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Habitat snatchers
By Larry Halverson/Friends of Kootenay
Some views along the highway through Kootenay National Park look like fields of beautiful wildflowers but are in fact invasive weeds, which are not native to national parks.
These aggressive plants crowd out beneficial plants and create a monoculture of just themselves – decreasing the diversity of native plant species and reducing wildlife habitat.
Orange hawkweed is also known as ‘devil’s paintbrush’, which more accurately describes the sentiment of many toward these highly invasive weeds.
You can help – report any sightings of orange hawkweed in Kootenay National Park (especially along trails and in the backcountry) to Parks Canada at 250-347-6174 or [email protected] .
For more info: Julia Millen, Fire Communications Officer, has created a great little fact sheet on the Habitat Snatchers .
There is also Invasive Species Council of British Columbia. A non-profit society working to coordinate invasive plant management in British Columbia.
Above image: Dense patches of Orange Hawkweed near Numa Falls, July 13, 2012. – Photo by Larry Halverson
