Registration Open! CIPC AGM, FORUM and "Hands-on" Field Tour
Monday, 30 April 2012 17:34
Coastal Invasive Plant Committee 7th Annual AGM, Forum and "Hands-on" Field Tour. Registration is now open!
When: June 7th from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
What: CIPC Forum and AGM
This year's theme is Vectors of Spread:
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Boats, field gear, clothing, pets, tires, sand and gravel are only a few of the vectors by which invasive plants spread, join us on June 7th at RRU to learn more and how to stop the spread!
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Be prepared for an engaging day with local experts, Hugh MacDonald, BC Parks will speak about Recreation, Matthias Herborg, Invasive Aquatics Specialist with the Ministry of Environment will be speaking about Aquatics and Ernie Sellentin, Project Coordinator with CIPC will talk about Gravel Pits.
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Help celebrate CIPC achievements and learn how you can support CIPC's vision for the future.
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Engage in cafe-style dialogue and participate in a hands-on field tour and a stem injection demo to learn how to control some of the worst invaders.
Join-us for a day of learning, engagement and celebration of CIPC's achievements.
Last day to register is May 28th, don't miss out and register today!
Ride the Galloping Goose Trail or Take BC Transit
Parking ($8/day)
CIPC March E-Newsletter
Tuesday, 27 March 2012 00:57
 ATTACKING LATE WINTER WEEDS, tips from Ernie Sellentin, CIPC Project Coordinator.
As you may know Canadian Thistle - Cirsium arvense, is a perennial that can form an extensive root system. If it comes up from seed and if you get to it before the root system is formed (2-4 weeks after germination) you can be done with it. Well it looks like I'm a year too late. As you can see from the pictures the few CT plants I dug out had an extensive connected root system with rhizomes spreading in all directions. Now I'm in for a long term battle because it will continue to send up shoots from the roots but I will persevere.
This is the time of year when I redo my strawberry patch and the number one weed that creeps under my fence of course is creeping buttercup - Ranunculus repens. Oh joy; I have been digging this species out for 40 years now as it was a major problem in our garden on Texada Island.
Now is the time to attack your Ranunculus before it gets out of control as it is one of those perennials that has been growing every time the temperature gets somewhere above 5 Celsius. I have a couple of thick patches that weren't there last fall. I will dig them out of my strawberries this weekend and then go back and give it another cleanup in a couple of weeks. I have two types of small hand picks (three or four fingers) that I like to use for buttercup and purple loosestrife removal. These fingered tools are great at loosening up the soil and getting the roots out. As with any IP you are seldom done in a single pass, better to revisit a number of times rather than one single all-out effort.
 DON'T GET BURNED BY GIANT HOGWEED THIS YEAR! Learn how to remove it safely, Ernie will show you how in this article.
Giant hogweed - Heracleum mantegazzianum or GH is now sprouting up from its stored root mass. My potted one is about 15cm high and looks just fantastic. Now is the time to keep a close eye on any patches that you may have.
GH has a toxic sap that is present in all parts of the plants which causes photo-pyhto dermatitis. If you get the sap on your skin and then it is exposed to sunshine/ultraviolet rays you will get a nasty burn. So, dress in full protective gear covering all body parts including the face and get out there and dig. I have dug thousands of GH plants out and my preferred tool is the Lee Valley weeder.
The digging part has a reinforced stainless back and the handle is virtually unbreakable. I keep the U-shaped edge sharp and use it to cut the GH off well below the soil surface and crown of the plant. Bag and landfill you're dug out roots and take care to wash your protective gear and tools down really well. Believe me from someone who has, you don't want to get burnt.
Did you know that Giant Hogweed is a CIPC priority species, to learn more about how to identify and manage this toxic and agressive invader, CLICK HERE.
Photo Credit: Ernie Sellentin, 2012
II. UPCOMING EVENTS
Photo: Purple Loosestrife
I. CIPC NEWS AND UPDATES
FEELING OVERWHELMED IN MANAGING INVASIVE PLANTS? Don't despair, you are not alone and it is definitely NOT a one-person job! The Coastal Invasive Plant Committee exists to support a cross-jurisdictional and strategic approach to eradicate and manage invasive plants in Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. Guided by the CIPC Invasive Plant Management Strategy, a priority invasive plant list to assist us in making holistic and strategic decision on the management of various infestations, a more cohesive and manageable job begins to appear. We are here to assist you, please contact us to learn how.
VISIT US FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE CIPC TRAINING SESSION (public or staff training), $500 VALUE! Visit our booth at the Association for Vancouver Island Coastal Communities (AVICC) Convention - mini marketplace and tradeshow - at the Ucluelet community centre, April 13-15th for a chance to win the CIPC's popular Best Practices for Managing Invasive Plants 2-hour training session targeted to municipal staff or community members. Don't forget to bring your most pressing invasive plant questions and to ask us about how we can work with you to prevent the spread of invasive plants in your community while safeguarding human health and safety, protecting the environment and creating jobs!
GROW ME INSTEAD! CIPC presentation April 2nd, 7:30 pm hosted by the Gordon Head Garden Club. From the backyard gardener to the landscape architect, CIPC's Rachelle McElroy will be speaking about the impacts of invasive plants in your backyard and what to plant instead. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Gordon Head United Church on Tyndall.
ASSOCIATION OF VANCOUVER ISLAND COASTAL COMMUNITIES (AVICC) AGM and CONVENTION in Ucluelet. April 13-15, 2012. CLICK HERE for more information and how to register
SPRING PLANT SALE, The Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. Saturday and Sunday April 21 and 22, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sale: 5,000 native plants - 140 species Master Gardeners on hand to answer those tough gardening questions. Free admission And....Nature Sanctuary members receive 10% discount on plant purchases! Complete plant list available HERE.
RESTORATION 2012: BEYOND BORDERS CONFERENCE by the Society for Ecological Restoration at UVIC. May 15-18, 2012. CLICK HERE for more information and how to register
CIPC FORUM and AGM, Royal Roads University. Thursday June 7th 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Get ready to learn, engage and celebrate! Learn from local experts about the various ways invasive species spread. Engage through a hands-on field component to take advantage of the beautiful Royal Roads University grounds in Colwood. Celebrate along with us, CIPC's annual achievements and participate in setting priorities for 2012. More details to come and plan to make a weekend of it!
If you know of any recent efforts or successes on Vancouver Island the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast, please let us know about them!
DO A GOOD DEED AND GET RID OF WEEDS on Saltspring Island! Saturday March 17 from 10 am to 4 pm, join the Stewardship Committee of the Salt Spring Island Conservancy, with support from PARC and pull English Ivy from Mouat Park, near downtown Ganges. If it rains the work-party will move ahead a week to March 24. Bring a lunch and join in for the whole time, or to come and help out for a few hours. Volunteers are needed to cut the vines, and younger volunteers can carry the ivy to the PARC disposal bin. It would be very helpful if people could bring work-gloves, clippers and pruning saws, but we'll bring along some as well. We'll also provide cookies for anyone that helps out! Goats will be helping out too...in the disposal of the ivy - very cool!
ANNOUNCEMENT: BC's first prohibited noxious weed list, now available online: CLICK HERE for the full list. Watchout for these invasive plant species as they are candidates for the BC Early Detection Rapid Response Program. Further information about the Provincial EDRR Program and priority species can be found at the BC EDRR website. If you find any of these species, CONTACT US. Check back regularly for your species of interest!
ARTICLE:Seedy Saturday, Not Weedy Weekend, by ISCBC. February 29, 2012 . Seedy Saturdays are happening all over British Columbia, giving keen gardeners and growers a chance to share ideas, advice, plants, and seeds. At these events you can find some rare heritage crop varieties. You can also find ornamental plants or plants with reported medicinal value. Could there be invasive plants lurking in the mix?. CLICK HERE to read the full article
Alien Invaders! Forest Biology Public Lectures at UVIC
Tuesday, 27 March 2012 00:18
Alien Invaders! A series of lectures on invasive fungi, insects and plants, the challenges they pose, and potential solutions.
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Wednesday, 28 March 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Eric Allen (Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre)
Stemming the Tide---Reducing the International
Movement of Forest Pests
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Wednesday, 4 April 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Val Schaefer (School of Environmental Studies, UVic)
When Native Plants are Just a Memory -
Invasive Species and Local Ecosystems
Both lectures will be held in the Bob Wright Centre, Room A104, and are FREE and open to the public.
For more information:
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CIPC November Newsletter
Thursday, 17 November 2011 22:13
Coastal Invasive Plant Committee
NOVEMBER 2011
E-Newsletter
 A NOTE FROM THE CIPC COORDINATOR, RACHELLE MCELROY. Things aren’t always as they seem. Take invasive plants (IP) for instance - one person can see lush greenery (ahhh) while another sees a field of Japanese Knotweed (arg, yuck). I think Gary Larsen (The Farside) captures this idea perfectly in his book, There’s a hair in my dirt. A snapshot from the book is depicted in the image below. The caption reads: "Soon Harriet met a family of squirrels, who came bounding toward her, unafraid and looking for a possible treat. Gathering nuts from a nearby tree, Harriet was quick to accommodate them. "Oh, you're all so cute!" she gushed. To be sure, these furry creatures had the "cute" thing down real good - regrettably. You see, Harriet was feeding Gray squirrels, a large, aggressive species that had been introduced to this forest and were taking it over from the native Red Squirrels, a smaller, more timid species."
Layers of action around IP management across the Region provide support and momentum across the province – at the same time – more could always be done. For instance, why is English Ivy and other IP being sold in nurseries and grocery stores when at the same time resources are being spent by the masses to remove it in parks?
In answer to my own question, as Gary Larson humorously points out in the cartoon (left), it is a matter of perspective. Take the case of English Ivy which is a good hardy plant that can seem to be a good choice to many as “a plant that can stay alive in my basement suite through the winter”. This is one perspective, however innocent, that could have devastating impacts to biodiversity. Innocent misinterpretations can perpetuate repetitive action in the wrong direction. To change the course, first the behavior has to change. Education and rewarding positive action is a first step in that direction.
The District of Saanich has a Pulling Together Volunteer Program that provides a great example of, celebrating positive action and in this case, community-based ecological restoration action! I often return to images of Gary Larsen to remind me that it is all a matter of perspective and correct information. We are invited to offer another view, one in favour of biodiversity and socio-economic prosperity.
Source: Larson, G. 1999. There's a hair in my dirt. First Harper Perennial edition
In this issue you will find:
I. CIPC News and Updates
II. Upcoming Events
III. People in Action
IV. Regional News
V. International News
VI. Resources and Tidbits
GENERATING GREATER INVASIVE PLANT AWARENESS AND ACTION IN THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT THROUGH CRISP! The CIPC’s new subcommittee. What does this mean for the CRD? Greater awareness of invasive plants and their impacts in the CRD and more effective and economical management through regional approaches is the spirit behind the CIPC’s new subcommittee “CRISP” (Capital Region Invasive Species Partnership).
Who is part of CRISP? Nine out of thirteen Municipalities are represented on this working group: Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt, Colwood, Central Saanich, North Saanich and links to Metchosin, View Royal and Sooke. Other CRISP members include representatives from the CRD, the Province, and some major land managers including Swan Lake. Not wasting anytime, the working group is busy solving regional disposal issues, creating a regional education program and have created a regional status/management list of species for the capital region.
Ideally CRISP would like to see all municipalities in the CRD at the table. Are you working in IP management in the CRD and would like to learn more about CRISP? Please contact Carolyn MacDonald, Chair of CRISP (
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) or the CIPC coordinator, (
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).
UPDATE 2011 FIELD SEASON. CIPC Invasive species management contractors handed in their cutters and back pack sprayers; the field season has officially ended, as of October 31st. Thanks to the CIPC’s blended funding model and training provided by Ernie Sellentin, CIPC’s Operations Coordinator, resources were efficiently and successfully directed to removal, control and inventory in all 8 regional districts (and select communities) and 5 jurisdictions located in the CIPC coastal region.
FIELD SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Species Treated
- Japanese and Bohemian Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, Tansy Ragwort, Scotch Broom, English Ivy, Spotted Knapweed, English Holly, Butterfly Bush, Himalayan Balsam (a.k.a. Policeman’s Helmet) , Orange Hawkweed, Canada Thistle, Gorse, Oxeye Daisy, Bull Thistle, Yellow Archangel and Himalayan Balsam.
Total Sites Treated
Jurisdictions
- Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Forest Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Fortis BC and BC Hydro
 Regional Districts
- Sunshine Coast Regional
District
- Cowichan Valley Regional
District (Mill Bay, Duncan and North Cowichan)
- Capital Regional District
(Sooke, CRD Parks, Jordan River, Brentwood Bay, Gabriola Island and
Saltspring Island)
- Port Albernie-Clayoquot
Regional District (Port Albernie and Ucluelet)
- Comox Valley Regiona
District (Comox, Courtenay and Royston)
- Powell River Regional
District (City of Powell River and Texada Island)
- Regional District of Nanaimo
(Nanaimo, Chemanus, Parksville, Cooms, Qualicum Beach and Gabriola Island)
- Mount Waddington Regional
District (Port Hardy, Port McNeill and Woss)
- Strathcona Regional District
(Gold River, Campbell River and Buttle Lake)
Action do speak a thousand words; according to Tyler Lambert, CIPC summer contractor who worked in Sunshine Coast and Powell River Regional Districts “probably the greatest success for this field season was the increase in public awareness of invasive species in the area”. On that note, after a successful field season, the CIPC can't help but look forward to 2012!
Photo Credit: Richard Hatch. Photo: Japanese Knotweed after treatment
INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL OF BC (IPCBC) INVASVIE SPECIES STRATEGY FOR BC WORKSHOP. Register today! November 21st from 1:00pm-5:30pm in the Office of the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Arbutus Room 2100 Labieux Street, Nanaimo, BC. Help shape future invasive species management in the Province. The workshops will provide an opportunity for anyone with an interest in invasive species in BC to provide input on the Strategy. CLICK HERE for more information and to register
FREE INVASIVE ALIEN PLANT PROGRAM DATABASE TRAINING, DECEMBER 1st. Save your seat! IAPP Training, December 1, 2011 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm in Nanaimo. Free training for IP data enterers or gatherers provided by the Provincial IAPP.
Register by contacting Rachelle McElroy, CIPC Coordinator by phone 250-857-2472 or via email at
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. The location of the training and further information will be provided upon registration. CLICK HERE For more information about IAPP. BC PROTECTED AREAS RESEARCH FORUM December 5-7, 2011. CLICK HERE for more information and to register
SHUTTING OUT INVADERS - 2012 IPCBC PUBLIC FORUM AND AGM January 24-25, 2012. CLICK HERE for more information and to register
 EDRR IN ACTION – the BC test case of Invasive phragmites. Phragmites australis subsp. australis (European common reed) is a relatively new species to BC that poses considerable risks to provincial economic and environmental health. The province of B.C., in partnership with impacted stakeholders, is using Phragmites to test the new B.C. EDRR Plan. CLICK HERE for the full report.
SPARTINA ERRADICATION IN BAYNE SOUND. In 2011 field season, 1500 kilograms of Spartina Densiflora was removed from Deeb Bay and survey data was collected along the coast of Vancouver Island by the Vancouver Island Conservation Land Management Program (VICLMP). The VICLMP has contributed to the Spartina Eradication Response Plan since 2007 with removals and GPS surveying throughout Baynes Sound.
Removal work in Deep Bay was completed by Steven Godfrey, VICLMP Field Operations Coordinator and Clayton Billett, Vancouver Island HSBC Conservation Youth Crew member using hand tools (shovels, mattocks). Spartina Densiflora clones were removed Vancouver Island individually and placed in garbage bags which were taken to the Comox-Strathcona Waste Management site on Bevan Rd. in Cumberland. CLICK HERE for more information about VICLMP
Photo Credit: Becky Brown. Photo: Phragmites
PARTICIPATE: Have your view counted! The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 16, 2011. Should the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes be subject to additional provincial regulations? CLICK HERE to participate in the consultation by completing an on-line questionnaire or by sending a written submission to the Committee. Following the consultation, the Committee will issue a report to the Legislative Assembly recommending possiblechanges to provincial laws concerning the use and sale of cosmetic pesticides.
JOURNAL: First report of blackberry rust on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland, what does this mean? Phragmidium violaceum on Rubus armeniacus and R, laciniatus in British Columbia. B.E. Callan et al. October 7, 2011. North Amirican Fungi. CLICK HERE to read the full publication.
ARTICLE: Fall yard cleanup – What do to with those invasive plants! Trail Champion. October 12, 2011. With winter on its way, it is that time of year again when we begin cleaning up our yards and disposing of unwanted plant material. So what to do with those invasive plants? Invasive plant disposal can pose a problem. If not properly done, some invasive plants will continue to grow and set seed despite being pulled out of the ground. CLICK HERE to read the full article
V. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ARTICLE: Mortgages refused over invasive weed. UK Telegraph. Richard Gray. March 13, 2010. Home buyers are being denied a mortgage by banks and building sites because the property they are trying to purchase has been affected by an invasive garden weed. CLICK HERE to read the full article
VI. RESOURCES AND TIDBITS
NEW BOOK: Wetland Construction and Restoration Techniques by Tom Biebighauser. What is really great is that this 186-page book is only $15.50 US! CLICK HERE for more information
GIFT IDEAS: Xmas Gift Ideas from GOERT: CLICK HERE to visit GOERT website.
GET THE STORY - Tansy Ragwort on Shaw TV
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 23:53
Watch CIPC's new Coordinator, Rachelle McElroy speaking about Tansy Ragwort in a recent interview with Shaw TV. Learn about the toxic properties of this weed and what to do if you find it in your backyard, ditch or pasture. Click Here
Want to learn more, read the Tansy Ragwort Fact Sheet or find out about a Tansy Ragwort invasive species pull on Texada Island this summer in the CIPC September Newsletter.
DEC 1st - IAPP WORKSHOP in Nanaimo
Thursday, 29 September 2011 16:55
IAPP TRAINING NEW DATE December 1st, Invasive Alien Plant Program (IAPP) - Application Training - in Nanaimo
Register today by contacting Rachelle McElroy, CIPC Coordinator by phone 250-857-2472 or via email at
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This free, one-day workshop will focus on:
- correctly gathering data in the field,
- correctly entering data for various activity record types,
- returning the desired information to you by running the right extracts,
- gaining optimum benefit from using Map Display.
For more information about IAPP, please visit: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hra/Plants/IAPPtraining.htm
EDRR - Spartina Bulletin
Monday, 13 June 2011 21:45
Did you know?
The Pacific coast is home to several species of invasive cordgrass (Spartina anglica, S. densiflora, S. patens, S. alterniflora) that are invading thousands of hectares (ha) of intertidal mudflat along the west coast of the US and rapidly spreading into the Strait of Georgia. These invasive grasses are capable of forming massive; single-species stands in ecologically critical habitat in the intertidal and low marsh communities of estuaries and outlets. Click here to read more.
Volunteer! Help restore the sand dunes in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Wednesday, 30 March 2011 16:32
Ucluelet/Tofino, Vancouver Island, BC.
The expansive and pristine beaches of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Nestled in behind many of the beaches, complex and dynamic sand dune ecosystems are found, providing a home to numerous species of animals and plants, many of which are rare or endangered.
Read more...
Alien Plant Invaders: Broom is Bad, and Gorse is Worse! (Salt Spring Island Conservancy)
Wednesday, 23 March 2011 16:36
A series of articles on how to identify and manage some common invasive species on Salt Spring Island written by Jean Wilkinson, Stewardship Committee, Salt Spring Island Conservancy.
Spring is slowly arriving, with its longer days, new growth and warm sunshine, but unfortunately it also brings the bright yellow blooms of gorse, and later broom. For people interested in the health of local ecosystems, for those concerned about fire hazards, and for folks with allergies, this heralds a major headache!
Read more...
NEW Brochure 'Invasive Plants on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast'
Friday, 25 February 2011 07:54
Read more...
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