), designed to enhance and maintain health components of fitness (Grades 5-9)

Career Education

  • Content- Connection to Community: Cultural and social awareness (Grades 4-9), global citizenship (Grades 6-7), volunteer opportunities (Grades 6-7); Career value of volunteering (Grades 8-9)
Materials

The materials needed for stewardship activities will depend upon the specific invasive plants being removed, whether you will be planting native plants, site conditions, the size of your group, student ages, and other factors. Ask students’ families or local weed-pulling organizations if you may borrow tools.

Some materials include:

  • A class set of gardening gloves. Leather gloves will last longer and are necessary for prickly plants; cotton or nitrile gloves may work fine for other plants and are inexpensive and washable.
  • A class set of hand pruners.
  • Several tools are needed for larger and more established plants, such as shovels, saws, and loppers.
  • Large, heavy-duty tarps (approximately one for every five students) for collecting and moving plant material.
  • Large garbage bags for invasive plant disposal (may be needed if the site/municipality won’t pick up curbside). Industrial-strength bags will prevent ripping.
  • First aid kit.
  • Boot brushes to help ensure invasive plant parts don’t hitch a ride on your students and spread to another area.
  • Cones or flagging tape to mark boundaries or types of plants to (or not to) remove.
  • If replanting the site, you will need shovels, trowels, soil/mulch, and rakes.
  • Other optional tools for general nature exploration: field guides, magnifiers, and nature journals.
Documents to Download
Background Information

Stewardship projects like invasive species removal (“weed pulls”) and native species planting offer active outdoor and place-based learning, community engagement, and opportunities for social responsibility.

One definition of environmental stewardship is “the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being.” Invasive species removal contributes to environmental stewardship by helping to restore ecosystems, benefiting people and wildlife. Invasive species are considered the second greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. Although a daunting environmental issue, invasive species also offer opportunities to take action, building a sense of hope and optimism, where one can quickly see how on-the-ground efforts make a difference!

To be successful, a weed pull takes advance planning. Planning includes selecting an appropriate site; choosing what plants to focus on; how and when to remove them; getting permissions in place; preparing students; doing the actual removal; and proper disposal of the invasives. This lesson will give you tips on getting started. Connect with other teachers and partner with groups who are experienced. Collaborating with local naturalist clubs or other experts and elders can help build connections. The time and effort will pay off and be a worthwhile and rewarding experience for you, your students, and your community.

Note: Although invasive species removal events are often called “weed pulls”, it’s important to recognize that a weed is not always the same as an invasive species!

  • An invasive species is any living organism that is not native (comes from another region) and causes harm to the environment, economy, or human health.
  • A weed is a plant that grows or spreads to places where we don’t want it to be. The term often indicates a value judgment, so it may or may not refer to an invasive species. For example, a weed could be a native plant that takes up too much space in a garden bed. In contrast, it could also refer to a priority invasive plant taking over and harming an ecosystem.
Preparation

Download the following documents from the Materials section; links also provided below.

  • A weed pull requires advanced preparation. Use 5Ws+H of Organizing a Weed Pull as a guide.
  • Review the Action Principles to help guide your stewardship project, set expectations and a tone, and make it more effective.
  • If you plan to apply for funding to help support your project, check out Funding Sources for School Stewardship Projects.
  • Print the Invasive Plant ID Cards to share with students and to bring on walks to learn about some invasive species that might be found in your region and if or how to manage them with student groups. Note the following about the cards: The letters (N, C, and/or I) refer to where the plant is most likely to be found (Northern, Coastal and/or Interior of BC) and the colour of the card outline indicates if the plant is safe for students to remove (green), is safe with some precautions (yellow), or if it is too hazardous to be removed by student groups (red).

Some preparatory steps are also outlined in the Procedure section, below. Involve your students in the planning and preparation process, as it helps build their investment in their learning and the event.

Procedure

Part 1. Find a Stewardship Site and Connect to Nature

  • Find a nearby location. Ask other educators or people in your community about possible sites. Try to find one that is close by or even walking distance to make logistics easier. Learn who the land manager is (e.g., City, Regional District or Province) to get more information and gather key contacts. Scope out the area to determine its suitability for your group. Enjoy exploring!
  • Explore with students and connect to the place. Once you have a suitable location, visit the site with your group, even multiple times. Freedom to explore and connect sets the emotional stage for taking the “leap into action”. Keep nature journals, observing and recording the geography, plants, and signs of animals – an essential first step towards leading students in becoming land stewards.
  • Empower students and spark inquiry. Support students so that their interests and curiosities guide the project. What are they interested in learning, and where do they think they can make a difference? Consider framing an inquiry and action project around a big question, such as “How can I be a steward of this place?” Brainstorm types of stewardship work that would be interesting and appropriate at the site.
  • Dig deeper into learning. Support student inquiries and dig deeper by getting to know the influences of the greater area on this site, such as locating the site within its watershed on a map, as well as historical and current human uses and impacts. Use native plant field guides and the Invasive Plant ID Cards to help learn about invasives in your area, identify native and invasive plants on site, and the potential impacts of invasives. Connect with local First Nations to learn the Indigenous name of the site, the relationships with the land, and changes at the site since colonization.

Part 2. Permissions and Partnerships

  • Contact the land manager. If the weed pull is not on the school site, you will need to get permission and learn what types of projects are appropriate for the site. Land managers are key to your project. They may be able to offer a guided site visit, provide tools, dispose of plant material, or suggest other contacts to help with your project.
  • Partner and collaborate! Connect with partners who can provide valuable leadership, expertise, skills, inspiration, and guidance to get work done on the ground. Partners may have—or might be able to help develop a plan for the site (typically multi-year) so that the weed pull is effective in the long term. Partners may be able to help with plant identification, be able to share information about the local ecology, or provide support for the weed pull or other habitat restoration activities. Keep in mind thatstudent groups are a great asset to partner organizations. Not only do “many hands make light work”, but students and schools are great connectors between local organizations and the greater community.

Potential Partners for Stewardship Projects

  • Nearby high schools or colleges.
  • Local governments
  • First Nations communities
  • Parks and protected areas
  • Adult naturalist clubs (BC Nature or local natural history societies)
  • Local environmental organizations and land trusts
  • Watershed societies (for example, Watersheds BC, Stewardship Centre of BC, BC Lakes Stewardship Society, Water Rangers)
  • Regional Invasive Species Organizations (find yours here)
  • “Friends of” groups
  • Native plant nurseries

Part 3. Plan your Weed Pull and Get Pulling!

  • Determine which invasive plants you are going to remove. Learn about the best practices for its removal, such as the time of year and effective removal methods, from the Invasive Species Council of BC or your Regional Invasive Species Organization. Many invasive plants, such as English Ivy and Himalayan Balsam, are appropriate for students to remove. In contrast, others require some caution due to thorns or skin irritation to some people (such as Himalayan blackberry or orange hawkweed). Other invasive plants are not recommended for student groups to remove due to their highly toxic sap or other poisonous parts, (such as Giant Hogweed and Poison Hemlock). Use the Invasive Plant ID Cards or other guides with students to help identify invasive species and determine which species to focus on in removal efforts.
  • When outdoors, gather in a circle and share a land acknowledgement. Recognize the local Indigenous people who have stewarded these lands for countless generations. Share how your work today fits with First Peoples’ values of leaving a healthy environment for future generations.
  • Discuss awareness of surroundings. We don’t want to trample native plants or to disturb the soil. Students will remember this if you tell them to walk like a coyote; in other words, walk with purpose and care and to watch where you step! Best practice is to replant any area where the soil is disturbed with native plants.
  • Discuss and demonstrate how to safely use and care for the tools. Leave shovels upright in the ground, be aware of people around you, angle the sharp parts of tools downwards. And walk, don’t run. Share a plan of what to do if anyone gets injured (where teacher/adults will be, who will have the first aid kit, etc.).
  • Ensure that everyone can identify the plants to be removed. Compare and contrast invasives with native look-alikes (such as Himalayan blackberry vs. native berry plants like salmonberry and trailing blackberry). It is best to focus on one or two invasive species in a specific area.
  • Establish boundaries and protocols to avoid hazardous areas or plants and to protect the native habitat at the site while removing the invasive plants. Avoid working in areas in early spring where emerging native wildflowers could be trampled.
  • Keep track of the quantity of invasive plants removed to track your effort and potentially bring in the Math curriculum. You may track the number of bags and volume of plants removed, the land area, or estimate the weight of the plants. Take before and after pictures of the site. Take photos of your group in action (check with the school office to ensure permission has been granted for pictures). Have fun!
  • When working in an area with invasive plants, we can accidentally spread seeds or other invasive plant parts to other areas. To avoid this, practice PlayCleanGo with your group. When moving from one location to another, everyone can do a buddy check to remove mud, plant parts, and seeds from their clothing, boots, and gear before leaving the site. Boot brushes can be helpful with this if you have them. (You can purchase boot brushes from the ISCBC online store.)
  • Clean up the site before you leave. Ensure that no equipment or tools are left behind. Gather all tools; collect and gather gloves in pairs by the cuffs to allow them to air dry.
  • Gather in a circle to close the session and share thoughts or feelings about the experience before returning indoors.
Reflections and Assessment
  • How did you feel about this activity and your work on the land? What was the most rewarding part, and why?
  • What plants did we remove? How and why did we remove them?
  • How do you think our efforts will change the site? How could one measure and see changes over time?
Accessibility and Adaptations
  • Students can take on various roles in a weed pull depending on their interests, age, and abilities. Students can work together or individually in different parts of the site. Some can work on small plants that are easy to remove by hand; others can use tools or work together to remove larger and more challenging plants.
  • Aside from plant removal, other roles might include photographer, tool organizer/distributor/seeker (make sure not to leave any tools behind!), someone to direct people to sites, someone to help with plant ID, people to move tarps to the central area, people to bag the plants removed.
  • If competition motivates your class, you can make a contest to see which group removes the most (or largest plant, longest vine) or cleans up their site the best.
Extensions
  • Give a tour of the site to another class or group (in person or as a slide show). Share how and why you did this work and describe or show photos of what it was like before the weed pull.
  • Continue to care for the land by monitoring and maintaining the space over the long term. Invasive plants are so hardy that it can take repeated removal efforts to eliminate them in a particular space over the years. See the Additional Resources section for resources to support you in restoring the adopted green space and enhancing local biodiversity.
Connections to First Peoples’ Perspectives

Indigenous people traditionally used many of the plants in their territory for medicines, foods, and materials, such as natural dyes, baskets, rope, nets, and more. Although invasive plants are harmful because of their ability to spread and take over, many are edible, beautiful, can be a source of natural dyes, can be woven into baskets, made into paper, or used for many other purposes. Visit the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council’s DIY webpage for some great ideas on crafts that you can make with the invasive plants you pulled, while ensuring that you harvest them properly, without harming yourself or the land.

Additional Resources