The invasive species centre in Sault Ste. Marie is awarding 60 micro-grants to organizations in the province, including several here in the northeast.
Valued at $1 to 5 thousand, the money will be used to help support invasive species education and community action.
This year's grants are focused on the theme of investing in our planet, to coincide with earth day.
The invasive species centre said it will go to helping groups get ahead of invasive species before the situation becomes critical.
"Prevention was a great focus, especially in the north. It's a really important message we love to get across, and that's sort of where the term of investment from investing in invasive species becomes," said Collin Cassin of the Sault Ste. Marie Invasive Species Centre.
Greater Sudbury's junction creek stewardship committee will look to address biodiversity loss and erosion along the creek with its share of the funding.
Its main target will be invasive plants.
"So another portion of the project is to engage communities, stakeholders, volunteers, into the removal of invasive plant species that we're identifying along junction creek," said executive director Miranda Virtanen, Junction Creek stewardship committee.
Sault Ste. Marie's golf club is also getting in on education for invasive species.
Its board chair says it wants to promote awareness for members, because of its own troubles in the past.
"The eighth hole had a lot of ash trees, they're all gone, sadly. Our number ten-hole has a lot of really huge elm trees, we lost one to elm disease a few years ago." Dan McKenney
The climate advocacy group, Clean North, will look to develop what it calls, a ‘grow me instead’ education program.
It’s helping gardeners recognize native plants to Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma.
"Unfortunately many people just don't know about them, they don't know what invasive garden plants are, they aren't aware that it's a problem," said Abby Obenchain of Clean North.
This is the second year the micro-grants have been given out..
The invasive species centre says it's been able to increase the total amount of grants, after its success last year.
