Invasive plants pose a significant threat to our community’s biodiversity. These weeds may seem innocuous, but they cause ecological and economic harm. You may have noticed some of these attractive weeds around town: Orange Hawkweed, Oxeye Daisy, and Western Goat’s-beard. Soon these pretty flowers will turn into seeds and continue to spread throughout our community. Now is the time to act.
On an individual level, you can take action by learning more about the invasive plants present in our community. Wildsight Golden’s Community Invasive Plants Program (CIPP) is supported by the Town of Golden and Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society (CSISS). The CSISS website is an excellent resource for landowners, trail users, and gardeners to learn about how they can prevent the spread of invasive plants in our region.
Locally, the CIPP coordinator, Calvin Beauchesne, will be at the Golden Farmer’s Market on July 12th and August 2nd. Community members are invited to bring their invasive plants (in a sealed bag or bring a photo of the weed) to Wildsight Golden’s table at Farmers Market to learn more about invasive plant identification and non-toxic control methods.
Identification is the first step and weed management comes next. Wildsight Golden is encouraging community members to use mechanical and cultural methods to control invasive species.
Mechanical methods are non-chemical techniques used to limit growth and seed production. These manual methods include digging, hand-pulling, mowing, cutting, solarization, and tarping. Timing is critical when it comes to treating weeds mechanically. So too is plant identification, as certain mechanical methods can encourage vegetative growth (Common Tansy will respond to mowing in this way). Mechanical control is most effective when combined with cultural control.
One way to culturally manage invasive plants is to sow native plants to compete with the invasive species. With certain infestations, the removal of invasive plants results in areas of exposed ground. These disturbed areas are prime areas for invasive plants to grow, so it’s important to revegetate the site with native ground cover.
On a community level, you can take action by joining Wildsight’s 14th Annual Community Weed Pull event. This year, the Community Weed Pull will take place at Alexander Park. The event is scheduled for July 7th from 10:00am -2:00 pm. This family-friendly event is an excellent
opportunity to learn more about invasive plants. Participants will learn about how to identify, control, and properly dispose of invasive plants.
Wildsight Golden will provide volunteers with tools, bags, and a complimentary burrito from Reposados! Please bring your own water bottle to reduce plastic waste.
If you are interested in participating, please RSVP by emailing wildsightweedprogram@gmail.com by Friday July 7. You must register if you would like to place an order from Reposados.