The WSF team have been busy getting to grips with invasive plants. This month some of our staff met with representatives from Lilloooet Regional Invasive Species Society for training on invasive plant inventory methods and treatment.
Our meeting with Odin Scholz and Jacquie Rasmussen from the Lillooet Regional Invasive Species Society (LRISS) began at the side of a dusty highway inspecting the corridor for invasive species, and it didn’t take long to find the first specimen. The species in question was Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica), an ornamental plant, native to the Mediterranean and an aggressive invader in BC, threatening native grasses and wildflowers.
Odin and Jacquie explained about current control methods in place for the species, including a successful biocontrol agent in the form of weevils. The LRISS is currently on the ground performing inventories of the area to identify areas and species of highest concern. Once an inventory is completed the details are uploaded onto a government hosted map database, the Invasive Alien Plant Program (IAPP) and the data available to the public.
We continued our inventory on the Five Mile Ridge area where the access roads are lined with invasive plant species such as Burdock (Arctium minus), Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) and the occasional patch of Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare). As we packed up for the day we discussed the development and application of a management plan in the area to include usage assessment, treatment and monitoring. This is one of the projects for which the WSF is currently developing a project charter and we hope to be in the operational stage early next year.
What you can do!
For more information on invasive plants and their treatment check out the Invasive Species Council of BC and take a look at how you can perform and record an invasive plant inventory in your area with the IAPP database.
