People who help fight invasive species make Lauren smile (3 photos)

Lauren Bell is one happy environmental scientist.

As the Invasive Species Centre’s education and community outreach coordinator, Lauren is part of a team of dedicated professional scientists, administrators and a small army of community volunteers who wage an ongoing battle against invasive foreign species of plants, fish and wildlife which play environmental and economic havoc with northern Ontario’s lands and waterways.

Lauren smiled as she told SooToday a recent pull of garlic mustard plants by community volunteers hauled in 32 bags of that particular invasive plant.

Funded by the federal and provincial governments and unique to northern Ontario, the Invasive Species Centre was established in 2011 at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre at 1219 Queen Street East, adjacent to the Canadian Forestry Centre Museum (in existence since the 1930s, storing 160,000 types of insects).

Lauren is involved in the centre’s Early Detection and Rapid Response Network (EDRR) Ontario (established in 2015), which gets the word out about the dangers invasive species pose, and, through education, mobilizes everyday residents to work with government bodies and get involved in sighting, reporting and rooting out these unwelcome guests.

“The Invasive Species Centre acts as a way to connect that science and research side of invasive species management with educating the general public and industry,” Lauren said, as we presented the centre’s team with complimentary SooToday coffee mugs.

“We’re unique because the EDRR is an almost stand alone citizens science network of committed volunteers.”

“It's 'northern Ontario specific’ for the public, arborists, the levels of government, consultants and contractors...we’re this cool resource that I’m hoping people will start to use more. People are now coming to us, asking us to do workshops,” said Lauren, who recently held an information session for weed inspectors for every township between the Sault and Sudbury.

All workshops are free.

“I think northern Ontario has got the leading edge on this, to stop invasive species from coming in, through education,” Lauren said.

“I find this really fulfilling to be part of this hands on network. You can see people are interested and you can actually see the tangible difference it’s making.”

“When people start emailing us for more information and to see people taking an interest in something that’s important for the environment, the economy and society, it’s fulfilling. We’re protecting Sault Ste. Marie, northern Ontario and Canada as a whole.”

Lauren said it’s good to see people get involved and not sit back and let the various levels of government fight invasive species.

“Their eyes light up when they see the effort they’re putting in is making a difference.”

“In our one little area alone we have over 500 volunteers. Each person who spreads the message or actually removes invasives on their own properties or goes out and purchases only native plants, taking the tips we give them and caring about their own environment, it’s been pretty rewarding.”

There’s another reason you can call Lauren ‘one happy environmental scientist.’

Educated in environmental studies at Ottawa’s Carleton University and in Scotland, Lauren is a southern Ontario native who now loves to call the Sault home.

“(Coming from the Greater Toronto Area), the Sault is like a breath of fresh air,” she smiled.

More information on the Invasive Species Centre, its mission and programs, may be found online and on Facebook