The XID program was presented to the IPCBC annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.  While the 1,200 Weeds DVD was used to demonstrate the XID System, emphasis was given to the fact that an XID database (produced by Flora ID Northwest) exists for ALL native and naturalized species in British Columbia.  The availability of a truly comprehensive interactive flora for the province provides a valuable opportunity to survey for newly invasive species rather than just those already recognized as a threat .

Interestingly, less than three weeks after the presentation, the following news was released: “Canada’s defenses against invasive plant species, plant pests and plant diseases have been found by its auditor general to be leaky at best, with a backlog of incomplete risk assessments and misplaced priorities. Fraser, in her report, said CFIA’s pest surveys “focus almost exclusively on known invaders rather than identifying potential new threats before they become established.”

XID databases from Flora ID Northwest databases are also available for the complete flora of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  Therefore the groundwork for this early detection methodology has been laid for a large portion of Canada (as well as sixteen US states).