By Julia Harmsworth
The Ontario Invasive Plant Council (OIPC) is working to weed out invasive plants from gardens across the province.
Founded in 2007, the OIPC is a non-profit organization responding to the threat of invasive plants in Ontario. The council works to educate and increase awareness of invasive species through an organized provincial response.
“Invasive species are a direct threat to our biodiversity,” said Vicki Simkovic, OIPC coordinator. “There are a number of different ways that invasive species and invasive plants directly impact everybody.”
The OIPC defines invasive species as species that humans have brought to a particular geographic area from elsewhere and negatively affect that area’s economy, environment or society. For example, they may harm agriculture production or make a lake unsafe to swim or boat in.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists invasive species as the second-most serious threat to biodiversity after habitat loss. According to Simkovic, Ontario has the largest number of invasive plants of any province, and it can cost Ontario several million dollars per year to control them.
The OIPC works with municipalities to create frameworks for how best to handle invasive plants and encourage local biodiversity.
The organization also helps homeowners manage invasive plants through their instructional documents, training webinars and workshops. It offers productive alternatives to typical invasive plants through the Grow Me Instead guide.
“[The goal] is really to spread education and outreach about invasive plants and invasive species and to increase awareness with the public that this is a problem, and why it’s a problem, and also to get people to act,” said Simkovic.
The OIPC began under the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in Peterborough, Ont. In 2018, the organization found its own office in Peterborough and became an independent agency.
The council is made up of a vast network of invasive plants experts. Its Board of Directors includes representatives from conservation authorities, the agriculture industry, non-government organizations, and the federal, provincial and municipal governments. It has 138 active members as of August 2023.
The OIPC has two active committees which assist in various projects: the Ontario Phragmites Working Group, which facilities the effective management of invasive Phragmites in Ontario, and the Horticulture Outreach Committee, which promotes the use of non-invasive horticultural plants in retail and public settings.
The organization recently joined the Canadian Council on Invasive Species as a chapter to better advocate on a national scale. On Nov. 8 and 9, the two councils are hosting a national conference called Pathways to Change.
The conference will unite the landscaping and nursery industries, Indigenous communities, environmental organizations and governments to inform approaches on invasive species mitigation.
“It’s focused on opening more discussion about the regulation of invasive species and how we can help mitigate invasives that are sold in nurseries, because that’s a major pathway of spread,” said Simkovic.
Those who are interested in learning more about the OIPC can contact coordinator@oninvasives.ca.
