Imagine you’ve been out working all day in your yard. Here in the beautiful Columbia-Shuswap region, it is not difficult for many to picture. You have done all your research to find information about invasive weeds online, and you feel confident in identifying what doesn’t belong. Once you have located those weeds, you carefully remove them. What happens to the weeds next? Many people will continue with proper disposal at the landfill, but what if there was another sustainable way to make use of those weeds?

Several weed species, some of which are classified as invasive due to their detrimental impacts on people, the environment, or the economy, are actually edible and often quite delicious.  Dishes range from delicious Himalayan blackberry tarts, to salads of chickweed, lambs quarter, and purslane (which is very high in omega-3). Some species, such as burdock, have been used historically to make tea, medicines, and even chips!   

Burdock Chip Recipe

Chips made from the root of Burdock plants are surprisingly easy to make if you understand how to harvest and prepare them. Burdock is a biennial plant, meaning it takes two years to complete its lifecycle. During the first year the plant will grow only leaves and roots. It will then go dormant for the winter and finally produce flowers during the second year. Burdock roots are best dug out in the fall of their first year, before they have flowered and look similar to rhubarb. 

Once harvested, the Burdock root should be peeled and cut into thin slices. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and add your preferred amount of sea salt. While preparing the chips, preheat the oven to 450F. It should take 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until your delicious Burdock snack is perfectly crispy and ready for eating!

A word of caution: while these snacks are simple and free, there could be a great cost to the environment if they are not handled safely. Invasive weeds have the ability to rapidly spread by a variety of methods. For this reason, the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society asks that you never compost the clippings or excess plant material, and be careful to avoid spreading any seeds. Proper disposal of invasive plants can be done free of charge at any CSRD landfill.

Interested in more easy, free invasive weed recipes? The Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society (CSISS) and the North Columbia Environmental Society (NCES) are hosting an Edible Invasive Plant Workshop on September 16^th, 5:00pm – 6:00pm at the Revelstoke Workers Memorial.  Come along to get specifics on how to ID plants and how to choose a safe harvest location. There will also be a selection of free recipes and the opportunity to partake in some edible invasive treats!  

For more information, visit www.columbiashuswapinvasives.org or follow us on Facebook @ColumbiaShuswapInvasives.

The Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention, management and reduction of invasive species in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. CSISS is thankful for the generous support of the Columbia Basin Trust, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, the Province of BC.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society

JOB TITLE:  Invasive Species Program Assistant

JOB REFERENCE:  #001

LOCATION: Columbia-Shuswap

CLOSING DATE: March 4, 2019

EMPLOYMENT DURATION: 4-month (May-August),  30-35hrs/week, wage $16.30/hour (pending funding),

POSITIONS: 1-2 positions (pending funding)

JOB LOCATION:  Worksites within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. Main office in Revelstoke, BC but travel required for position throughout the CSRD.

The Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society (CSISS) is a non-profit organization comprised of volunteer members representing private & public agencies, clubs and organizations in the Columbia-Shuswap Region of British Columbia. Members of the society are dedicated to increasing awareness of invasive species and associated losses caused to the natural and domestic resources of our Region. The Society performs invasive species inventory, treatment programs, promotes best management practices, and coordinates invasive species action, education and awareness activities throughout the Columbia-Shuswap Region.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the CSISS Executive Director and Program Coordinators, the Program Assistant will be responsible for carrying out various functions of the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society’s programs, including assisting with terrestrial and aquatic field programs, developing and delivering educational programs including local events, workshops and activities, as well as working with stakeholders, to ensure a coordinated approach to invasive species management in the region. A program assistant may be assigned to work primarily under a specific Program Coordinator (Field/Aquatic/Outreach) and be primarily working on one program. The Invasive Species Program Assistant will work in rural communities with a variety of stakeholders, including First Nations partners, the Invasive Species Council of BC, local governments, community groups, and others.

The base of operation will be located in the Columbia-Shuswap, and main office in Revelstoke, with extensive travel throughout the region. Regular team meetings will occur weekly in Revelstoke, BC. Although this will be full-time throughout the length of the term, work hours may fluctuate with weather and project demands.

Important Information:

• Only candidates considered for positions will be contacted.
• All candidates selected for an interview must be available for one-hour phone or in-person interview between March 18^th– April 5, 2019.
• Successful candidates for Job Reference 001 will be contacted in April (pending funding) and must be available to start May 6^th 2019.

Please send any questions to info@columbiashuswapinvasives.org

 JOB DUTIES:

• Work with Executive Director, Program Coordinators and other CSISS staff to deliver Invasive Species Terrestrial, Aquatic and Outreach programs as described in the CSISS Work plan
• Help to deliver CSISS events and training programs throughout the region, including the delivery of Plant Wise, Clean Drain Dry, Play Clean Go, and Don’t Let It Loose outreach programs
• Work with Executive Director to build relationships with First Nations and other stakeholders in the region to enhance collaboration on invasive species issues
• Assist with invasive species inventories (plants / aquatic sampling for Zebra Quagga mussels), invasive plant mechanical treatments, and InvasiveAlien Plant Program (IAPP) data collection
• Track and report on successes of program

SKILLS REQUIRED:

 The Program Assistant will be engaging with partners and the public on a daily basis and therefore need to be energetic, positive, outgoing, and confident. Successful candidates must be self-motivated, highly organized, responsible, and work well in a team. All applicants must have completed Grade 12 or equivalent and preference to those who have are or are completing a relevant post-secondary program.  All activities are physically demanding.

Ideally, you will have a strong combination of the following skills:

• Knowledge of invasive species;
• Ability to engage effectively with members of the public;
• Strong motivational skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Experience and interest in delivering public presentations and information-booths (comfortable and skilled at speaking with the public);
• Experience working with youth and/or community groups;
• Experience conducting plant or water surveys and field work;
• Enjoy working outdoors in variable field conditions;
• Enjoy physically challenging work such as mechanical invasive plant treatments;
• Comfortable working in remote settings;
• Experience driving with long days and distances;
• Experience working around water and watercraft, and;
• Willingness to travel, and work weekends.

Additional Assets:

• Have or are working towards a technical certificate or degree in natural resource science;
• Social media skills;
• Experience with iPads, GIS Mapping software and Microsoft Office: Word, Excel and Power Point;
• Experience in data collection, organization and management; and
• Experience with report writing.

Applicants MUST Possess:

• Current Worksafe BC OFA Level 1 or equivalent First Aid certification; and
• A valid BC driver’s license with 3 years Driving record and claims history

Applicants must be eligible to participate in the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) initiative (requirements listed below):

To be eligible, youth must:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment*; and,
• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

The program’s broader objectives as part of the Youth Employment Strategy are to improve the labour market participation of Canadian youth. *International students are not eligible participants. International students include anyone who is temporarily in Canada for studies and who is not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person who has been granted refugee status in Canada.

APPLICATION PACKAGE – MANDATORY ITEMS:

Please include the following items in your application package (one PDF document combined 1, 2, and 3):

1. Cover letter clearly stating:

• The Job Reference # you would like to be considered for,
• Your qualifications, relevant skills and experience,
• Preference for aquatic or terrestrial based work,
• Confirmed eligibility for Canada Summer Jobs Program.

1. Resume, including two references (phone numbers)

3. Driver’s abstract with 3 years clean driving record and claims history (Link for ICBC: https://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/getting-licensed/Pages/Your-driving-record.aspx )

Please submit your application package no later than March 4th, 2019 to:

Robyn Hooper, Executive Director, Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society

Email to: info@columbiashuswapinvasives.org

Event Details:
Date: Thursday March 7, 2019
Time: Operational Planning Meeting  9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch (provided) from 12:00pm-1:00pm
Time: Annual Land Manager Meeting 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location:  Revelstoke Community Centre, MacPherson Room, 600 Campbell Ave. Revelstoke, BC.

Operational Planning Meeting: We are reviewing the Columbia Shuswap 2014-2019 Operational Plan in order to create a revised 2020-2025 Operational Plan, and we’re looking for your input! The Operational Plan helps guide invasive species management within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and provides information on priority invasive species, planning, prevention, best management practices, enforcement and evaluating successes.  In the updated 2020-2025 Operational Plan, we will be looking at including a watchlist for invasive animals, aquatic invasives, and pathogens in the Columbia Shuswap region (based on Provincial government lists).

To view the 2014 – 2019 Operational Plan: Columbia Shuswap Operational Plan 2014 – 2019

Annual Land Manager Meeting: We are completing the annual review of the Priority Invasive Plant lists from the Columbia Shuswap Operational Plan. The Priority Invasive Plant lists help guide inventory, treatment, monitoring and data management of invasive plants within the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. The goal of this meeting is to enable land managers to provide guidance and input on the Priority Invasive Plant lists. The meeting objectives are to: 1) Share updates on invasive plant management activities of each organization; and 2) Revisit prioritization of invasive plant species and activities for treatments, inventories, monitoring and data management.

To view the 2018 Priority Invasive Plant Lists: Columbia Shuswap 2018 Priority Invasive Plant Lists

Your input is critical in ensuring the delivery of an effective, efficient, and coordinated invasive species program in the Columbia Shuswap.  We appreciate your feedback as key partners and Board members in helping with this process.

Please register for one or both meetings HERE or provide written feedback for the Operational Planning Meeting and/or Annual Land Manager Meeting (Priority Invasive Plant Lists) by March 1, 2019 to info@columbiashuswapinvasives.org
Learn more about other upcoming CSISS events and news in our recent newsletter.  Also check out our recently released 2018 Annual Report.

Stay connected: to join our newsletter and become a member click here.

CSISS is grateful for the generous contributions of funders and partners, including Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Shuswap Regional District, and the Province of BC.

Check out the CSISS Strategic Plan for 2019 to 2024 to learn more about CSISS’ goals and objectives for the next 5 years!

Congratulations also to our elected CSISS Board of Directors from our recent AGM on September 25, 2018:

Hamish Kassa, Chair

Chris Cochran, Vice Chair

Darren Komonoski

Natalie Stafl

Adam Croxall

Laurel Corrigan

Chris Gill

Bruce Husband

John Braisher

Diane Millar