The Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan will be closed Thursday and Friday, April 20 and 21 as it prepares to welcome the Royal BC Museum鈥檚 travelling exhibition 鈥楢liens Among Us鈥�.

The EECO located in Mission Creek Regional Park (Springfield and Durnin Roads) reopens Saturday, April 22 and the exhibition highlighting B.C.鈥檚 invasive species runs until July 22.

鈥淭here are more than 4,000 alien species in the province and that number grows each year鈥� said Dr. Gavin Hanke, Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Royal BC Museum.

鈥淪ome of these aliens are invasive 鈥� they spread quickly, threaten native wildlife and are hard to control.鈥�

American Bullfrogs, Burdock, Smallmouth Bass and Purple Loosestrife are just a few of the species featured in 鈥楢liens Among Us鈥�. The exhibition tells the stories of how the invasive species arrived in the province, what individuals can do to protect their communities and how these aliens fit in 鈥� or don鈥檛 fit in 鈥� with their environments.

This exhibit fits right in with the 鈥楢lien Invaders - Nasty or Nice?鈥� theme underway at the EECO since last fall. The Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For more information visit the Regional District website regionaldistrict.com/parks or contact the EECO at 250-469-6140, email eeco@cord.bc.ca or drop into the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan in Mission Creek Regional Park, Springfield and Durnin Roads.