East Kootenay Invasive Species Council - EKISC

08/30/2026

Pretty? Pretty invasive!

This bright blue beauty might look right at home in a garden, but Mountain bluet (Centaurea montana), also known as perennial cornflower or montane knapweed, is actually an invasive garden escapee!!

Originally introduced from Europe as a popular garden perennial, Mountain bluet can easily escape into natural areas, where it can be found in meadows, pastures, roadsides, and other disturbed open areas. It spreads by both seed and roots, making established plants difficult to control.

How to identify Mountain bluet:
- 30–80 cm tall, with fine hairs covering the stem
- Large, bright blue flowers with a ray-like appearance and a black, fringed base
- Lance-shaped leaves, 10–30 cm long, with a woolly underside
- Flowers can look a lot like knapweed, so take a closer look!

Found it? Act early. Before seed production, pulling, cutting, or mowing can be effective. If flowers are present, carefully dispose of the plants in garbage bags to prevent further seed dispersal. When pulling, remove as much of the root as possible to help prevent regrowth.

A pretty plant can still be a problem when it escapes the garden. Know what you grow, and keep an eye out for Mountain bluet in your community.

08/28/2026

Happy Field Crew Friday! We interviewed our field crew to see how their summer has been so far☀️

08/26/2026

Which invasive plant has four small white petals, smells like horseradish, and loves growing in shade? If you guessed Garlic Mustard, you are correct! It is not in the East Kootenays… Yet!

Originally brought as a medicinal and food plant in the 1800s, this invader spreads fast through seeds, and cut plants re-flower. Garlic mustard displaces beneficial vegetation and competes with native species.

If you see Garlic Mustard, make sure to report it using the Report Invasives BC app!

08/25/2026

🤩

08/24/2026

Get to know our Education & Outreach crew a bit better!

08/21/2026

Betcha thought all EKISC did was pull weeds!

While invasive plants are a big part of what we do, we're also out on the water monitoring 21 lakes across the East Kootenays for one of the biggest aquatic invasive threats in North America: invasive mussels. This work is led by the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and supported by Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Originally from the Black Sea region of Eurasia, Zebra and Quagga Mussels made their way to North America in the late 1980s through ballast water from transoceanic ships. Once established, they attach to almost any hard surface - boats, docks, beaches, native mussels, and water intake pipes, causing major ecological and economic damage.

More recently in 2024 the golden mussel was detected for the first time in North America in California. The golden mussel has very similar characteristics to zebra and quagga mussels making it a new threat to BC’s waters.

The good news? BC is currently invasive mussel-free. 🙌

However, the East Kootenays are considered high risk because our lakes could support invasive mussels if they were accidentally introduced from an infested province or state.

If these mussels become established, they can:
💧 Filter out plankton and other important food sources, disrupting aquatic food webs
💧 Impact fish spawning habitat and egg survival
💧 Cover beaches and shorelines with sharp shells
💧 Clog irrigation systems, hydro dams, and drinking water infrastructure

The best defense is prevention!
Before moving your boat or gear, always remember to:
💦 CLEAN - Remove all plants, animals, and mud.
💦 DRAIN - Empty all water from your boat and equipment. (Remember: Pull the Plug- it's the law in BC!)
💦 DRY - Allow everything to dry completely before launching somewhere new.

Want to learn more about invasive mussels? Check out: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/invasive-mussels/zebra-and-quagga-mussel-facts

08/18/2026

What if a weeds could become a work of art?

Join EKISC and Chupacabra Collective for a FREE hands-on workshop where invasive species meet creativity!

We’ll explore what invasive species are, you should care, and the impacts they can have on the landscapes and ecosystems we love. Then, we’ll get creative and discover how some invasive plants can be transformed into beautiful, natural watercolour paints.

It’s a chance to learn, get your hands dirty, and discover how art can help us connect with nature and inspire action to protect our communities and wild spaces.

August 27
Chupacabra Collective, 110 Howard Street - Kimberley
6pm - 8pm

Space is limited, so register early! Pop into Chupacabra to register!

Come curious, leave inspired, and maybe look at a “weed” a little differently.

08/17/2026

If this summer has taught us anything, it’s that citizen science is powerful! From the incredible community response to blueweed in Kimberley, to the first-ever garlic mustard sightings in Canal Flats, to reports helping us understand where existing infestations are expanding, like leafy spurge in Invermere - we need your eyes on the landscape!

Follow EKISC on iNaturalist and help us track what you’re seeing across the East Kootenays. Our community science projects help document invasive species in our region, including invasive plants, invasive animals, and priority invasive plant species that we’re working hard to manage before they become widespread.

While official invasive species reports should still be submitted through the Report Invasives BC app, iNaturalist observations are a valuable way to contribute to our understanding of invasive species distribution and help guide future management.

Every observation counts! Join the project! Share what you find! Be part of the solution!

08/17/2026