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UID:112281-1781096400-1781100000@playcleango.org
SUMMARY:What's on Your Boots? Seeds\, Invasive Species\, and Landscape-Level Patterns from Boot Brush Stations at Elk Island National Park
DESCRIPTION:Chaplain143\, Sunset at Elk Island National Park\, CC BY-SA 4.0\n\n\n\nSeed dispersal is a natural process that helps keep ecosystems healthy and resilient. However\, when people visit parks\, they can unknowingly carry seeds on their boots—including seeds from invasive plants—which can change what grows where. Programs like PlayCleanGo help reduce this risk by encouraging visitors to clean their gear and by providing opportunities to educate visitors and monitor seed movement. In this talk\, we’ll share results from a pilot study using PlayCleanGo boot brush stations at Elk Island National Park. We found that visitors can carry up to 4\,000 viable seeds in just one litre of soil\, with more than 30\,000 viable seeds collected at boot brush stations over a single summer. In total\, 57 plant species were identified—about half of which were only found through visitor dispersal—and more than 50% were non-native. Notably\, visitor-dispersed seeds were consistent across trailheads and independent of visitor volume\, highlighting that visitor activity can actively homogenize the landscape and drive significant ecological change. \n\n\n\nThis webinar is being presented as part of PlayCleanGo Awareness Week\, a collaborative initiative led in partnership with NAISMA\, Invasives Canada\, CONABIO\, and partners across North America to help prevent the spread of invasive species.  \n\n\n\n\nCharlotte Brown is an Ecologist Team Lead at Parks Canada\, based at Elk Island National Park and an Adjunct Professor in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Alberta. Her work focuses on invasive plant management\, bison management\, ecological monitoring\, and supporting evidence-based decision-making to maintain ecosystem health. Charlotte completed her Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of Alberta\, where her research examined species interactions and the processes shaping native grassland communities. She has since held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Arizona and Université de Sherbrooke\, where she studied long-term vegetation change and responses to global change. Her current work bridges science and management\, applying ecological research to real-world conservation challenges in Canada’s protected areas.
URL:https://playcleango.org/event/whats-on-your-boots/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://playcleango.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sunset_at_Elk_Island_National_Park-scaled.jpg
LOCATION:https://playcleango.org/event/whats-on-your-boots/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20260610T163000
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DTSTAMP:20260602T223438Z
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UID:112460-1781109000-1781116200@playcleango.org
SUMMARY:Nodding Thistle Control
DESCRIPTION:Nodding Thistle is an invasive plant that at times\, can grow as high as a Christmas tree. As beautiful a flowering plant as they are\, they seed like wildfire and have got to go. Bonus it’s easy and wildly satisfying to pull them out of the ground! This volunteer event is special because you get to work alongside our resource management team\, with 20+ years experience working in the valley. They’ll share a ton of incredibly true facts about the area we live in while exploring one of our favorite spots on the river.
URL:https://playcleango.org/event/nodding-thistle-control/
LOCATION:Chief Whitecap Park\, Saskatoon\, Saskatchewan\, Canada
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://playcleango.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_2453.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Meewasin Valley Authority":MAILTO:volunteer@meewasin.com
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