In BC, May is Invasive Species Action Month. A whole month for us? Just kidding… sort of!
At SSISC, we were fortunate to be invited to plenty of events throughout the Sea to Sky. We met with enthusiastic folks who were eager to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Our social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) also ‘bloomed’ this month as we followed the theme ‘back to basics’. Our followers learnt how to identify, report, manage, and prevent the spread of invasives.
Keep reading to learn more about how we celebrated Invasive Species Action Month!
We kept busy!
Valleycliffe Invasive Plant Removal
In late April (by in the spirit of Invasive Species Action Month), we were invited to lend a hand at Valleycliffe Elementary School. The school has fantastic grounds including a wooded area. Unfortunately, a patch of invasive Yellow Lamium had spread through the woods.
With the help of 35 volunteers, we removed 230kg of invasive Yellow Lamium and Himalayan Blackberry. That’s the weight of 2.5 kangaroos! Enough to have us ‘bound’ for joy – that’s what we call a successful day!
A massive THANK YOU to the volunteers for all their hard work. You are the best!
Squamish Plant Sale
On a sunny Saturday in a gorgeous front yard, the Squamish Gardeners Club held their annual plant sale, to which we were fortunate to receive an invite. We were warmly welcomed in by a team volunteers who helped us set up and spoiled us with homemade cake and pop.
Throughout the day, we had many wonderful chats with ‘perennial’ and ‘budding’ gardeners alike. The most popular question of the day was ‘how do I get [enter invasive plant] out my garden?’ If you are wondering the same, head to our profile pages for detailed recommendations.
World Migratory Bird Day
We also joined Lions Bay Bird Friendly City for a community bird-friendly event. While we (sadly) didn’t meet any birds, we did get to chat up some lovely Lions Bay residents!
The younger attendees tried their hand at our magnetic fishing game, while the grown-ups had questions about local invasive species, like Spurge Laurel and English Ivy. Our seed mix packets were also a popular item among the gardeners!
May learning opportunities
During Invasive Species Action Month, our social media team delved into how we can all deal with invasive species. Turns out, there are a few simple steps each of us can implement to protect native habitats from pesky invasives. Let’s go through them now:
@ssinvasives Happy Invasive Species Action Month!
Identification
The first step is knowing what to look for. Invasive plants don’t carry around red flags, although that would be useful! Instead, we must learn how to identify plants. The only way to truly ID plants is taking it one species at a time. After a while, you’ll begin to spot the same species over again. This will solidify your knowledge.
We recommend using iNaturalist to ID species. This free app allows you to take and upload photos of any species you see. The iNaturalist community will then work together to ID the plant. We recommend you start by learning about common invasive species. That way, you can report them whilst you are out and about.
Report
So you’ve spotted an invasive species… now what? Don’t assume that SSISC knows about it already! We are a small team, so we rely on public reports to identify where invasives are setting up shop. To report an invasive species head to ssisc.ca/report. Alternatively, you can report invasive species straight from the iNaturalist app.
@ssinvasives Invasive Species Action Month might be ending, but the work has only just begun! There are real ways that you can make a difference in the fight against invasive species. You can prevent invasive species from spreading through simple habits: – Clean off your hiking and boating gear between outings. – Don’t release your pets into the wild. – Don’t move firewood: buy local, burn local! Simple right? All the programs mentioned in this episode feature on our website if you’d like to learn more about how to can help. #VideoDescription Two women (Clo and Becky) sat at a desk. The scene cuts to Becky talking through the different programs with the props including a big goldfish toy, a boot brush, and a sink. #PlayCleanGo #InvasiveSpecies #CleanDrainDry #DontLetItLoose #PlantKnowledge #BuyLocalBurnLocal #InvasiveSpeciesActionMonth ♬ original sound – Sea to Sky Invasives
Manage
Removing invasive plants can be a challenge. They are usually quick and persistent spreaders. Luckily, we have curated a species profile page for many common invasive species in the Sea to Sky region. Each page details the most effective treatment for these plants.
Friendly reminder: All invasive plant parts should go in the garbage, not the compost.
Prevent
Of course, the best way to protect native habitats is to prevent invasive species from arriving in the first place. Landscaping and earth-moving companies have a big part to play in prevention. We recommend you:
- avoid buying invasive plants
- avoid moving soil long distances
- clean off gear in between locations
Your turn!
You now have the skills to ID, report, manage, and prevent the spread of invasives species. Time to put those new skills to good use and remove some invasive plants in your neighborhood! Don’t worry we have a handy toolkit to help you each step of the way.
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