Diario del proyecto I Spy and Identify Invasives / Je vois, J’identifie les espèces envahissantes

Next week is Winter 2022’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week. You can get involved by tuning in for a series of daily webinars hosted by the Canadian Council on Invasive Species. The webinars take place between February 28th and March 4th and cover a range of emerging invasive species issues. Learn more about each webinar and register here: https://canadainvasives.ca/take-action/national-invasive-species-awareness-action-week/

In partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the Canadian Council on Invasive Species launched the I Spy and Identify project in August 2022. So far, the project has a total of 224,524 observations and 351 members. Reporting does not just happen in the spring and summer, but the winter as well!

In the month of January there were 2,542 observations of 556 species across Canada! Our network of observers grew by 49 new individuals and 89 different people took the time to contribute observations of invasive and native species to our project.

This month included 266 observations of 76 different invasive or introduced species. Three invasive species reporting highlights from January 2022 include:

• The first 2022 sighting of the Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) observed in Saanich, British Columbia by @gavinh. This species is very capable of disrupting local invertebrate populations and outcompeting native reptiles.
• An observation of the LD moth (Lymantria dispar) in Toronto, Ontario by @gary-james. This destructive moth has made the ‘100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species’ list.
• European green crab (Carcinus maenas) was found in Grande-Digue, New Brunswick by @sebastienbenoit. This invasive crab species has a voracious appetite and severely impacts native marine ecosystems.

I Spy and Identify members observed and reported native and invasive species across Canada, including some federally listed species at risk.

• A Barn owl (Tyto alba) was observed in British Columbia by @donovanroberts. This population is currently assessed as threatened! In 2010 it was estimated there is only between 250-1000 mature Barn owls remaining in British Columbia.
• A Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) was sighted in Nova Scotia by @angelamac. Red-necked Phalarope are a species of ‘Special Concern’ in Canada because they face various threats, including the potential for habitat degradation associated with climate change.

Thank you for being an important part of our reporting network!