NEWS RELEASE
COUCHICHING CONSERVANCY
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Invasive species can disrupt our local ecosystems by displacing native plants and animals.
One way to ensure the health of native flora and fauna is to monitor and control invasive species, especially in sensitive habitats like the forests, wetlands, rock barrens, and alvars of our region.
The Couchiching Conservancy has received support from the Invasive Species Action Fund this year to expand our monitoring and control program. With the help of volunteers and summer staff, the conservancy is tackling Japanese knotweed, garlic mustard, dog-strangling vine, giant hogweed, buckthorn, and invasive phragmites on our nature reserves. We are mapping these species for better monitoring in the future and will continue to remove them through the fall.
The Couchiching Conservancy aims to protect land and preserve the integrity of our local landscapes. This Invasive Species Monitoring and Control program allows us to better fulfil that mission. This project is made possible with support from the Invasive Species Centre’s Invasive Species Action Fund and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Brandon Guoth, reserve steward at the conservancy, states, “The Couchiching region is blessed with an extraordinary diversity of habitats and species. Managing invasive species is key to preserving and promoting this diversity. This investment will allow us to scale up our efforts by making the invasive species management program more efficient, targeted, and effective.”
The Couchiching Conservancy will continue to expand efforts to control invasive species over the next few years and encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering to contact the conservancy. Readers can learn more on our website, couchichingconserv.ca, and become a fan on Facebook or Instagram @couchichingconservancy.
Quick facts about invasive species in Ontario:
- Invasive species are those that are introduced to an ecosystem outside of their native range and have the potential to impact the ecology, economy, or society.
- Invasive species are considered one of the greatest threats to biodiversity.
- Invasive species are responsible for an estimated $3.6 billion of impact each year on our forests, fisheries, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and recreation in Ontario.
- The Invasive Species Action Fund will help address pressing invasive species including aquatic plants, terrestrial plants and forest pests.
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