Ontario Invasive Plant Council relocates to East City
A central resource for people concerned about invasive plants has a new home in the city.
The Ontario Invasive Plant Council (OIPC) moved into Time Square at Hunter St. E. and Armour Rd.
The non-profit previously shared space with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters on Guthrie Dr.
OIPC needed more room for its new staff though and OFAH didn’t have it.
So, the staff of three are now in Unit 210 of the former Westclox building in East City.
OIPC held an open house Monday night for members and residents to take a tour of the new space.
The organization was formed in 2007 by a group of people who saw a need for a collaborated response to the increasing threat of invasive plants.
The board of directors is made up of individuals, government, non-government, Indigenous peoples, and academic institutions.
Together, they provide leadership, expertise and a forum to engage people to take action on invasive plant issues.
OIPC relays its information through an in-house magazine that focuses on an invasive species or two, elaborating on its biology, habitat, the impact it has on the environment and what to do about it, for example. The info is also available on OIPC’s website.
The organization also hosts workshops, creates awareness campaigns, connects like-minded groups and has a Grow Me Instead program that offers alternate plant options.
On Tuesday, OIPC held its annual general meeting at the Canadian Canoe Museum. The meeting was a chance for OIPC’s 200 members to meet up, listen to presentations and ask questions. Members can be individuals or groups, such as Nature Conservancy of Canada or Royal Botanical Gardens.
“Invasive plants cost us all in economic terms, environmental terms and social terms,” said OIPC Iola Price, who has been a member since 2009.
If you’re in a park, for example, and can’t walk on a path because it’s covered by an invasive plant, it would have to be removed using tax payer dollars, she said.
In turn, that plant-covered path affects the ability to enjoy the park, which is a social aspect.
Ecologically, invasive plants crowd out native plants, altering the environment, including its insects, birds and animals.
Because invasive plants often don’t have predators, such as an animal to eat them back, or something that controls them, they can easily take over an environment.
While OIPC doesn’t take action itself, it does provide the information and incentive for others to take the lead, Price said.
NOTE: For more information on Ontario Invasive Plant Council, go to www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca