Our Wildlife Neighbors

Come and identify some plants and animals we can find in Port Moody!

Invasive vs. Native Species

Some of the plants and animals in Port Moody belong here. But some do not. By identifying the invasive species, we can remove them and prevent the spread. You can be part of this, and help us protect our native species!

FRIEND or FOE ?

Are the following animals and plants invasive or native to Port Moody?

Note: Click on the names to reveal the answer and something interesting about them

ANIMALS

Eastern Grey Squirrel

INVASIVE !

Take over habitats for native squirrels and birds

Black Bear

NATIVE !

Most common bear species in North America

Great Blue Heron

NATIVE !

Also can be found in Central America and the Caribbean

European Starling

INVASIVE !

Arrived in BC 220 years ago but was originated from Europe and Asia

Coho Salmon

NATIVE !

Grows quicker than other salmons because they are known to be greedy

Little Brown Bat

NATIVE !

Are endangered because of a disease caused by fungus

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

INVASIVE !

Threatening animal habitats on Vancouver Island

Douglas Squirrel

NATIVE !

Use chemical signals to communicate from far away

PLANTS

Himalayan Blackberry

INVASIVE !

Were brought to North America as agriculture berry crops

Sword Fern

NATIVE !

Help small mammals by being a shelter or nest

Japanese Knotweed

INVASIVE !

Can grow through concrete cracks and damage our buildings

English Ivy

INVASIVE !

Climb onto trees and make it challenging for them to grow

Western Red Cedar

NATIVE !

Used by coastal First Nations for making totams and baskets

English Holly

INVASIVE !

Leaves will become smoother and might lose its spines as they mature

Douglas Fir

NATIVE !

Bears like to eat the sap and squirrels like to eat the seeds of the Douglas tree

Pacific Dogwood

NATIVE !

Were planted in costal gardens as ornamental species

References

"Black Bears." National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 5 Nov. 2024, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/black-bears.htm. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

"Coho." Pacific Salmon Foundation, psf.ca/info/coho/. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

"Douglas Fir." National Wildlife Federation, https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Douglas-Fir. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

"Eastern Cottontail Rabbit." BC Invasive Species Council, bcinvasives.ca/invasives/eastern-cottontail-rabbit/. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

"Eastern Grey Squirrel Alert." Government of British Columbia, www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/invasive-species/alerts/easterngreysquirrel_alert.pdf. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

"English Holly." Fraser Valley Invasive Species Society, fviss.ca/invasive-plant/english-holly. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

"English Ivy." Tree Canada, treecanada.ca/resources/tree-killers/english-ivy/. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

"European Starling." BC Invasive Species Council, bcinvasives.ca/invasives/european-starling/. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

"Great Blue Heron Overview." All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/overview. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

"Himalayan Blackberry." NS Invasive Species Council, nsinvasives.ca/himalayan-blackberry/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

"Japanese Knotweed." Invasive Species Centre, https://www.invasivespeciescentre.ca/invasive-species/meet-the-species/invasive-plants/japanese-knotweed/ . Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

"Little Brown Myotis." Government of Ontario, 17 July 2014, https://www.ontario.ca/page/little-brown-myotis . Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

"Pacific Dogwood." UBC Faculty of Forestry, cfcg.forestry.ubc.ca/resources/species-reports/pacific-dogwood/. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

"Polystichum munitum." Washington Native Plant Society, https://www.wnps.org/native-plant-directory/203-polystichum-munitum. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

"The Douglas Squirrel." Critter Care Wildlife Society, https://www.crittercarewildlife.org/the-douglas-squirrel. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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