First, to underscore the seriousness of the problem with invasive species we have to understand the impact.

The costs of invasive species, economically, socially, and environmentally, is increasing at an alarming rate; and the consequences of allowing the spread to continue are unimaginable. Nationally, millions of dollars annually are spent to manage the current invasive species we have. Many of our recreational areas have been deemed unusable due to the impact of Zebra mussels; and our once flourishing agriculture land is being abandoned because of uncontrollable invasive plant infestations.

Public awareness of invasive species is emerging and, in general, people are starting to become more aware of what they buy. This is where business owners, land developers, realtors, and the like need to be on the ball.

“Consumers have a huge influence on the market when it comes to their purchasing power,” says East Kootenay Invasive Species Council’s (EKISC) Education and Communications Manager, Jessie Paloposki. “Industry leaders and businesses who aren’t on the same page may end up finding themselves in the dust [of the green movement] if they aren’t joining in to mitigate the impact of invasive species.”

Business responds to customer pressure far more quickly than it does to demands from outside groups or to scientific arguments. In the past, EKISC has targeted customers to encourage them to ask the hard questions when they are buying products which may be contaminated with invasive plant species. This year, in an effort to help industry grow with consumer demand, EKISC is targeting companies with an offer to attend courses to learn about invasive plant management.

In June EKISC delivered its first Invasive Plant Management for Industry Professionals course. The course was designed for land managers, business owners, and operational workers to gain an understanding of best management practices, identification, monitoring, and reporting. The course also allowed participants to network with people across industries, understand relative challenges, and come up with cross-industry solutions.

The support being offered is the first step toward something EKISC hopes will grow into a movement to develop codes of conduct, ethics, and best management practices regarding invasive species. Perhaps this is the start of something bigger; neighbouring provinces and states have “weed free” certification for companies who abide by specific conducts, offering consumers the choice to purchase products from a more reputable source.

“Our goal in progressing with invasive species education is to maintain and encourage positive industry-consumer relationships and encourage better invasive species management,” says Jessie.

EKISC welcomes all questions, comments, enquiries or concerns regarding our educational programming. Likewise, if you would like to set up a course for your group, please contact [email protected]

EKISC

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