SNC Participates in Invasive Species Awareness Week
Invasive Species Awareness Week runs from February 25 to March 3 and South Nation Conservation (SNC) is participating by raising public awareness and working to control invasive species within its 12,000 acres of Community Land across its 4,384 square-kilometer jurisdiction in Eastern Ontario.
There are over 20 invasive species in the jurisdiction, including: terrestrial shrubs such as the Dog-strangling vine and Glossy Buckthorn, aquatic plants such as the Yellow Iris, species of fish including the Round Goby, and insects such as the Emerald Ash Borer.
Invasive species disrupt the natural ecology of ecosystems and biodiversity and compete with native species for food and habitat; this can have an impact on forestry, fishing and
agricultural industries.
“We’re always working to monitor and control the population of invasive species on SNC properties,” explains Pat Piitz, SNC’s Team Lead of Property. “Invasive plants, fish and insects can threaten our sensitive and rare ecosystems that are native to the area.”
In 2018, hundreds of Ash trees infected by the Emerald Ash Borer were removed and replaced in the City of Ottawa thanks to the Ash Tree Replacement Pilot Program, a partnership between Conservation Authorities and the City of Ottawa.
SNC is also a member of the Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program which is administered by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters; through this program, the Conservation Authority has hired summer students dedicated to raising awareness of invasive species through community outreach activities.
“One of the ways to prevent the introduction or spread of invasive species in new places is to become aware of the types that are present in the region,” adds Piitz. “Many invasive species can look very similar to native species.”
For more information on the various types of invasive species and for ways to prevent their spread, please visit: www.nation.on.ca/water/projects/invasive-species-control.
Residents may also contact SNC to report an invasive species sighting in the jurisdiction.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Taylor Campbell, SNC Communications Specialist, 1-877-984-2948 ext. 296, tcampbell@nation.on.ca.
###