Watersheds Canada – Work, Live & Play in Healthy Lakes and Rivers

Announcements

Invasive Species Awareness Week 2025 recap

By Leave a Comment

Did you know Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) takes place each year during the last week of February? The goal of the week is for individuals and groups to come together to increase awareness about the impacts of invasive species and how we can protect natural spaces from them and their impacts.

Each year, Watersheds Canada participates in ISAW by posting a week-long education campaign across its different social media platforms. You can find Watersheds Canada on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, and LinkedIn (click each platform’s names to go to our page and follow us!). Here is some of the content we published this year:

 

#1. Take this invasive species quiz

Head on over to our Facebook page here for this invasive species lookalike quiz! Slowly scroll the photos to see if you can recognize the native versus invasive species, and then learn tips to be able to identify between the two.

 

 

#2. Learn about invasive Phragmites

Invasive Phragmites (Phragmites australis) is a perennial grass that has been damaging ecosystems in Canada for decades. It grows in many low-lying wetland habitats, such as the edges of lakes, rivers, marshes, and roadside ditches. It grows taller and more aggressively than native phragmites, reaching heights of 5 meters. Learn how to help stop the spread of Invasive Phragmites in our Instagram post.

 

 

#3. Grass Carp education handout

Check out this resource highlighting the impact of an invasive fish called Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Native to Asia, Grass Carp was one of four carp species brought to the U.S. to control aquatic vegetation. Their voracious appetite has left negative impacts on biodiversity, fishing, wetlands, and much more. Learn more by downloading the handout.

 

 

#4. What about Garlic Mustard?

Invasive Species Spotlight: Garlic MustardGarlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a flowering biennial plant in the mustard family native to much of Europe. Its aggressive growth displaces native plants.Learn how to help stop the spread of Garlic Mustard and other invasive species. #InvSpWk

— Watersheds Canada (@watersheds.ca) 2025-02-26T19:20:31.892Z

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a flowering biennial plant in the mustard family native to much of Europe. Its aggressive growth displaces native plants. Learn how to help stop the spread of Garlic Mustard and other invasive species in our Bluesky post here.

 

#5. Access free resources to take action against invasive species

What can you do to protect your area against invasive species? Check out these 5 resources highlighted on our LinkedIn page that can help you learn more about invasive species and how you can take action to prevent their spread.

 

You can access even more invasive species resources in our free Education Toolkit: https://watersheds.ca/ofccb/invasive-species-toolkit-resources/

 

For more than 20 years, Watersheds Canada has been working with landowners, communities, a vast network of lake and river associations, municipalities, schools, and organizations to keep Canada’s freshwater healthy, beautiful, and available – today and for generations to come. Through shoreland plantings, fish habitat restorations, municipal policy work, student education programs, and more, Watersheds Canada is equipping communities to protect their lakes, rivers, and shorelands. You can support this critical work by making a tax-receiptable donation today: watersheds.ca/donate

Submit a Comment