Okanagan's Most UnWanted
The Purple Loosestrife and The Wild Turkey
What are invasive species?
Invasive species are species that were purposely or accidentally introduced to a different ecosystem or environment and do negative acts of damage to the environment and erasing and forgetting about the native species that were already living there forever.
Who are the criminals?
Name: Purple Loosestrife
Scientific Name: Lythrum Salicania
Physical Descriptions: Three meters tall and 1.5 meters wide, small purple flower petals arranged is dense showy spikes. The flowers can reach up to 7-10 meters tall and the leaves can be very fuzzy/hairy
Additional Facts: Beautiful flower yet it's a nasty invader, it blooms from July - September, prefers to be in sunny wetlands and it makes quality honey
Scientific Name: Lythrum Salicania
Physical Descriptions: Three meters tall and 1.5 meters wide, small purple flower petals arranged is dense showy spikes. The flowers can reach up to 7-10 meters tall and the leaves can be very fuzzy/hairy
Additional Facts: Beautiful flower yet it's a nasty invader, it blooms from July - September, prefers to be in sunny wetlands and it makes quality honey
Mugshot #1
The Purple Loosestrife on a bright sunny day
Mugshot #2
A wider ranged view of Purple Loosestrife on a shadier day
Mugshot #3
A beautiful, narrow photo of the Loosestrife on an overcast day
What are they?
Continued
Name: Wild Turkey
Scientific Name: Meleagris gallapavo
Physical Descriptions: Long, fat black body with long reddish yellow to greyish green legs, it has a fan shaped tail, glossy bronze black wings, it has three toes on each foot, the wingspan is 1.25 - 1.44 meters
Additional Facts: Males grow up to 5 - 11 kilograms and measure up to 100 - 125 centimeters , females grow up to 3 - 5.4 kilograms and 76 - 95 meters.
Scientific Name: Meleagris gallapavo
Physical Descriptions: Long, fat black body with long reddish yellow to greyish green legs, it has a fan shaped tail, glossy bronze black wings, it has three toes on each foot, the wingspan is 1.25 - 1.44 meters
Additional Facts: Males grow up to 5 - 11 kilograms and measure up to 100 - 125 centimeters , females grow up to 3 - 5.4 kilograms and 76 - 95 meters.
Mugshot #1
The Wild Turkey squad hanging out on an overcast day
Mugshot #2
The Wild Turkey named Jordan roaming around on a sunny day
Mugshot #3
The Wild Turkey named Hayden lurks around on a shady day
Impacts On The Environment
Purple Loosestrife
It appears in steam banks, wetlands, and shallow ponds. It can for dense strands that reduce plant and animal diversity in wetland eco-systems the seeds are being spread throughout the Okanagan and other places through water flow
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is a hunt and game animal, tracked by all hunters and game officers. The wild turkey loves to re-populate with other wild turkeys. Like it loves to. That's why there's so many other wild turkeys, and now that there's so many theres less grass and all these things are decreasing:
Insects, spiders, snails, slugs, salamanders, small lizards, small frogs, millipedes, grasshoppers, very small snakes, worms, grasses, vines, flowers, acorns, buds, seeds, fruits, clovers, dogwood, blueberries, cherries, hickory nuts, beechnuts, and other vegetation. Thats a long list
Insects, spiders, snails, slugs, salamanders, small lizards, small frogs, millipedes, grasshoppers, very small snakes, worms, grasses, vines, flowers, acorns, buds, seeds, fruits, clovers, dogwood, blueberries, cherries, hickory nuts, beechnuts, and other vegetation. Thats a long list
Where's the Squad At?
Purple Loosestrife
Where can we find you?
In the 1800's the Purple Loosestrife was accidentally introduced to North America. It was first planted in Port Alberni in 1916 and has spread all across the southern interior of B.C. It was also introduced as a medicinal plant and it was mostly infested in Lower Fraser Valley, Kootney, Vancouver Island, and the Okanagan.
Wild Turkey
Where can we find you?
Started to spread in the Southwest and made it up to the North Eastern part of the United States. In 1910, the turkey was released in the B.C. Game Commission on James Island off the coast of Victoria. In the 1980's they were relocated into Kootney and Creston Valley. It soon spread all across of British Columbia and soon reached the Okanagan Valley. They were purposely brought in for hunting.
Criminal Acts
Purple Loosestrife
It appears around steam banks, wet lands, and shallow ponds. It can form dense strands that reduce plant and animal diversity in wetland eco-systems. The seeds are being spread by water flow.
Wild Turkey
It causes more unnecessary hunting and game throughout the Valley, most people want the Wild Turkey to be saved but they don't understand that it's a nasty invader. It is eating away our plants and grass which is meant for our animals like horses. The Wild Turkey is liked by the clueless about invasive-ness and disliked by the people who have a clue about invasive species.
Reproduction
Purple Loosestrife
The Loosestrife spreads/reproduces by shedding its purple flower petals which is full of seeds and they get drifted down the river until caught on the shore and that's where they start growing (that's why they are always around near shores or riverbanks.) They then grow and go through the same process over and over again
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey loves reproduction process. Whenever the male wild turkey comes in contact with another female wild turkey they start 'flirting' and over time they have baby turkeys and the male turkey moves on to another female wild turkey and does the same process.
What are we doing about it?
Let me explain.
Gun, knives, no social interaction and plastic bags. Guns are for the wild turkey. They are hunting them down until barely any left. Or no social interaction for the males with females. For the Loosestrife, coming up to them with a plastic bag and taking the petals off and putting them in the bag.
Video of the Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey Waltz
Video of the Purple Loosestrife
Plants To Know: Purple Loosestrife