Your Spring update: Invasive species action month, take a photo WIN cash, Watercraft inspection stations are OPEN and much more!

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CKISS n'Tell

Your Spring 2018 Update

CKISS takes action to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species during Invasive Species Action Month in May

To get British Columbians active in preventing and stopping the spread of harmful invasive species, the BC government has officially declared the entire month of May as Invasive Species Action Month for the fourth year running. Invasive species threaten BC’s environment, economy and society, including human health, but stopping invasive species is possible if we take action now to prevent, detect and manage invasive species.

“CKISS staff will be taking our outreach booth to a variety of community events throughout our region in order to speak directly to residents about invasive species,” states Education Program Coordinator, Laurie Frankcom, of CKISS. “Our goal is to educate folks on what simple actions they can take to protect this beautiful region against the harmful impacts of invaders.”

The CKISS outreach booth can be found at the following locations in May:
- May 12 - Critter Day, Trail
- May 12 - Nelson Garden Fest
- May 26 - Castlegar Garden and Nature Fest
- May 23 - Friends of Kootenay Lake Youth Water Festival

Click on the links above to find out more details on these community events that should not be missed!

Throughout Invasive Species Action Month, we challenge you to enter the "What's in my Back Yard?" Photo Contest. Taking part is simple and you could win up to $350 for your youth group or class. As a youth group or class, spot and photograph as many invasive species in your local area and either post your photos on social media using #BCinvasivescontest or enter using the online entry form. Enter as many photos as possible for the chance to win. The group with the most photos will win $350 for a group field trip and the runner-up group will win $200 towards a field trip.

New billboards are up to remind BC boaters to Clean, Drain, Dry their boat and equipment to protect our waters from aquatic invasive species

With boating season just around the corner, we want to remind water enthusiasts that boats and related equipment are key pathways for invasive species introduction into precious waterways. We encourage BC boaters to educate themselves on how to Clean, Drain, Dry their boat and equipment when travelling between waterbodies to prevent the spread & protect our waters.

Thanks to funding from FortisBC Inc. and Columbia Power, four Clean, Drain, Dry billboards have been designed, printed, and installed within the CKISS region. You can see them in Castlegar, Trail, Nelson, and Creston! Since invasive species do not know boundaries, the CKISS partnered with the Boundary Invasive Species Society and Christina Lake Stewardship Society in order to install a Clean, Drain, Dry billboard between Christina Lake and Grand Forks.

Check hiding spots for invasive species!

Watercraft Inspection stations are now up and running!

To date, BC is still free of highly invasive zebra and quagga mussels, and we want to keep it that way. It is mandatory for all watercraft to stop at road side inspection stations. Watercraft includes sailboats, motorboats, car toppers, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards being transported in BC. Failing to stop at an inspection station is illegal and may result in fines.

A boat contaminated with invasive mussels was recently stopped while trying to enter BC at the Osoyoos border crossing. Read more about the close call here.

To learn more about invasive mussels click here.

Kudos to FortisBC Inc. for removing invasive Yellow Flag Iris from the Brilliant Dam debris boom!

We here at CKISS applaud the efforts of FortisBC Inc. for removing a significant infestation of yellow flag iris from the debris boom at Brilliant Dam in March. CKISS has listed yellow flag iris as a priority action species in our region and it must be controlled immediately. It is capable of invading new areas quickly because it can spread by seeds and rhizome fragments. Once established, it out competes native plant species and ultimately disrupts an area’s ecosystem complexity. These disturbances result in reduced habitat suitability and support for wildlife - especially for breeding, staging, and migrating waterfowl. In addition, the plant can sicken livestock if ingested and it can cause skin irritation in humans.

Disposing of your Invasive Species Garden Waste

Spring has sprung and this means that it is gardening season. Here are a few tips for gardeners on proper disposal of invasive plants:

Dead-head and properly dispose of invasive plant seeds, seed heads or fruit prior to flowering and seed maturity
All landfills within the RDCK and RDKB accept invasive plant species for free. Ensure your material is bagged in transparent plastic bags and notify the attendant that you have invasive plant species. Plants must be identifiable through the bag. For more information please see the RDCK Resource Recovery Bylaw
Do not dump garden waste in public parks, natural areas, and roadsides, it is ILLEGAL to do so and is associated with hefty fines
Avoid putting invasive plants in your compost, as they often quickly re-establish

For more gardening tips on how you can keep your garden invasive free click here!

NEW faces to the CKISS Team!

Laurie Carr, Executive Assistant, lcarr@ckiss.ca
We are thrilled to have Laurie Carr join the team in 2018! She is fulfilling the role of Executive Assistant which includes policy development, reporting, outreach, and inventory and monitoring. Laurie originally hails from Ontario where she received a B.Sc. in Forestry from the University of Toronto and a M.Sc. in Landscape ecology from Carleton University. Laurie looks forward to promoting and further developing the amazing work that CKISS accomplishes in the field of invasive species in the Kootenay region.

Invasive Species Technicians

We are excited to welcome Nerissa Abbot and Liam Barnes to the CKISS team. They are filling the role of Invasive Species Technicians for the upcoming field season. They will be assisting CKISS in all of our program areas. Their responsibilities include manual treatment of invasive plants, zebra & quagga mussel monitoring, American bullfrog surveillance and eradication, and hosting the CKISS outreach booth at community events.

Welcome to the team!

Bullfrog Action Team!

CKISS and our partners are stepping up efforts in order to detect and eradicate invasive American bullfrogs in our region. We are thrilled to have Tash Olsoff and Carly Dolman back with us this summer in the role of Bullfrog Technicians. Their main role will be American bullfrog surveillance and eradication.

Why are Bullfrogs a problem?

The American bullfrog is listed as one of the 100 worst alien invasive species internationally due to its adaptable, prolific, competitively exclusive, and predatory nature. Bullfrogs are notoriously voracious ambush predators. When bullfrogs inhabit areas to which they are not native, they out-compete native amphibian species for food and habitat, and they produce up to ten times more offspring each year than native frogs. Another concern is that American bullfrogs are asymptomatic carriers of the deadly chytrid fungus. They can spread this fungus, which has been described as “the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted, and its propensity to drive them to extinction" (Gascon et al, 2007).

How to ID an American Bullfrog?

distinct loud, low pitch bellow, click here to listen.
A large robust frog reaching up to 20 cm in length and up to 800 g in weight
Bullfrog colour varies from pale green to dark olive and can have brown spots
Males have bright yellow throats whereas females have pale cream to white throats
Mature males have eardrums (circular spot behind eye) twice the diameter of the eye, mature females have eardrums about the same diameter as the eye

Report ALL sightings to

phone : 250-354-6333
email: kootenaybullfrog@gov.bc.ca
** when reporting sightings, please note where and when you
spotted/heard it and take a photo if possible.**

Webinar Alert!

Click on the images below for more details and to register.

Some Exciting News in the Environmental Education World.....

Environmental education and awareness programs will resume in the Creston Valley this spring under the oversight of a local, non-profit organization. The Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre Society (KCDCS) is taking over the delivery of education programs which were previously operated by the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Authority (CVWMA) until October 2017.

Thanks to financial contributions from the Columbia Basin Trust, the CVWMA, the Province of B.C. and many others, the long established and popular educational programs and activities will continue into the future while KCDCS continues developing plans for a new, vibrant ecotourism “Discovery Centre” that will promote environmental and cultural awareness in the Kootenay-Columbia region

To stay tuned into programs and KCDCS’ progress, generally, you can visit www.discovery-centre.ca . The website is being updated and improved daily, so check back regularly for information.

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Our mailing address is:
Suite 19-622 Front St, Nelson BC, V1L 4B7
1-844-352-1160
info@ckiss.ca

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