Roberts Creek Estuary Photo Credit Shirley Samples

Monthly Invasive Plant Removal Every Month (last Saturday of the each month.)

Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers Society hosts a monthly invasive plant removal event on the last Saturday of every month (except December). Please check the Upcoming Events page for next scheduled event. https://sunshinecoaststreamkeepers.com/events/

We have removed ivy, laurel, blackberry, knotweed and other invasive plants from the riparian zones of the Malcolm Creek in the past year. In November 2020 we started to work on the riparian areas of Robert Creek near the Lower Road bridge. 

We are also using a non-herbicides protocol in removing knotweed at various locations in near Roberts Creek, Chaster Creek and Malcolm Creek.

For information on invasive plant removal please contact us at scstreamkeepers@gmail.com with any questions. 

Please join us! 

Sunshine Coast Streamkeeper Society Knotweed Removal Protocol

This past summer our group noticed knotweed growing near creeks and on the beach. In order to protect the water from contamination of deadly chemicals including glyphosate (Roundup). Our group started a protocol that was used on Henderson Beach in Roberts Creek. The success was evident after 5 years of the continual clipping of new shoots every 2 weeks. (Please see article below for more information on the Henderson Beach project.)

Equipment Needed:

Large plastic bag, either black or clear

Sharp clippers

1. Cut each stalk of knotweed at ground. Try not to disturb the roots.
2. Carefully put the cut stalk into plastic bag (making sure not to drop any piece.) Each stalk has many nodes that are very prolific and spread easily.
3. It is helpful to put some kind of marker where each stalk was removed, we use a piece of coloured tape inserted by a nail into ground. This will help to identify the correct spot when returning.
4. The cut stalk will start to grow again, it is important to continue to cut these small shoots every 2 weeks. Each time the sprouts are cut, make sure to add to a plastic bag.
5. Put the plastic bag in a sunny place so that it dies and eventually dries out. At the end of season, it is extremely advisable to burn the remains of these cut stalks and they should never be put in a public green waste collection site.
6. The growing season of knotweed is May until October.
7. It can take multiple years to totally eradicate the knotweed stand without harmful chemicals. Chemical spray can also take multiple applications and often does not totally eradicate the knotweed. The pilot project at Henderson Beach in Roberts Creek shows it can definitely be done without chemicals.

Killing knotweed without chemicals

How to Identify Japanese Knotweed