Wildsight Golden recently wrapped up the 2024 Community Invasive Plant Program (CIPP), which aimed to decrease invasive plant infestations while increasing public awareness about the environmental, social, and economic impacts invasive plants can have on Golden. Invasive species are the second largest contributor to the decline of global biodiversity. The final report for 2024 can be found on the Wildsight Golden website and it outlines the actions and results achieved by our program during the 15th season of the CIPP. The CIPP occurs in partnership with the Town of Golden and the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society (CSISS). We have been working together towards reducing invasive plant populations with the Town of Golden through public outreach, as well as a variety of non-toxic mechanical treatment methods. A total of 106 bags of invasive plants were removed during the 2024 CIPP, bringing the program’s total (since its establishment in 2010) to 2,708 bags of weeds!
Field work and public outreach were important elements of the program and CIPP program coordinator Ashley Lang was responsible for a variety of tasks, including: using ‘InvasivesBC’ methodology to inventory and recording of invasive plants at high-priority sites, managing invasive plants using non-toxic methods at priority sites, planning and facilitating Golden’s Annual Community Weed Pulls, and educating the public about invasive plants at various events. Online data (InvasivesBC) suggests that Wildsight Golden’s CIPP has significantly reduced invasive plant populations within the Town of Golden since its establishment in 2010! This success is due to the huge number of invasive plants that have been hand pulled over the past 15 years and to well-established and strengthened partnerships with community members and organizations, especially CSISS and the Town of Golden! Ongoing communication with both of these partner groups will ensure that the invasive plant management in Golden is manageable, coordinated, and where possible, non-toxic.
Overall, the CIPP continues to be effective for managing invasive plant populations within the Town of Golden. Continued partnerships and optimized public outreach continue to raise awareness about non-toxic methods to control invasive plants. Our gratitude is extended to The Town of Golden for providing the funding to support this program, as well as to the Province of BC’s Gaming Grant. Without these funders, this successful initiative would not be possible.