Countless branches, vines and ends of English ivy, and other invasive species, were collected and burned on Gerald Island earlier this month, part of ongoing efforts to reclaim the area by BC Marine Trails. (Sam Cutcliffe)

By Alex Rawnsley

invasive species

‘The end is in sight:’ volunteers clear huge amount of English ivy from small island off Nanoose

Apr 22, 2025 | 12:41 PM

NANOOSE BAY — A small island off the coast of central Vancouver Island is a little clearer for Earth Day thanks to the work of volunteers.

Nearly 30 staff and volunteers with BC Marine Trails worked between April 10 to 13 to clear hundreds of tarp-loads of invasive English ivy from Gerald Island, around two kilometres northwest of Dolphin Beach.

BC Marine Trails spokesperson Sam Cutcliffe said ivy had spread to such a point where it made the Island nearly impassable when work began to clear it several years ago.

“The original event back in 2017, it really felt pretty impossible. The ivy was all the way down to the high tide line, it was really covering the entire island, and now it’s so impressive. Doing it twice a year, every April and typically every September…it’s really crazy, the progress that’s been made.”

Over 200 tarp-loads were collected over the four days, with the material burned on the shoreline. (Sam Cutcliffe)

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Plants were brought over from England by a couple who owned a homestead on the small Island in the 1960’s.

Cutcliffe said the husband’s boat capsized during a crossing to Vancouver Island and he drowned, prompting his wife to eventually move back to England.

Squatters and other visitors used the homestead over the years, until it eventually burned down, however gardens planted by the pair thrived for decades.

In addition to the ivy, Himalayan blackberry is also abundant on Gerald Island.

Work this visit concentrated on creation of a full trail from the main landing area, connecting different popular spots on the Island.

Establishment of a trail would keep foot traffic away from the coastal bluffs.

“The Coastal bluffs themselves are a very sensitive and extremely rare ecosystem on the coast and very, very sensitive to trampling,” Cutcliffe told NanaimoNewsNOW. “A lot of very small flowers…that take a long time to recover, even from one foot step. We’re really trying to create ways for people that are visiting Island, to visit respectfully and avoid those coastal bluffs.”

The English ivy in particular can be not only environmentally hazardous, but a safety issue too when it weighs down and eventually topples trees. (Sam Cutcliffe)

Eventually, the trail will loop around the Island making a circular route for visitors.

“Every time we’re over there, we’re kind of getting the sense of the end is in sight, which it definitely is, compared to when things started back in 2017. But definitely still a few more years of progress to go on Gerald before we can declare it fully into the maintenance phase, and move into just ensuring that the ivy doesn’t return.”

In addition to the spread of an invasive species, Cutcliffe said removal of the ivy is a safety issue.

The plant can spread up trees and choke them out, getting to a point where the tree collapses under the weight of the ivy.

Work is undertaken every April to catch the typical time of year where the plant flowers and spreads, while a fall cleanup deals with growth over the summer months.

Gerald Island, popular with kayakers and canoeists, was established as a park in 2013 following a private land purchase.

The island includes a rocky coastal bluff ecosystem and Douglas fir trees.

More information on BC Marine Trails is available on their website.

Gerald Island is increasingly accessible, thanks to the ongoing efforts of volunteers. (BC Parks)

Nearly 30 volunteers took part over the near-week long event. (Sam Cutcliffe)

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