Dog Strangling Vine at Fanshawe Lake

7.3 Contaminated Materials and Equipment (Clean Equipment Protocol)

Invasive plants and their seeds can be dispersed by many vectors including wind, water, animals, illegal dumping, vehicles, and contaminated material. It is not feasible to control all of these vectors; however, there are strategies that can be adopted to reduce the spread of invasive plants through those pathways.

One of the most common and preventable pathways through which invasive plants spread into natural areas is the illegal dumping of green waste. Natural areas, parking lots, borders shared by residential neighbourhoods sometimes becomes dumping sites that may lead to new invasions. Education and promotion of proper disposal techniques, including green waste that targets both residents and landscape contractors may help reduce this problem.

Control of potentially contaminated materials (e.g. fill, soil, gravel, excavated materials from construction sites, etc.) at the source also helps to prevent the spread of invasive plants. Raising awareness of the problem among target audiences (e.g. construction, demolition and landscape contractors) is a first step towards addressing this issue. Simple measures such as inspecting and cleaning equipment and vehicles after they come in contact with contaminated materials will reduce the likelihood of spread.