UPCOMING EVENTS SIWMC Annual General Meeting April 27th, 2011 10am Ministry of Transporation & Infrastructure 447 Columbia St Kamloops, BC - call for more information
IPCBC Invasive Species Strategy Planning Workshop May 4, 2011 Richmond, BC Contact Elain Armagost (earmagost@invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca) for more information
IPCBC Research Forum October 18th and 19th, 2011 - click here for more information
NEWS AND ARTICLES Aliens Among US: BC's Recent Plant and Animal Arrivals The Royal BC Museum is running an exhibition on introduced plants and animals throughout BC between 2011 and 2010. For 2011, visit the Craig Heritage Park & Museum in Parksville from May 13-August 8th, and the White Rock Museum & Archives from August 12 - November 7th. Visit the Royal BC Museum website.
Aliens Among US: BC's Recent Plant and Animal Arrivals The Royal BC Museum is running an exhibition on introduced plants and animals throughout BC between 2011 and 2010. For 2011, visit the Craig Heritage Park & Museum in Parksville from May 13-August 8th, and the White Rock Museum & Archives from August 12 - November 7th. Visit the Royal BC Museum website.
$555K SPROUTS NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKERS April 8, 2009 - A $555,500 provincial partnership with the Invasive Plant Council of British Columbia will provide employment training for more than 650 unemployed workers in British Columbia thanks to the Community Development Trust's Tuition Assistance Program. Click here to read this article. ON THE LOOKOUT FOR INVASIVE SPECIES By Andrew Mitchell, Pique News Magazine, June 11, 2009 (WHISTLER) Some are planted by unwitting gardeners; others are trucked in with gravel and soil. Some come naturally, blown by winds and carried by streams. But however they get here, the core message of the newly formed Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council (SSISC) is that non-native plants and animals are not welcome here. Click here to read this article. INVASIVE SPECIES THREATEN SALMON IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST Digital Journal.com, March 3, 2009 (NATIONAL) A study published in the March 2009 issue of BioScience concludes that nonindigenous species pose a threat to native salmonids. Click here to read this article. BRACE FOR RISE IN NUMBERS OF INVASIVE SPECIES IN JUNE 2010: EXPERT CBC News, February 26, 2009 (TORONTO) Those who keep track of invasive species could be in for a busy month in June of next year, when airplanes are expected to shuttle many critters - and the diseases they carry - between distant destinations, says a U.S. researcher. Click here to read this article. WHAT IS THE REAL IMPACT OF INVASIVE SPECIES? Digital Journal.com, February 25, 2009 (NATIONAL) Invasive species are one of the top causes of biological diversity loss worldwide and significantly impact cultural diversity.Invasive species are generally considered to be a major threat to ecosystem diversity. A recent study shows that invasive species also significantly impact cultural diversity. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Environmental Conservation and has provoked heated debate within the scientific community. Click here to read this article.
SILENT INVASION OF INVASIVE PLANTS PROMPTS ACTION IN BC. February 6, 2009 - Invasive plants are silently invading British Columbia at an alarming rate, negatively impacting the economy, environment, and human health. Even without the effects of global warming, invasive plants are costing millions of dollars each year in rising management costs and lost productivity to industry. To address this growing issue, more than 125 experts as well as a diversity of high caliber speakers in the field of invasive plant management attended the Invasive Plant Council of British Columbia's (IPCBC) Annual Public Forum and AGM, "Stop the Spread," held at the Delta Airport Hotel in Richmond, January 20 to 21, 2009. Click here to read this article.
TO EXORCISE PESKY WEEDS, CALL GOAT BUSTERS Shannon Moneo, The Globe and Mail, November 22, 2008 (PRINCE GEORGE) The City of Prince George is hunting for a herd of goats after a two-year study determined that the herbivores have as much bite as herbicides when it comes to controlling troublesome weeds on its property. Click here to read this article.
STEAMING THE LIFE OUT OF WEEDS Paul Luke, Vancouver Sun, November 16, 2008 (VICTORIA) A small Victoria outfit is poised to become the friend of millions of sidewalks around the world -- and the enemy of billions of dandelions.Click here to read this article.
A FOUR-LEGGED SOLUTION TO THE SUMMERTIME WEED PROBLEM Vancouver Sun, November 08, 2008 (VANCOUVER) Just when you think all your toil and trouble has paid off, and you've finally grown that prize-winning garden, up crops the gardener's worst enemy: Weeds. What to do? Well, you could pull out the weed-whacker and set to work, but that would mean a lot more toil and trouble. Or you could invest in herbicides, but that could have deleterious effects, especially on environmentally sensitive lands. Or, if you're really into thinking outside the box -- or the pen -- you could simply go out and purchase a few goats. That's right, goats. Just ask Annie Booth, an assistant professor in the Ecosystem Science and Management program at the University of Northern British Columbia. Click here to read this article.
FORUM ON INVASIVE PLANTS AIDS FUTURE RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR BC November 7th, 2008 - More than 100 participants joined an engaging international research forum on invasive plants held Oct. 29th-30th at the Delta Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond, British Columbia. Discussions surrounding the growing issue of invasive plants on fragile ecosystems and economics helped to identify research projects currently underway as well as future priorities for invasive plant management in BC. Click here to read more.