“ When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible. ” – Howard Schulz

This quote summarizes my last 4 years as Executive Director at the Invasive Species Centre. I have lived and breathed the work that we do here at the Centre and I have worked with so many passionate and committed staff, board members, partners and funders that it would not be possible to name them all. The invasive species community is filled with talented people who are making a difference across the world. Together we celebrated our successes and continued to search for solutions to the problems we face. The growth and success of the ISC would not have been possible without all of these people. As I step away to take on another challenge I am confident that this work will continue to flourish and I would encourage everyone reading this newsletter to get involved in any way possible to help to ensure that we continue to work towards a Canada where land and water are protected from the impacts of invasive species.

Best wishes,
Beech bark disease (insect-fungus complex  cryptococcus fagisuga and neo-nectria spp. ) began ravaging beech trees in Ontario in the late 1990s after spreading west from Atlantic Canada, but recently a new beech disease has emerged in the province. The first detection of beech leaf disease in North America occurred in 2012 in Lake County, Ohio and has spread rapidly to other Ohio counties, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. This new disease was discovered in Elgin County, Ontario in 2017 and has since been detected in four additional counties – Norfolk (2017), Middlesex, Chatham-Kent, and Oxford (2018).

At this time little is known about this new disease, including where it came from, what causes it, or how it affects the trees. Recent research indicates that nematodes of the Litylenchus genus, related to those native to New Zealand, are associated with the disease but are unlikely to be the sole cause. Research is ongoing to investigate how beech leaf disease is caused and spread. Beech leaf disease has spread quickly throughout its current distribution. From 2012-16, it spread across 1,250 acres per year in one Ohio county. This disease seems to be in a rapid expansion phase, similar to what has been seen with other invasives such as the emerald ash borer. In many of the areas that have been infected with beech leaf disease, there are already visible changes in the canopy.

Read more about beech leaf disease here ! Report sightings to CFIA Canada .

Photo: Early stage leaf striping; John Pogacnik, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
A Top 10 Power Ranking of Notable Garden Invasives

Don’t let the April snow fool you, garden season is nearly upon us in many parts of Canada. With the change, weather springs the eternal hope to make your favourite plot of soil “better” than it was last year. At the Invasive Species Centre, we have one request as you mull over your garden plans for 2019; wherever possible, please avoid the many well-known invasive plant species that are widely available in trade at nurseries across Canada.

Of course, there are many invasive species that we can avoid planting to have a positive impact on our local environments. To ensure your garden planning is more manageable, we have assembled a Top 10 list (in no particular order) of invasive plant species to avoid when contemplating a garden refresh in Spring 2019.

  1. Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus)
  2. Periwinkle (Vinca spp.)
  3. Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.)
  4. Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria)
  5. Knotweeds (Fallopia spp. & Polygonum spp.)

You can find the full list of garden invaders here !
A new pest has been confirmed present in Etobicoke, Ontario. This is the first Canadian sighting of the box tree moth ( Cydalima perspectalis ) , which is native to East Asia and has spread across Europe. The host of this species is the box tree ( Buxus spp.; also known as "boxwoods"), a common ornamental shrub in North America. In the larval stage, box tree moth caterpillars defoliate box trees and have been known to attack box tree bark – two processes that can kill box trees. Due to their popularity in gardens and landscaping, box trees are imported frequently and can act as a pathway for the box tree moth spread. To prevent the further spread of the box tree moth in Canada, it is important to watch for signs of infestation and report any sightings to EDDMapS Ontario . This will help protect homeowners, garden enthusiasts, landscape companies, and plant nurseries from box tree defoliation and death. 

Box tree moth watch

Most box tree moth adults have creamy white wings with a striking brown border and a characteristic white spot in the forewing area. Occasionally, adults have entirely brown wings with the same characteristic white spot. The larvae of this pest species are green with black stripes and white dots. When looking for signs and symptoms of a box tree moth infestation, keep your eyes peeled for skeletonized leaves, damaged bark, gelatinous egg clusters, and adult moths.
 
For more information on this pest, visit the CABI Box Tree Moth Datasheet .
On March 27 th , 2019, a half-day teleconference was held to discuss eDNA initiatives in Canada and the US. The Invasive Species Centre and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry invited expert speakers to present their work and engage in meaningful discussion regarding eDNA advancements, applications, case studies, and challenges. A technical audience was invited to participate in the questions/discussion period and provide insight. The discussion focused on eDNA applications for invasive species detection and management in Ontario. Below are three key learning points that were discussed at the teleconference:
 
  1. A single positive or negative eDNA detection does not provide complete confidence in the presence or absence of a species. Repeated sampling is required to build confidence in the data.
  2. There are pros and cons of conducting a species-specific eDNA sampling approach vs. a community profile eDNA sampling approach - the latter, known as "metabarcoding" can help to identify a broad group of high-risk species.
  3. Environmental RNA can be sampled for to determine how recent a specific species was present in a waterbody. The advantage of using environmental RNA is it degrades quickly, so if it is positively detected, this means the species was present recently. A weakness to using RNA is it won’t tell us what was there historically.
Most conversations about emerald ash borer ( Agrilus planipennis ) include concerns about urban forests, property values, and aesthetic loss. Considerably less conversation explores the cascading ecosystem effects that result from a loss of ash ( Fraxinus spp. ).

Recently published research co-authored by ISC Partnership & Science Manager, David Nisbet, delves into the consequences associated with a loss of ash in riparian (occurring near a stream) environments. It was found that ash trees were considerable contributors to riparian forests and ash leaf litter input into streams formed the basis of food and habitat for aquatic macro-invertebrates. Ash leaves were a top two preferred food source for all invertebrate leaf litter consumers studied. This research shows that the effects of the emerald ash borer can be much more far-reaching and complex than direct impacts on ash.
 
Read the full article here . More background research on this topic can be found h ere .
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with support from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, released a Socio-Economic Risk Assessment on the Presence of Grass Carp in the Great Lakes Basin. Grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) , one of the four species of Asian carps, has the potential to negatively impact the Great Lakes economically, socially and ecologically. Because they consume substantial amounts of aquatic vegetation daily, they have the ability to destroy habitats native species depend on. This study reported that the Great Lakes is estimated to generate $13 billion annually. This includes economic benefit from commercial and recreational fishing, hunting, recreational boating, beaches and wildlife viewing. If grass carp become established in the Great Lakes, the values attributed to these sectors could be negatively impacted.  

The full risk assessment can be found  here .  
Garlic mustard in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario was first reported to EDDMapS Ontario in 2014. The large infestation was reported in Sutton Park along the Hub Trail, an important trail system through the city. To combat this invasive plant, a Garlic Mustard Pull Committee was formed to hold a pulling event each year. This committee includes the Invasive Species Centre, Sault College, Sault Naturalists, and the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority. 

The annual Garlic Mustard Pull in Sault Ste. Marie is a multi-year project aiming to control the spread of this invasive plant, contain it from expanding its range, and work on diminishing the seed bank over time. As well, this event gives us the opportunity to engage the community and speak with citizens about the threat of invasive species. The Garlic Mustard Working Group, led by the Invasive Species Centre, hosts the event but the on the ground work is entirely volunteer-driven. Thus far, the event has been a huge success and has garnered the support of more than 70 volunteers removing over 115 bags of garlic mustard. This year’s event will be held on May 25 from 9 am to 1 pm at Sutton Park.  This is a come-and-go event, so you don't need to sign up!

Read more about garlic mustard and the upcoming garlic mustard pull event here .
*ICAIS 2019 Preliminary Program Now Available *
On behalf of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers’ Forest Pest Working Group, the Invasive Species Centre welcomed representatives from across Canada to learn about forest health and insect taxonomy and identification this February. Highlights of the workshop included presentations from several guest experts, a tour of the Insect Production Quarantine Laboratory, and a trip to Entomica Insectarium. We would like to sincerely thank all of the speakers who contributed to an informative and insightful event, and the participants for a great collaborative learning experience. 
This February, the Invasive Species Centre was thrilled to participate in this year’s Invasive Species Awareness Week social media campaign. We participated alongside over 50 different organizations across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, working together to raise awareness about invasive species and the steps we can take to prevent their spread. The campaign featured five different themes throughout the week, including how to identify invasives, where to report sightings, and how to implement invasive species learning in the classroom.  
This quarter's Asian carp information session consisted of a formal presentation on Asian carp surveillance and early detection from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and a discussion period with a panel of experts made up of representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, a commercial fisherman, and the author of Overrun: Dispatches from the Asian Carp Crisis. The event also had informative booths made up of panelist organizations where the 90+ attendees could speak to the experts one on one. The night had great questions and conversations about the threats that Asian carps pose to the Great Lakes and the importance of preventing their establishment. 

The Asian Carp Canada webinar series, featuring the latest four webinars on binational collaboration, Asian carp research, socio-economic impacts and Asian carp education, can be found here .   
In collaboration with the City of London, the Invasive Species Centre held an Oak Wilt Workshop for participants across Ontario. The workshop headlined top speakers from Ontario, Michigan, and New York State. The topics focused on oak wilt biology, range, identification, and techniques. Oak Wilt has not been identified in Canada; however, it is less than 1 km from the Windsor border. Speakers from Michigan and New York highlighted lessons learned from handling this invasive pathogen across the border while the Cities of London and Windsor enlightened participants on preventative measures. The event attracted 48 registrants and 12 online participants with superb reviews from all in attendance.
This quarter the Invasive Species Centre partnered with several other organizations to bring invasive species information and news to Ontario’s Ministers and Members of Provincial Parliament in Queen’s Park, Toronto. The event was a great success, with parliamentary representatives from across Ontario stopping by to learn more about invasive species and how meaningful partnerships can bring value to the people of Ontario. Highlights of the event included great invasive species conversations with Ontario MPPs and Ministers, a live sea lamprey exhibit, and exceptional resources provided by all partners in attendance! The ISC would like to sincerely thank MPP Ross Romano for sponsoring this event, and all of the partners and attendees for an excellent and informative evening! 

Photo: Tracey Cooke with M.P.P. Romano and Minister Yakabuski.
Our projects:
Follow us on social media!