Welcome to the Invasive Species Centre | | |
Hello and welcome to the Invasive Species Centre’s Winter 2025 Newsletter!
It is a great pleasure to introduce myself to you as the ISC’s new Executive Director. Although I have been with the ISC team for years, it is a privilege to have an opportunity to lead such a talented team that is passionate about making a difference on the many invasive species that threaten our economic, ecological and social well-being! Most importantly it is a thrill to work with YOU – our network of partners, rightsholders, and volunteers that help us bring tangible results on this important issue!
Although many of our least favourite plants and insects go dormant in the winter, the ISC team is working diligently to ensure we can all make 2025 an impactful year in the fight against invasive species!
We had an incredible start to the year thanks to ISC’s Annual Invasive Species Forum. This year we had more than 1200 join us for 3 days of excellent invasive species content. The Forum is an important milestone in our annual cycle as it gives us a chance to learn from experts in our field, and celebrate the achievements from our sectors' most notable leaders. Thank you to our 60+ presenters who shared their expertise this year, and a hearty congratulations to Taylor Scarr (Career Achievement), Payman Saidi and Mallory Carpenter (Innovation), Jessie McFadden and Michelle Willows (Leadership) and Kallum McDonald (Young Professional) on their 2025 award victories! If you weren’t able to join us live, you can find the link to the recordings later in this newsletter. A big thank you to our attendees and financial partners who helped us make this Canada’s largest meeting on invasive species!
Another exciting milestone is the launch of the 2025 cycle for the Invasive Species Action Fund and the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund, which closed in January and February 2025. Both funding programs are expected to support more than 200 invasive species projects in the year ahead. We are excited to announce grant recipients in early spring 2025 so please stay tuned for more exciting announcements. If you missed this cycle, please keep in mind that it’s never too early to begin planning your next project and be sure to sign up for our email alerts to receive information on future cycles.
Our team is always happy to lend a helping hand, and build effective collaborations on invasive species. Have a question or idea? Need resources or training? Please contact us at info@invasivespeciescentre.ca.
Wishing you all the best as we look forward to an exciting year of invasive species action together!
Best Wishes,
| | Executive Director, Invasive Species Centre | |
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The ISC is always looking for ways to improve how we share knowledge on invasive species, and your honest feedback about our website will help us make it even better. Whether it’s the design, accessibility, content, or any other feature, we want to hear what’s working well and what could be improved.
Your input plays a key role in shaping the future of our site, ensuring it’s as useful and user-friendly as possible. As a thank you, everyone who submits feedback by Wednesday, March 26 will be entered into a draw for a $100 Sport Chek gift card!
| | Collaborative Efforts Target Invasive Phragmites in Eastern Ontario | |
The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences (River Institute), South Nation Conservation (SNC), and Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) have teamed up to address one of Canada’s most aggressive invasive species, Phragmites australis, through a collaborative project supported by the Ontario Phragmites Action program’s Invasive Phragmites Control Fund.
The project focused on mapping existing phragmites patches in the Eastern Ontario Phragmites Management Area.
Check out this blog post to learn more.
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Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) was a recipient of the 2024 Invasive Species Action Fund (ISAF). Their project involved a combination of strategies to address invasive species at Island Lake Conservation Area (ILCA).
Learn more about this project here.
| | | Beech Leaf Disease Reporting Contest | |
Our Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) Reporting Contest closed at the end of November. The ISC sends a huge thank you to everyone who participated. Our winner, by random draw, was Monica L. Special shoutout to Kari M. who recorded 16 BLD observations.
This contest brought in new BLD reports, reports in a NEW jurisdiction, and an increase in the number of reports across all platforms by an incredible 98%. Please continue to monitor for and report BLD in your local forests and look for our next campaign!
| | | Black Ash Monitoring Networks | |
The EAB & Black Ash Workshop at Science North brought together experts to discuss efforts to mitigate the impacts of emerald ash borer on surviving ash trees, with a special focus on black ash, a species at risk in Ontario.
Help map black ash in Ontario by joining the iNaturalist BioBlitz! The Invasive Species Centre is hosting the Ontario Black Ash Inventory project until June 2027—submit your observations on iNaturalist to contribute valuable research data. Sign up during Invasive Species Awareness Week for a chance to win a prize pack!
| | | New French Resources Available | |
New French resources are now available on our website! We’re expanding access to invasive species information with newly translated materials to better support French-speaking communities. Along with these, we’ve also added new general resources, including our Agriculture Fact Sheet and European Water Chestnut Fact Sheet.
Looking for up-to-date information on invasive species? Visit our website to explore these and other free educational materials!
| | | Supporting Indigenous Action | | Land Relationship Visioning Toolkit Training - Ontario Aboriginal Lands Association | | | | |
In February 2025, the Invasive Species Centre attended the Land Relationship Visioning Toolkit Training hosted by Ontario Aboriginal Lands Association and Cambium Indigenous Professional Services.
Land Relationship Visioning is a multi-process, community-driven exercise designed to document First Nation communities' significant spaces and species. The ISC assisted in the development of the tool's invasive species module and helped present the training.
| | | | Indigenous Lands Symposium | | The 2025 Invasive Species Forum's Indigenous Communities Session featured four presentations, including Sea Lamprey Management in Garden River First Nation and Working with Exotic Invasive Insects Through a Mi'kwmaw Lens. Did you miss this year’s forum? All presentations (where permission was granted by the speaker) from the Forum were recorded and are available on our YouTube channel here. | | The 2025 Indigenous Lands Symposium took place in Baawaating (Sault Ste. Marie) from February 3 - 7. The ISC was pleased to participate in this event, where Indigenous and Non-Indigenous partners came together to embrace sovereignty, innovation, collaboration, and culture within sustainable forestry. | | Neeganii-lishawin Gathering - Lands and Environment - 2nd Annual Northern Economic Development Gathering | | |
This February, the ISC attended the Neeganii-Iishawin Gathering 2025, hosted by the six partner organizations: Windigo Community Development Corporation, Matawa First Nations, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, Shibogama First Nations Council, TKG Group and Independent First Nations Alliance. This highly anticipated Gathering focused on economic development and reconciliation, and promoting the inbuilt prosperity of Ontario’s north.
| | 2025 Invasive Species Centre Awards Recognize Leaders in Protecting Land and Water | | | |
The ISC was pleased to celebrate excellence in invasive species prevention and management through the 4th Annual Invasive Species Centre Awards Ceremony during the Invasive Species Forum.
We thank the nominators and judges for their support in recognizing excellence in invasive species prevention and management. We also extend our gratitude to the winners and everyone nominated for their leadership in helping to protect land and water in Canada from invasive species.
| | What You Need to Know about Egg Masses | | | Egg masses are protective structures around insect eggs that can come in many different varieties to protect the eggs from weather or predation. A spongy moth egg mass can hold up to 1,000 eggs, making them of particular concern for the spread of invasive insects. Some egg masses, such as those from SLF, can be observed during the winter. Learn more about egg masses and what you can do about them here. | | Gardeners across Canada are beginning to plan for the 2025 season. Do you know how to prevent invasive plants from spreading on your property and other natural areas? Find out here! | | Award-winning podcast releasing monthly aquatic invasive species stories | | | | | The award-winning podcast Introduced, co-produced by the Great Lakes Commission and Wisconsin Sea Grant, is back for its third season, releasing monthly episodes on aquatic invasive species and their impact on the Great Lakes. The latest episode, Story of Starry, explores the invasion of Starry Stonewort and how language shapes approaches to invasive species management—listen now on the Wisconsin Sea Grant website or wherever you get your podcasts! | | National Forum on Biological Control Conference | | The 24th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species | | Pet Release Dangers Let Loose in Evergreen Brickworks Art Exhibition | | The USDA Forest Service, in partnership with NAISMA and the National Association of State Foresters, is hosting the National Forum for Biological Control in Natural Areas Conference from April 14-17, 2025, in Annapolis, MD. The event will focus on weed and arthropod biocontrol, bringing together practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to discuss shared challenges and opportunities. Themes include biocontrol research, management, and impacts in natural areas. | | |
Save the Date: The 24th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species is being held from Aug. 23 to 27, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Interested in partnership opportunities? The co-hosts of ICAIS 2026 are seeking financial support from interested groups in aquatic invasive species issues to help offset costs so that registration fees can be kept as low as possible to enable broad international participation. Learn more.
| | A print installation by artist Laura Fedynyszyn is on display at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto throughout March. Entitled Fool's Gold, it calls attention to how goldfish can overtake a body of water and displace native fish. | | |
Upcoming Webinar
Invasive Species on Lake Simcoe: Today’s Challenges
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Thursday, March 20 at 11 a.m. ET
Click here to register for this webinar, view past webinar recordings, and sign up for our email list to be the first to hear about upcoming webinars!
| | | | | 2025 Ontario Biodiversity Summit | | Catch the ISC's booth at the Cornwall's Eco Day on Saturday, April 12 at the Civic Complex. This family-friendly event provides knowledge, tools, and encouragement to help the Cornwall community connect wiht nature and live a more sustainable life. | | The 2025 Ontario Biodiversity Summit will take place on May 21–22, 2025, at Trent University. This event will bring together experts, policymakers, and community members to drive action on biodiversity conservation and implement Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy. You can learn more and register here. | | Invasive Species Awareness Week | | Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC) Annual Conference | | The Invasive Species Centre and our partners led the annual Invasive Species Awareness Campaign in Canada to help raise awareness about the threat that invasive species pose to natural heritage in Canada. Click here to learn more! | | Members of the ISC team headed to Alberta to talk to municipalities about invasive species issues in western Canada and present at AISC's Annual Conference. Katie C. presented on a successful European water chestnut rapid response program on the Welland River, and Lauren R. presented on the strategic use of influencer marketing for environmental conservation organizations. | | |
Forest Canada Conference
| The ISC attended and was an Engagement Sponsor for The Forest Conference 2025 in February, which features expert speakers and informative discussions about the critical issues affecting forested lanscapes in Canada. | | Spotted Lanternfly Workshop | On a snowy day in January, the ISC hosted two Spotted Lanternfly workshops in Ottawa, Ontario, with support from the City of Ottawa and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. Despite the weather, the event was a success and participants learned about how to identify and report spotted lanternfly and what impacts it might have on Canadian agriculture and forestry. | | |
This year’s Asian Carps Information Session brought together 50 attendees to learn about the threat of Grass Carp to the Great Lakes. Experts shared insights on prevention, early detection, ongoing research, and the potential ecological and economic impacts of this invasive species.
| | The ISC hosted a Priority Pest workshop in February and trained 38 people about spotted lanternfly, beech leaf disease, and hemlock woolly adelgid. The workshop included a walking tour was led by staff at Royal Botanical Gardens where participants could see HWA in person. The workshop was run with funding from Ontario Wildlife Foundation. | | |
The ISC participated in the annual Ontario Phragmites Working Group Annual Meeting on January 23rd, 2025.
Speakers discussed the Ontario Phragmites Action (OPA) program, which serves to enhance a coordinated response to invasive Phragmites across Ontario. The Invasive Phragmites Control Fund's impact was also highlighted, showcasing its support for local on-the-ground action on Phragmites.
View the discussion here.
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The Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference took place November 12-14, 2024. The Invasive Species Centre is pleased to have attended with presentations from our team on mobilizing community action to coordinate a response to invasive plants, the Ontario Phragmites Action Program, increasing action and awareness on priority forest pests, and invasive species threats, pathways, and solutions.
The next UMISC will take place in La Crosse, Wisconsin Oct 6th-8th, 2026.
| | Meet the New ISC Team Members! | | |
Celeste Urbina Gutierrez
Communications Intern
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Chelsea McIsaac
Partnerships and Policy Manager
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