News and Events

Upcoming Events

Make sure to check back in for more!

Previously In the News & Events

2024 Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council Annual Forum

March 20,2024 | 9:30am–4:00pm

Bedford Institute of Oceanography

Friends of the Acadian Forest Native Plant Sale

Saturday June 3, 2023 | 9 am – 12 noon

Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens,
Acadia University,
32 University Avenue, Wolfville

Annapolis River Fest

Saturday July 15, 2023 | 9 am – 5 pm

Jubilee Park, Bridgetown

Mentorship Day: Women in Forestry

June 2023

Wentzells Lake, Lunenburg County

CBC Article:
Dozens attend event in Lunenburg County to tag invasive fish species

August 13, 2023

Chronicle Herald:
GET GROWING: How you can prevent the spread of invasive plants

August 19, 2023

Masthead News:
New native species guide offers alternatives to invasive plants

May, 2023

Glossy Buckthorn Removal

Saturday May 13, 2023

Pleasant River

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Workshop

Saturday April 15, 2023

The Gorge, Kentville

Community Based Plan to Control Dog Strangling Vine in Kentville

March 28, 2023

Webinar:
Preventing Zebra Mussel Introduction

March 29, 2023

Laurel Genge
Aquatic Invasive Species
Project Coordinator

Saltwire Article:
Kentville Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Workshop

April 21, 2023

Nova Scotia Invasive Species
2nd Annual Conference

February 28th, 2023

Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth

In the News 2022 – 2021

August 28, 2022 – CBC Article

Thorny problem: invasive Himalayan blackberry plant found in Yarmouth

April 6, 2021 – Global News Article

‘Bizarre’ invasive jumping worm squirms its way into N.S. for the first time

March 11, 2021 – Global News Article

Maritime aquarium owners warned to watch for invasive mussels in decorative plant

February 15, 2021 – Blomidon Naturalists Society

Invasive Species and Climate Change

nsinvasives

🎣 🛶 Working towards a coordinated approach to preventing the spread of invasive species in Nova Scotia! 🌲⛺️

Let's keep invasive species out of Easter 🚫🎁

Let's keep invasive species out of Easter 🚫🎁🐰

Rabbits are a high-maintenance 10-year commitment and have complex emotional and physical needs. They can even require more work than a dog or a cat!

When gifted for Easter, they are often abandoned once the excitement wears off and the reality of a new responsibility sets in. Setting them loose into the wild is cruel and can lead to unnecessary suffering and death. If they survive, rabbits can become invasive, reproducing quickly and outcompeting native species for food and space.

Forego the pet store and choose to gift chocolate 🍫 or plush toy 🧸 bunnies instead! The rabbits, the local ecosystem, and the person you are signing up for a long-term commitment will all thank you.

If you have or receive a pet rabbit that you do not want or cannot properly care for, contact the SPCA or your local animal shelter about rehoming options. Just don't let it loose!

#InvasiveSpeciesAwareness #DontLetItLoose

We are teaming up with the @hfxmoments Environment

We are teaming up with the @hfxmoments Environment and Climate Change team, @atlanticducks, @ecologyaction, and @halifaxfieldnaturalists to host a series of nature walks in celebration of Earth Week 2025 🌱✨🌷

Join us for a guided walk to learn about why invasive species are a problem, how to identify them, where to report your observations, and what we can do to stop their spread!

📍 Sir Sandford Fleming Park and Frog Pond trails (meet in the big parking lot at the end of Dingle Road)
🗓️ Thursday, April 24
⏰ 6 PM to 8 PM

Please contact Hughstin Grimshaw-Surette at hughstin@canadainvasives.ca with any questions about the event. We hope to see you there!

You can find out more about the other Earth Week 2025 Nature Walks here: https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/environment-climate-change/earth-day#:~:text=April%2022%20is%20Earth%20Day

🐚 Nova Scotia is home to 10 native freshwater m

This week's invasive garden plant is ❌Yellow Iri

This week's invasive garden plant is ❌Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)❌, an ornamental plant used in ponds and water gardens.

Its April through July blooms may be pretty, but under the water lurks a not so pretty reality! Reproducing through broken off rhizomes and horizontal root dispersal (in addition to its seeds), Yellow Iris root systems form thick mats that impede water flow, dry up wetlands, and crowd out native species. ☠️ Plus, they are poisonous to both humans and animals when consumed!

🌼 As the only iris with entirely yellow flowers found in North America, this one should be easy to identify from its native alternative!

If you're looking for a native option for your pond or water garden, try ✨Harlequin Blueflag Iris (Iris versicolor)✨ instead!

This gorgeously vibrant perennial plant produces violet-blue flowers with yellow veining throughout late spring. Its sword-like leaves will remain a decorative addition for the rest of the growing season. ⚔️😍

Learn more about these plants, and more, in our Grow Me Instead Guide. Link in bio!

#InvasiveSpeciesAwareness #PlantWise

Happy April Fools' Day! Prevention is the most ef

Happy April Fools' Day!

Prevention is the most effective method of managing invasive species. Do your part to prevent the spread of invasive species before they have a chance to make fools of us all! 🌿🤡🐛

#InvasiveSpeciesAwareness #AprilFoolsDay

This week's invasive garden plant is Lesser Periwi

This week's invasive garden plant is Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor), a popular ornamental groundcover species. Liked for its dense coverage of shiny evergreen leaves and bright purple flowers, it can quickly escape garden beds and form thick mats that choke out native plants. 🌲‼️🌳 Since Lesser Periwinkle is shade-tolerant, they pose a particular threat to forest habitats.

If you're looking for a native groundcover option, try Canadian Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) instead! This plant boasts tiny green flowers surrounded by whiteish bracts that turn into bright red berries, and its semi-evergreen foliage turns beautiful shades of red and purple in the fall. 🍂😍

Bonus: By planting Bunchberry, you not only avoid introducing invasive species into your garden, but you get a little snack out of it, too! While they may not be to everyone's taste, Bunchberry berries are edible! 🍒

Learn more about these plants in our Grow Me Instead Guide. Link in bio!

#InvasiveSpeciesAwareness #PlantWise

Today is World Water Day 💧 Preventing the spre

Today is World Water Day 💧

Preventing the spread of invasive species is vital to protecting freshwater ecosystems. Invasive species such as Yellow Floatingheart, Chain Pickerel, and Zebra Mussels threaten waterbodies by reducing water quality and outcompeting native species for food and space. They can also disrupt water-based recreational and economic activities like fishing, boating, and swimming.

Please do your part to prevent the spread of invasive species by following the CLEAN DRAIN DRY and DON'T LET IT LOOSE guidelines. You can learn more about these programs by visiting nsinvasives.ca!

--

World Water Day 2025 is focused on glacier preservation. Did you know that melting glaciers can contribute to the spread of invasive species? When a glacier retreats, it reveals fresh land that invasive species have been found to colonize rapidly. Yikes!

#InvasiveSpeciesAwareness #WorldWaterDay #CleanDrainDry #DontLetItLoose

So you're looking for native alternatives to invas

So you're looking for native alternatives to invasive garden plants?

Welcome to our new spring series, where we'll be sharing native alternatives to common invasive garden plant varieties! 🌸🌱🌼

This week's common invasive garden plant is Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), a deciduous woody shrub native to Japan. It is often planted on property edges and in ornamental gardens, where it can escape and form dense thickets and shade out native species.‼️It has also been linked to an increased risk of Lyme disease as it creates the optimal habitat for black-legged ticks. 🫣

Try opting for a native species like Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) instead! This plant is perfect for creating low hedges, and the bumble bees will be happy to visit its early summer flowers. 🐝💕

Learn more about these plants in our Grow Me Instead Guide. Link in bio!

#PlantWise #InvasiveSpeciesAwareness

Welcome to one of the NSISC's newest Recognized Re

Welcome to one of the NSISC's newest Recognized Retailer: Pet Valu Yarmouth 🙌

Visit Pet Valu Yarmouth for all your pet supply needs. As a Don't Let It Loose Recognized Retailers program member, they set the bar high by promoting sustainable retail practices and responsible pet ownership. Support them as they take a stand against invasive species!

You can find them at:
130 Starrs Street, Unit #12
Yarmouth, NS B5A 4E5
https://www.petvalu.ca

🐰 Thank you, Pet Valu Yarmouth, for your commitment to preventing the spread of invasive species!

🌎 Join the Don't Let It Loose Recognized Retailer Program today by visiting https://canadainvasives.ca/retailer-recognition-program/

#DontLetItLoose

Spring is right around the corner, and garden plan

Spring is right around the corner, and garden planning has begun! Prevent the spread of invasive species by being #PlantWise this growing season 🌱✨

Before you plant:
✅ Read the NB/NS Grow Me Instead Guide (link in bio)
✅ Learn about native plants in your region
✅ Choose appropriate plants for your garden's conditions
✅ Support local by shopping at nurseries near you
✅ Purchase locally grown or locally sourced seeds

Remember to:
➡️ Inspect your purchases for bugs and egg masses
➡️ Be wary of wildflower mixes that often contain invasive species
➡️ Look for detailed labels so you know exactly what you're bringing home
➡️ Inspect your garden for unknown plants and bugs and any signs of disease before you plant
➡️ Properly remove and dispose of any invasive species you find and report those findings to us

🌸 Happy gardening 🌼

Native plants pictured (clockwise starting at top left): Eastern Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Cut-leaved Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

Welcome to one of the NSISC's newest Recognized Re

Welcome to one of the NSISC's newest Recognized Retailer:@maritime.fins 🙌

Visit Maritime Fins for an array of pet supplies, aquarium products, and live fish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. As a Don't Let It Loose Recognized Retailers program member, they set the bar high by promoting sustainable retail practices and responsible pet ownership. Support them as they take a stand against invasive species!

You can find them at:
978 Cole Harbour Road
Dartmouth, NS B2V 1E7
https://maritimefins.com

🐠 Thank you, Maritime Fins, for your commitment to preventing the spread of invasive species!

🌎 Join the Don't Let It Loose Recognized Retailer Program today by visiting https://canadainvasives.ca/retailer-recognition-program/

#DontLetItLoose

❗️WORK WITH US THIS SUMMER❗️ The NSISC is

❗️WORK WITH US THIS SUMMER❗️

The NSISC is hiring a GIS Mapping Technician through the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program. Help us monitor and prevent the spread of invasive species by developing maps and more!

Location: Remote, occasional fieldwork
Hours: Full time, 35 hours / week
Wage: $20 / hour
Expected Start Date: May 20, 2025
Position Duration: 15 weeks

Apply by March 10 on the Clean Foundation website.
https://cleanfoundation.ca/job/gis-mapping-technician/

Load More Follow on Instagram

Subscribe to our newsletter

for the latest news about invasive species in Nova Scotia.

2025 © Copyright Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council. All Rights Reserved.