Okanagan Invasive Species Online (OISO) Website
Warmer temperatures and an increase in the number of Growing Degree Days doesn’t just improve production potential for crops, it opens the door to greater pressure from invasive species. Ensuring early detection of invasive species and the use of appropriate and effective management strategies are extremely important in preventing the spread of any new species in the Okanagan region.
A cooperative and coordinated approach to invasive species detection and management – involving organizations and individuals across the entire Okanagan and Similkameen valley – has been identified as the most promising approach to minimizing damages to the agriculture sector. Previously, the Okanagan-Similkameen did not have a valley-wide system to share information pertaining to invasive species and as a result, producers (and the public) had difficulty accessing the information that they required to identify and manage invasive species. The Okanagan Invasive Species Online website consolidates Okanagan invasive species information into one convenient and easy to navigate website that is focused on the needs of the agricultural sector.
Project Sponsors
The Okanagan Invasive Species Online website is a collaborative project between the Regional District of North Okanagan, Regional District of Central Okanagan, Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and the Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society (OASISS). Funding for this project has been provided in part by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Funding is administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC and the BC Agricultural Research & Development Corporation. This project is part of the Regional Adaptation Program delivered by the Climate & Agriculture Initiative BC.
Contact Info
Lisa Scott – oasiss@shaw.ca