How to Limit the Spread of Invasive Species on the Bruce Trail
Invasive species are defined as non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Invasive species are one of the top threats to biodiversity because they have few natural predators, reproduce quickly, thrive in disturbed systems, and can outcompete native species for food and habitat.
Three of the most prevalent invasive species along the Niagara Escarpment are Garlic Mustard, Dog-strangling Vine, and European Buckthorn. Read more about their impacts and how to identify them here.
As trail users, we can practice land stewardship and limit the spread of invasive species while fulfilling the Bruce Trail Conservancy mission of Preserving a ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
Here’s how you can help:
– Stay on the Trail. This prevents the spread of plant material from one place to another.
– Leave plants, seeds, and flowers where they are. That’s their home! This is another way to prevent the spread of plants from their natural environment.
– Clean your clothes, boots, equipment, and pets regularly after hiking. Seeds hitchhike on convenient surfaces and spread to other habitats.
– Use Boot Brush Stations, where available, when entering and exiting the trail. Baffin Boots has sponsored the installation of Boot Brush stations along the trail, and more are in the works. By moving your foot back and forth, the brushes remove seeds and deposit them in the gravel bed at their  base, preventing them from getting deposited and germinating in soil.
– Keep your dogs on leash. Dogs are allowed on most sections of the Bruce Trail if they are kept on a leash. Allowing them to roam freely disturbs the ecosystem and creates numerous adverse impacts, including increasing the likelihood that they will pick up invasive species’ seeds on their fur and spread them.
– Do not dispose of unwanted garden plants in the wild.
– Don’t move firewood. Insects and diseases can’t move far on their own but when transported by people, can infest forests hundreds of miles away.
– Don’t replant invasive species, like periwinkle.
– Manage invasive species on your property. This prevents seeds from inadvertently being tracked onto the Bruce Trail (or other ecological areas) where they will reseed, become established, and spread.
– Join the Bruce  Trail project on iNaturalist and collect biodiversity data. Cataloging your observations helps track invasive species, identify new species, and record native species. This provides detailed, relevant, and scientific data on which to base effective management strategies. Making this valuable contribution is as simple as downloading the iNaturalist app, joining the Bruce Trail   Project, and uploading photos and audio recordings during your hike. Learn more here.
– Volunteer for removal events (Pull Parties, work parties), organized by each club. Activities generally focus on a specific species and target area. Their intentions range from removing invasive species to replanting native species. The Dufferin Hi-Land Club is planning several events in 2024. Dates and details will be posted on this site as they are finalized.
– Attend education sessions delivered by ecologists and other experts about topics relevant to our location. This can be done either in person or virtually. We have a number of videos on our page to get you started.
– Continue to monitor the Biodiversity Page on our website or join our newsletter here to stay informed of dates and how you can help.
– Do not attempt to remove invasive species along the trail unless you have been trained on how to do so and have permission or are part of a Bruce Trail educational and removal event. Each species has an optimal season and method that is best for removal depending on their reproductive cycle. Well-intentioned removal at other times can contribute to their spread and at best, be ineffective. Furthermore, the Bruce Trail crosses private land, so activities taking place on these lands require prior permission from the landowners.
– Watch this video about Invasive Species where Mara McHaffie, BTC Land Stewardship Coordinator and Ecologist, and Lyndsey Wilkerson, BTC Restoration Project Specialist, discuss the impact of invasive species on our local ecosystems. You will also learn which species are considered the main offenders and what strategies are being used to manage their spread.If you’re not convinced of the importance of limiting the spread of invasive species and your role in doing so, you will be after watching this video!
Thank you for helping us preserve this precious ribbon of wilderness, for everyone, forever.
