You Can Help Battle Invasive Species
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| Photo Credit: USFWS |
Invasive plants and animals-introduced to the lands and waters of the United States from foreign shores-continue to plague national wildlife refuges. Some efforts to stem this threat are already in place and beginning to take hold. But there are other steps people can take to help by slightly altering their routines.
In Fishing Season:
- Don't dump any bait, especially minnows or crayfish, into streams or lakes after fishing.
- Be sure to inspect and thoroughly clean your fishing gear, including boats,
trailers and waders. Invasive plants and animals, like hydrilla
and zebra mussels, can quickly spread to un infested waters
by hitchhiking on gear used by anglers.
In the Garden:
- When looking for ornamental plants or groundcover for your home or garden, use native plants. Many areas now have nurseries specializing in local native plants, or search online for your local native plant society that can make recommendations for you.
- If you do use a non-native plant, ask your local nursery if it is an invasive species in your area.
- When buying a potted plant, check for unwanted weeds growing in the pot and make sure to pull them out before planting.
- When you pull unwanted weeds out of your lawn or garden, make sure to remove
the entire plant and carefully bag it for disposal. Seeds
from a dying plant can spread into un infested areas.
Volunteer on a National Wildlife Refuge: More than 36,600 people already donate their time to national wildlife refuges. To join this outpouring of public concern for public lands – whether to fight invasive species or help in other ways – find information about volunteering on the Web at http://volunteer.gov/gov/.
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