ISCBC, in partnership with TransCanada Corporation, is pleased to announce a new training program on invasive species in BC, with a special focus on BC’s north, titled "Invasive Species in BC—You Can Help Prevent the Spread!" This one day workshop, along with one additional module, supports concerned citizens and natural resources workers across BC’s North in identifying key invasive species, understanding their economic and environmental impacts, and learning how they can be prevented and managed.
In addition to invasive plants, the course also includes information on the identification, impacts and management of priority invasive animals, insects and micro-organisms that pose threats to BC, such as small- and large-mouth bass, European fire ant, eastern gray squirrel, American bullfrog and zebra and quagga mussels.
One optional half-day workshop on aquatic invasive species provides more detailed training about identification, prevention, and reporting measures.
The ISCBC’s goal for the course is to provide natural resources workers, citizens and contractors with information and tools to help reduce or stop the spread of invasive species, by identifying and using best practices for their prevention and control. Resource-based operations such as oil and gas, forestry, mining, hydro and agriculture are potential pathways for invasive species introduction and spread.
The one-day classroom workshop covers the environmental, economic and social impacts of invasive species introductions and infestations, review the priority invasive species in BC, highlight detection and prevention measures, and provide tools to assist with identification and reporting of observations.
To encourage participation by employers, this updated workshop requires only one day and is complemented by an additional specialized module on aquatics. For information on these workshops or to arrange a session, please contact the ISCBC office at 1-888-933-3722 or email firstname.lastname@example.org
Communities, field workers and agencies identified the need for a succinct training program to raise awareness about the problems and solutions associated with the spread of invasive species. A previous training course, the “Invasive Plant Training Program” (2009-10), was attended by hundreds of participants across the province, and required seven days to complete. The Invasive Plant Training Program successfully delivered 20 workshops for unemployed resource workers in 2010, to make a total of 31 workshops over its 1.5-year span. In 2009, over 200 individuals participated in the program, with a total of 469 individuals over the course of the entire program period. Participants gained valuable work skills, and increased awareness and understanding of invasive plant issues.
This training program was delivered in the following 19 communities across BC between 2009 and 2010: Williams Lake, Cranbrook, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Whistler, Abbotsford, Terrace, Kamloops, Nelson, 100 Mile House, Lillooet, Prince George, Penticton, Powell River, Courtenay, Campbell River, Duncan, Castlegar, and Quesnel. Thank you to the province’s Community Development Trust for funding this successful skills development program!