The new Ontario Phragmites Action (OPA) program is a landscape-based implementation program to manage invasive phragmites (Phragmites australis australis) across Ontario.
OPA promotes mapping and management based on best practices across northern, southwestern, eastern, and central Ontario as we work towards reducing the impact of invasive phragmites on the economy, environment, and society.
“Phragmites is one of the most aggressive invasive plants globally and spreads rapidly through its root structures that quickly crowd out native species, particularly in wet areas such as ditches, bogs, and fens,” Invading Species Awareness Program (ISAP) Advisor Brook Schryer said.
Over the summer, ISAP will work in partnership with the Invasive Species Centre, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the MNR to get the word out across the province. Keep your eyes peeled on our socials (@invspecies) on Facebook and Instagram for more content, including the call for proposals to the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund that will increase management action across the province by empowering people to respond to these invasives in their environments.
For more on the OPA click here
Originally published in the August 2025 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
