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Invasive Species Funding Now Available

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Funding is now available to tackle specific invasive species in Ontario.

Groups can apply for funding for Green Shovels Collaborative, which is a project involving a number of groups.

Colin Cassin says right now they are targeting phragmites, which are considered the worst plant invasive species.

“Looking to the Kenora region and Lake of the Woods general area, we’re really hoping to try and get ahead the species up there,” Cassin says.

“Because that’s generally the leading edge as it starts to expand into north and northwest, into the prairies.”

Cassin says phragmites can outgrow many native species.

“Its a really tall plant. How tall it is depends on where you area and if it’s been mowed or not of course, but sometimes we see it up to 12, 14, or even 16 feet tall in its absolute element. Where sometimes we can see it in road ditches a little shorter, maybe its three or four feet tall.”

Cassin says the deadline to apply for the funding is August 5th.

$40,000 dollars is being made available for groups that have projects targeting phragmites.

Grants of up to $10,000 each are available to support on-the-ground control programs.

Interested applicants can visit the Green Shovels website at: www.greenshovels.ca

glossy-buckthorn-removal-scaled-1

Nature Conservancy Warns Of Glossy Buckthorn

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A warning from the Nature Conservancy of Canada about an invasive plant found in gardens and forests across the country.

Spokesperson Andrew Holland says Glossy Buckthorn can be commonly purchased at garden centers and that is one of the issues, “It was first found in Canada in 1898 in London, Ontario, and it originated in Europe.. It was seen as a landscaping plant. It’s a big problem because it is so hearty. It can grow and survive in both shady conditions, but also in the sunshine.”

Holland says it can grow up to 25 feet tall and that’s a problem for deer and moose because it takes up space…

It can also shade native trees and shrubs, preventing them from growing.

“Glossy Buckthorn generates a lot of seeds and that’s how it spreads through winds. The birds also pick them up. They eat the berries, but they also pick up the seeds and that’s how these get distributed.”

In Canada, Glossy buckthorn’s range extends from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia.

Property owners are encouraged to plant native shrubs as an alternative to glossy buckthorn and other non-native shrubs on their properties. Those options include serviceberry, chokecherry, winterberry, elderberry, nannyberry, and arrowwood.