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Submodule 10: What's Being Done
An Overview of Agency Activities and How You Can Get Involved
County and Local
Cooperative extension is usually administered at the county level. In addition, many counties have invasive species working groups and have organized weed management areas.
Citizen Volunteer Activities/Organizations
Citizens from all over America are becoming involved in the fight against invasive species. There are many opportunities to get involved at all level of invasive species management, regardless of your experience, knowledge, expertise, or location. Because of the nature of invasive species and the different ecosystems found around the country, needs from state to state vary. Two things that do not vary are the tremendous need for volunteers, and the importance of education in letting people know of this great need. Many privately funded organizations are very active in invasive species management, or have the fight against invasive species as their sole purpose.
Let’s look at some opportunities and examples:
The Nature Conservancy offers advice on how to combat invasive species in your own backyard as well as information on how to get involved in larger efforts state by state.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is an independent nonprofit alliance of more than 100,000 concerned citizens and scientists that offers information on how you can help stop the introduction and spread of harmful invaders in your community and conserve biodiversity.
Volunteer.gov is a resource offering all types of volunteer opportunities such as conservation and other topics related to invasive species management.
The Volunteer Invasive Species Monitoring Program is sponsored by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Institute of Invasive Species Science of the U.S. Geological Survey. Their role is to assess the harm done by non-native plants to native ecosystems.
The Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force has published information on what you can do to curtail the spread of aquatic invasive species. They offer information on individual activities, as well as those that can be enacted by local agencies.
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