NRTG’s MicroCourses offer a dynamic training pathway that’s as flexible as it is enriching to build expertise. Our Identification and Control Methods of Common Weeds in Western Canada course, spanning four hours, delivers in-depth training in an easily digestible format. It’s designed to maximize your skills for immediate application.
Weeds have evolved adaptations that enable them to quickly colonize disturbed areas and outcompete other plant species. As a result, they pose a challenge across natural resource sites, agricultural fields, and even small gardens. Their ability to displace native and other desirable species raises significant biodiversity concerns, highlighting the importance of managing these invasive species. In this course, we will cover the most common weed species found in Western Canada, including their identification. Accurate identification is crucial, as different control methods—ranging from chemical to mechanical—vary in effectiveness depending on the species. Some methods may even exacerbate the problem if applied incorrectly. We will examine each control method and its effectiveness for the common species. Additionally, we will discuss weed control in sensitive environmental conditions. This course is ideal for professionals working in disturbed natural resource sites, land reclamation specialists, agriculturalists, and hobby gardeners.
Course will be 4 hours long.
Instructor Profile
Charity Blaney, M.Sc.
Charity began her career as a botanist/plant ecologist. In college and during her undergrad, she studied plants, soils, and native vegetation reclamation practices. She also studied growth patterns of rainforest plants at a remote field station in Brazil. She has worked for a couple of different municipalities both in an urban setting as a vegetation control technician, and in agriculture as a weed inspector and creating weed management plans for large scale agricultural operations. After completing her M.Sc., she has taught plant ecology labs at the University of Calgary, and botany and forest ecology at Northern Lights College. She is an avid gardener and can be found in her local community garden or tending to her collection of houseplants during her spare time.