By Megan MacPhee and Maja Waszkiewicz

East Kootenay Invasive Species Council

July was a busy month for East Kootenay Invasive Species Council (EKISC) as we had the opportunity to attend both the Cranbrook Open Garden Day and the Fernie Garden Tour – two fantastic community events that celebrate gardening, beautiful landscapes, and the people who care for them.

We’ve been fortunate to participate in Cranbrook’s Open Garden Day for many years, and it has become one of our favourite annual outreach opportunities. This year, we were excited to expand our reach by joining the Fernie Garden Tour (pictured below) for the first time, connecting with a whole new community of passionate gardeners.

These events are a perfect fit for invasive species outreach. Gardeners are often the first to notice unusual plants appearing in their yards and neighbourhoods, making them invaluable partners in early detection and prevention. They also play an important role in choosing non-invasive plants for their landscapes, helping protect local ecosystems one garden at a time.

Across both events, our team connected with well over 300 community members, including 237 one-on-one conversations about invasive species, invasive gardening practices, and reporting invasive plants. We also reached a handful of youth, helping inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

We distributed just shy of 250 educational resources, including our popular Grow Me Instead and PlantWise materials, helping gardeners identify invasive plants and choose beautiful, non-invasive alternatives for their landscapes.

One of the highlights from Fernie was connecting with the staff at Fernie Horticultural Supply, who requested additional Grow Me Instead resources to share with future customers. We were thrilled to leave behind wallet cards and educational materials, extending the impact of the event well beyond a single afternoon.

The Fernie event certainly kept our staff on their toes! Strong afternoon winds challenged our booth setup, even lifting our tent during a couple of powerful gusts.

Thanks to quick teamwork from our staff, volunteers, and nearby community members, we kept everything secure and continued chatting with attendees throughout the afternoon. It was a great reminder that outreach doesn’t always happen under perfect conditions but meaningful conversations can happen anywhere.

Whether we’re speaking with seasoned gardeners, new homeowners, or curious kids, every conversation helps build awareness about invasive species and the simple actions we can all take to prevent their spread. We’re incredibly grateful to the organizers of both events for inviting us to participate and look forward to continuing these valuable partnerships for years to come.

Lead image: EKISC at Cranbrook’s Open Garden Day.  East Kootenay Invasive Species Council photos

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