Fleming College

Peterborough, ON (September 20, 2024) – Fleming College has been awarded $360,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF).

With CCSIF funding, Fleming is partnering with Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Saiwa Inc. to innovate the fight against “Canada’s worst invasive plant,” a highly prevalent aggressive reed commonly known as invasive phragmites. The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry made the announcement last week.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to help Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada with their important conservation work,” said Fleming College President Maureen Adamson. “Together, we will provide conservationists and resource managers with valuable tools to effectively combat the spread of invasive plants that threaten our native vegetation.”

Led by the researchers from Fleming College’s Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT), as well as Fleming’s School of Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences (SENRS), the 3-year project aims to advance automation in the detection and surveillance of the invasive plant using machine vision algorithms, remote sensing data, and innovative drone technologies.

Dr. Fereydoon Diba from Fleming’s CAMIIT, in collaboration with Saiwa Inc., will develop a specialized drone with machine vision capability to recognize the invasive phragmites. Dr. Josh Feltham, Professor at SENRS, will work alongside Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada to collect drone surveillance data. Fleming students will assist with the project’s data collection and hardware development.

“This collaboration highlights the capabilities that technology and innovation can bring to natural resources, and the real-world problems that can be solved through applied research,” said President Adamson. “It’s promising to see CAMIIT and SENRS combining forces with such highly respected national conservation organizations.”

Phragmites forms dense patches and spreads voraciously, releasing toxins from its roots that impact habitat for fish, birds and other animals. Traditional detection methods are costly, involving physical assessment of sites to identify the correct species. There is a growing need for cost-effective tools to identify, map and monitor invasive plants, and organizations across Ontario and Canada will benefit from the development of a standardized method to facilitate a coordinated response.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Sarah Deeth
Communications Officer
sarah.deeth@flemingcollege.ca
705-749-5530 ext. 1161

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 80,000 alumni.

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