We are excited to announce that the 11th season of Wildsight’s Community Invasive Plant Program (CIPP) has just begun. Through the CIPP, Wildsight Golden — with support from the Town of Golden and the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society — has worked to manage and prevent the spread of invasive plants within our community. Each year, the CIPP coordinator removes weeds from specific municipal sites throughout the Town of Golden while raising awareness about invasive plants.
Invasive species threaten the environment, economy, and society; they are spreading at an alarming rate. Humans — being the primary vector of spread — have the power to mitigate the harmful effects of invasive species. For this reason, we are encouraging everyone to take action to prevent the spread of invasive species in our community.
One way to take action is to learn more about the invasive plants taking root in our community. This season, the CIPP coordinator, Evelyn Morett, will continue to run a “What’s in My Backyard” series, where community members can send a photo of a weed to wildsightweedprogram@gmail.com to learn more. Weeds can also be brought to the Wildsight table at the Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays to learn about invasive plant identification and management strategies.
Community members are invited to take part in two Community Weed Pull events, which will be happening on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, July 25 (more details to come). These family-friendly events are an excellent opportunity to learn about invasive plants and take action to pull together to protect our community’s biodiversity. Keep an eye on our social media page for more information.