Volunteers with Youth 20/20 Can Nanaimo cut the ribbon on the Beaufort Park Native Plant Garden on Friday, June 21, with local dignitaries such as Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson in attendance. (Submitted)

By Jordan Davidson

native plants

‘Help maintain the ecological balance:’ Nanaimo youth plant native species garden in City park

Jun 25, 2024 | 1:00 PM

NANAIMO — A group of local youth with a passion for volunteering have added more native plants to a central Nanaimo park.

The latest project from Youth 20/20 Can Nanaimo and Volunteer Nanaimo added native fruits and foliage to Beaufort Park south of NRGH, which celebrated its reveal to the public on Friday, June 21.

Youth engagement worker Anni Thesen told NanaimoNewsNOW they got the idea for a native plant garden while working with the Beaufort Food Forest group which originally began planting edible trees in the park in 2017.

“One of our youth had the great idea of establishing a native plant garden on-site to provide a habitat for pollinators and to enhance the productivity of the food forest community garden.”

The group applied for a grant through the City of Nanaimo’s Community Environmental Sustainability Project fund near the end of 2023 with work starting on their garden the moment the grant was approved.

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New vegetation includes Pacific crab apples, high bush cranberries, blueberries, and elderberries inside the approximately 1,200 square foot area.

A look at the newly completed Beaufort Park Native Plant Garden, installed by Youth 20/20 Can Nanaimo volunteers. (Submitted)

Thesen said native plants are crucial for maintaining the health and balance of our natural environment, and provide food for many animals and insects such as bees, butterflies and birds.

“They also help maintain the ecological balance, they’re drought and disease-resistant, and once they’re established they require really little care. So hopefully next year or in the years to come they’ll be fully self-sustainable.”

She said with this latest project now behind them, their group is preparing for the summer volunteering season.

“We go to Growing Opportunity Farms to volunteer, we volunteer at the Beaufort Food Forests weekly, and then all the different events that are happening in town. Our summers are really focused on maintaining the projects that we have established while also volunteering for a lot of community events.”

Nanaimo Youth 20/20 Can is a group of volunteer members between the ages of 15 and 29 who lead community projects and donate their time.

There are a number of community gardens located around Nanaimo. More information on how to find the closest one to you can be found here on the City’s website.

Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson (left) was on hand for the official unveiling of the new garden on Friday, June 21. (Submitted)

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow