"Beauty Can Hide A Beast"
National Invasive Weed Awareness Week, February 27-March 4
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The sixth annual National Invasive Weed Awareness Week (NIWAW) will feature a series of events in Washington, DC, from February 27 through March 4. The purpose of NIWAW is to focus national attention on the severe problems created by invasive weeds. The Invasive Weeds Awareness Coalition (IWAC), a broad-based coalition dedicated to increasing both Federal and public awareness of the problems and needs associated with invasive weeds, sponsors NIWAW. NIWAW events are designed to highlight the critical role that the Federal government must play to help the United States deal with the economic and ecological problems of invasive weeds.
The coalition has chosen "Beauty Can Hide a Beast" as its theme for the week. The public is invited to exhibits at the U.S. Botanic Garden, which will remain up throughout the week. The National Invasive Week Awareness Week poster points out, for example, that giant hogweed, which is seen mostly in the Northeast, contains sap that can cause swelling and blisters in some people, and can cause temporary or permanent blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes.
Purple loosestrife, often considered a pretty flower, infests 400,000 acres of federal wetlands, marshes, pastures and riparian meadows in every state except Florida. It not only crowds out native plants that provide quality nutrition for wildlife, but it also wipes out some endangered species.
The week includes a special showing for NIWAW participants of National Geographic's "Strange Days on Planet Earth," a series that highlights some of the economic and ecological impacts of invasions. Additionally, the coalition will host briefings with the departments of Agriculture and Interior as well as its members.
The IWAC is working with the National Invasive Species Council, the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds, the Weed Science Society of America, the North American Weed Management Association (NAWMA), Ecological Society of America, National Wildlife Refuge Association, The Nature Conservancy and other federal, state and private organizations to raise awareness about invasive species.
To learn more about the week's schedule of events or to register, book a hotel room, or get other general information about the week's events, visit the NAWMA website at
http://www.nawma.org/niwaw/niwaw_index.htm
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