Controlling Invasive Species in Ottawa: In-Person Talk at OTL

Come learn about invasive species in Ottawa, including issues, challenges, and control methods for a variety of plants & shrubs. Invasive species pose a growing challenge to Ottawa’s natural areas, waterways, and biodiversity. This presentation will explore some of the invasive species found in the Ottawa region, the impacts they can have on local ecosystems, and practical approaches to prevention, monitoring, and control. The talk will include a combination of visuals, examples from Ottawa, and discussion of what individuals and communities can do to help. The session is intended to be informative and accessible, with opportunities for questions and discussion. It will be of interest to anyone who cares about Ottawa’s natural environment, including residents, gardeners, landowners, community groups, environmental organizations, and people interested in conservation and stewardship. Our talk will be hosted by Gillian Cooper and Sharon Boddy - both incredible stewards of various Ottawa Valley natural spaces. Here are their bio's: Gillian's main focus is tree planting. She started planting trees in schoolyards in 1995 and is still doing it as well as organizing community tree plantings. Since retirement, she has become more involved in removing invasive plant species, mostly in public spaces. Since 2016, Sharon has been the director of two stewardship groups, the Friends of Hampton Park and the Friends of Carlington Woods. Many of her earliest conservation projects involved invasive species control. She won the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club's 2022 Member Conservation Award, completed the Master Naturalists program at Lakehead University in 2023, and won Ecology Ottawa's Nature Champion in 2025. NOTES: a) Workshops are transferable to another person and only refundable if we have people on the waiting list who can take your spot. Please make sure this date works with your schedule. b) Member-rate tickets are reserved for current Ottawa Tool Library members. If a non-member registers at the member rate, we will follow up to collect the price difference plus a $15 administrative fee. c) If you are registering for a young person, please note that children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult with a ticket for the same workshop. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted in many of our workshops (other than Tinkering School and some demo nights). Please reach out to us if you have questions about the person you wish to buy a ticket for BEFORE you purchase a ticket: [email protected].