Institute of Urban Ecology,
BC Hydro and school plants 25,000th shrub through Green Links Program
By Patrick Lilley
Surrey, BC - The Institute of Urban Ecology, BC Hydro and David Brankin Elementary School recently celebrated the planting of the 25,000th shrub through the Green Links Program. On November 8th, 2000, IUE staff, BC Hydro representatives, and students, teachers, and parents from the nearby school participated in a celebratory planting and "golden shovel" ceremony in the Surrey Green Link just off 132nd Street between 90th and 92nd Avenue.
The Green Links Program, which seeks to connect existing urban green spaces through the creation of ecological corridors, has been planting native shrubs in BC Hydro Right-Of-Ways since 1996. These newly planted areas offer migration corridors for wildlife and increase plant biodiversity in the Lower Mainland. Native songbirds gain particularly from these connecting habitats because of the increased availability of native seeds and berries for food, and sheltered nesting sites. The project is currently working in three Green Links: one in Burnaby, one in Coquitlam, and one extending through Surrey and into Delta.
In addition to plantings, the Green Links program encourages residents to use native species in backyard landscaping to increase the ecological value of their yards and educates students about the value of native vegetation through workshops in local schools.
