From September to December 2025 CAFES once again partnered with Carleton University on the fifth annual Community Engagement Project with a 2nd year sociology/anthropology undergraduate course. This year, the theme was on Invasive Plant Species. Thank you to Kanata Beaverbrook, Hintonburg, Overbrook, Old Ottawa South, Bel Air, Hunt Club and Riverside Community Associations for participating in this year's project!

The intent for the project was for students to partner with representatives from Community Associations (CA) across Ottawa - who are part of the CAFES network - to gain real-life community engagement experience and create projects/deliverables on the chosen topic.

For the CA leaders, this project was an opportunity to learn and connect with university students and have their neighbourhoods benefit from the deliverables the students are able to create. CA leaders had the opportunity to share expertise on invasive species management in Ottawa and how we can increase public awareness on this important issue. For the students, they were able to analyze insights and experiences gained as they brought their conceptual learning from the course together with their experience working towards real-world objectives in their chosen communities.

Students did an excellent job this year creating videos, posters, artwork, educational brochures, lesson plans, door to door campaigning, event planning, social media posts - all about invasive plant species management and awareness! Stay tuned for a full project post on the CAFES website that will show off the students' amazing projects.

Check out the photos below of some of the students engaging with their community association leaders throughout the course and delivering their final presentations in class on Thursday, November 27th!

On Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 CAFES hosted a successful in-person community dialogue event in partnership with Councillor Marty Carr on the management of invasive plant species in Ottawa, at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre in Alta Vista. Thank you to Councillor Carr for your generous support towards this event, and thank you as well to Councillors Brockington, Menard, Hill, Johnson and Curry for your sponsorship.

This dialogue event followed Councillor Carr's staff inquiry at the February 18th, 2025 Environment and Climate Change Committee (ECCC) meeting to review the City's invasive species programming and community stewardship opportunities. Staff released a report in July 2025 outlining existing invasive species efforts, and plans to hire a new temporary staff position to focus on invasives programming, mapping and reporting, as well as community/stakeholder relationships. This item came to the September 16th ECCC meeting agenda, where CAFES gave a public delegation and presented the outcomes of the September 3rd dialogue.

To follow suit from Councillor Carr's inquiry, the dialogue event gathered community input on invasive species removal/management methods, public education, mapping and tracking, identifying species of concern, volunteer stewardship, and more. We had opening presentations, a community panel, breakout table conversations, table presentations, lunch, and networking.

Below are some of the most widely-shared ideas from the dialogue participants:

• Widespread community support for a community stewardship program that permits removal of a wide variety of invasive plant species by volunteers. This program should be insured by the city, or a waiver form should be implemented. This could be piggybacked onto another existing stewardship program such as Adopt a Park or Cleaning up the Capital.
• The application process for stewardship activities should be a one-stop experience, with a simple application form, a single contact staff person, and a standard response time on inquiries (ie. 48 hours).
• One of the major invasive species of concern that requires immediate removal efforts from the City is Phragmites australis, or the Common Reed. Other priority species include Buckthorn, DSV, Wild Parsnip, Garlic Mustard, Goutweed, Periwinkle, and others. Volunteers should be permitted to remove all species unless they are noxious/toxic or require specific chemical treatment methods.
• Public education should be increased for both City staff, City maintenance workers/contractors, and residents. Ideas included public education campaigns, city-wide posters/infographics, regular public workshops, mandatory staff trainings, more online resources, and developing municipal best-practice standards.
• Community volunteers should be leveraged by the City when it comes to creating and delivering public education, given that many residents have advanced knowledge on the topic and have offered their time and knowledge as a free service to the City.
• There are several possible mapping/tracking platforms for invasive species that can be used by residents and staff, including EDDMapS or iNaturalist.

At the September 16th ECCC meeting, Councillor Carr gave a direction to staff to consider our report as community input.

Check out our final event report below, which details all the feedback received at the dialogue. You can also see our public delegation presentation, which presented the report. Lastly, you can see the report provided by City staff in response to Councillor Carr's inquiry.

Thank you to all the event volunteers who helped out, and thank you to the participants for sharing your input!

City Environment and Climate Change Committee Meeting - Tuesday Sept 16th at 9:30am

The City of Ottawa's next Environment and Climate Change Committee Meeting (ECCC) on Tuesday, September 16th will be important. While the agenda has not yet been posted, we are anticipating a belated release of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories from the past several years, an update to the City's implementation of the Climate Change Master Plan (CCMP) as well as its audit, which should include recommendations on prioritization and accountability.

We are also anticipating a report on the urban tree canopy (fingers crossed) and discussion on the management of invasive plant species by the City, which follows a staff inquiry by Councillor Marty Carr at the February 2025 ECCC. Staff have come back with a short report on the inquiry, outlining existing City efforts on invasive species and plans for new staff positions to manage an invasive stewardship program. On Wednesday, September 3rd, CAFES is hosting an in-person community dialogue event on invasive species at the Jim Durrell Centre to gather community input ahead of the Sept 16th ECCC. RSVP here!

Finally, the ECCC meeting may also cover updates on solid waste management. 

We encourage everyone to mark your calendars for this date. Please consider making a public delegation on one or more of the above agenda items, to urge the City to do more.

Attend the CAFES Climate Caucus - Tuesday, September 9th 12-2pm

Want to learn more about the climate-related items, connect with like-minded others, or prepare your public delegation? Come to CAFES' next Climate Caucus on Sept 9th from 12pm-2pm via Zoom. Register here to attend. By this date the documents for the ECCC will be available, and our caucus will include updates and group discussions on the emissions inventories, CCMP and the audit.

Call Out for Participation

Calling all Community Associations! CAFES and Carleton University are once again partnering to hold the 5th annual Community Engagement Project with a 2nd year sociology/anthropology course this Fall (September to the end of November 2025). This year, the theme will be Invasive Plant Species. We are looking for 6-7 Community Association to sign up to participate (see green button below for the Expression of Interest Form).

Project Description

The intent for this project is for students to partner with representatives from Community Associations/Organizations across Ottawa - who are part of the CAFES network - to gain real-life community engagement experience and create products and deliverables on the chosen topic.

For the Community Association (CA) leaders, this project is an opportunity to learn, engage and connect with university students and have your neighbourhoods benefit from the deliverables the students are able to create for you. For the students, the intent is for them to analyze and discuss insights and experiences gained as they bring their conceptual learning from the course together with their experience working towards real-world objectives in their chosen communities.

This year, both students and community leaders will have the opportunity to learn and share expertise on invasive species management in the City of Ottawa, including municipal programs/policies, local stewardship initiatives, species of concern, how invasive species impact biodiversity and ecological health, and how we can increase public education/awareness on this important issue. If your CA has particular interest and/or experience with invasive species, it would be wonderful to have you on board.

Level of Commitment for Community Associations

• Participating CA’s need to identify at least two representatives to co-lead the project.
• Commit 2-4 hours per week between September 4th and November 27th to work with your student team.
• At least one CA representative is expected to be in class (on campus) each week on Thursdays from 4:00pm to 5:30pm, from September 4th to November 27th, to work with your students on your projects. It is okay if one of the co-leads has to miss class occasionally, as long as the other can attend. Note that October 23rd is reading break so there is no class.
• At least one CA representative MUST be available to lead students around your neighbourhood on the Thursday, September 11th neighbourhood walking tour (date to be confirmed).
• At least one representative MUST be available to attend the Thursday, September 25th workshop at Fletcher Wildlife Garden (date to be confirmed).

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Is your CA interested in participating? Visit the link below to express your interest!

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Please read the Project Information Sheet (posted below) for more information on project activities and objectives. Also be sure to check out CAFES’ 2024 project post to see some of the incredible deliverables the students created last year (last year's theme was on pollinator gardening).

For questions or more information, please contact Erica Shardlow at eshardlow@cafesottawa.ca.

Invasive plant species are a serious issue threatening Ottawa's biodiversity and ecosystems. Invasive plant species are classified as non-native plants that have been introduced, whether intentionally or unintentionally, from other geographical regions that outcompete native vegetation.

Invasive species are problematic not just because they outcompete native plants, but because native wildlife - including pollinator insects and birds - do not naturally use them for food and habitat. Since native wildlife evolved to feed off plants that naturally grow in this region, non-natives that have only been introduced relatively recently do not provide the same nutritional value or key characteristics that many wildlife species need to thrive. This threatens the stability of our ecosystem and further endangers at-risk species, such as Bumble Bees and the Monarch butterfly.

On Friday June 27th, Erica Shardlow, the CAFES' Trees and Greenspace Coordinator, was pleased to attend an excellent walk with members of the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club (OFNC) and the Rideau Trail Association. Guide Alan Smith led the group on an informative hike through the Lime Kiln trail while pointing out invasive plants on the rise, some of which are featured below.

Phragmites are a major invasive in Ottawa, reproducing through roots and often seen spreading along waterways. It is being actively controlled in Ontario through conservation authorities, mainly by spraying, as infestations are often extensive. Research has begun to examine biological control methods via two species of moths whose larvae can damage and kill the plant.

Buckthorn is a massive concern due to its aggressive spreading. The two problematic species in Ottawa are Glossy Buckthorn and Common Buckthorn. They are native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia and have veiny leaves with round berries that are enjoyed by birds. Interestingly, the seeds in its berries pass through birds' digestive systems unharmed, allowing the seeds to spread widely and rapidly. Several community associations/organizations in Ottawa have been leaders in removing Buckthorn, including Friends of Hampton Park and Action Sandy Hill.

Dog Strangling Vine (DSV) is yet another huge concern due to its ability to spread rapidly and its difficulty to kill. DSV can grow to be 4-5 feet tall by mid-summer, suffocating understory plants and young trees. DSV is actually related to the milkweed family, at times confusing Monarchs who may lay eggs on its leaves, only for the caterpillars to be unable to feed on the plant after hatching. DSV is a priority species that is seeing active removal efforts by the City of Ottawa and Ontario conservation authorities.

This photo below is of Coltsfoot, another invasive that loves gravel and stony areas and is often seen at the edges of car parks. These plants have bright yellow flowers that resemble dandelions. They are native to Europe, and were likely cultivated by settlers for medicinal properties to treat cold, flu, gout, fever and respiratory illness.

Check out the photos below for some of the other invasives we came across on the walk. Other invasives not seen on the trail but discussed on Friday included Norway Maple, Garlic Mustard, Goutweed, Periwinkle, Russian Olive, Wild Parsnip, Japanese Knotweed, and Giant Hogweed.

Many of these species were introduced by European settlers, and many more continue to be spread as a result of globalization and transportation of goods. Invasives can also be spread by everyday human activities - like hitching a ride on the bottom of our hiking boots or by transporting fire wood when we go camping. Boot cleaning stations at trailheads - which include boot brushes to remove mud, seeds and brush, complete with informative signage - are gaining traction in Ontario as one way to minimize spread.

Many community organizations in the CAFES network are actively engaged in invasive species awareness, advocacy and removal - pushing for more community/volunteer stewardship opportunities with the City of Ottawa.

In fact, CAFES is once again partnering with Carleton University for our annual Community Engagement project, and our topic this year is on invasive plant species! If you are from a Community Association and interested in learning more / sharing your knowledge, consider participating - see here for info.

Also be sure to check out the Ontario Invasive Plant Council for a comprehensive species list and in-depth guides on how to remove key species. You can also find information on what's being done, and what you can do.