Sprouting Seeds

Activity 5 - Wanted! Invasive Species

Objective:

To visually communicate about threats to natural areas.

Resources and Materials:

Wanted Poster Template
Glue
Scissors
Markers or Pencil Crayons
Magazines to Cut Up
Construction Paper
Paint
Images of Invasive Plant Species (Google search, nature magazines or local invasives)

For information on invasive species in Ontario visit:

Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program

*Note: Invasive species may also be called non-native species, alien species, introduced species or weeds (but not all weeds are invasive, the term refers to unwanted plants).

Instructions:

Discuss how every plant and animal species has a native habitat, a habitat where they belong. Sometimes humans relocate a species, either through carelessness or with the intent of benefiting human beings or the local environment. As an example, you may talk to about the concern over Zebra Mussels in Lake Simcoe. Find out more information about invasive mussel species in Lake Simcoe in our Science Newsletter
Explain that they will be researching an invasive plant species and becoming familiar with the effects of invasive species on the local environment. Some examples are periwinkle, dog-strangling vine or garlic mustard.
Create a wild-west style wanted poster for a chosen species. The wanted poster should include:

Name:	Common name
Also known as:	"Criminal" name (be creative) and/or other common names
Picture:	Drawing or photograph of the plant
Identifying marks:	Key identification features for finding the "criminal" (e.g. pink to dark purple star-shaped flowers for dog-strangling vine)
Last seen:	Where did the plant come from? Could include a map
Suspected hideouts:	Where can we find it in Ontario? Meadows, forests, roadsides, gardens
Wanted for:	Does it push out other species? Why is it a problem?
Reward:	What is the ecosystem reward for eliminating this species?

Sample Poster

Print the Sample Wanted Poster - full colour or black and white outlines

Additional Resources

Canadian Wildlife Federation

This website has many great resources. There are sections on issues, actions that you can take to help wildlife, and other educational materials.

Learning for a Sustainable Future

This website has many lesson plans, action projects and a free online bank of searchable resources for to integrate sustainability education. (Resources for Rethinking).

Back to Nature Network

This website has many resources and materials and acts as a hub for groups to advance communication and collaboration that will strengthen the connection of children and families with nature.

Lake Simcoe Science Newsletters

A series of newsletters written by Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority science and monitoring staff. Each volume focuses on the numerous factors that impact the health of Lake Simcoe and its watershed based on the monitoring data we collect and analyze.