April 5-11: 4th Annual Invasive Species Awareness Week

In April, many invasive plants are beginning to bloom and people will more easily be able to identify and take steps to control invasive plants. In addition, many people will be choosing landscaping plants for their yards.

North Carolina Invasive Plant Council hosts Invasives Species Awareness Week in April with the aim of reaching a greater number of people and more effectively raise awareness of invasive plants and animals in our state during the time of year when people are spending more time outside.

Since 2002, MountainTrue has addressed the challenge of non-native invasive plants in the mountain counties of North Carolina. Introduced both accidentally and intentionally (for erosion control, livestock forage, and landscaping), these invasive species escaped from developed communities and have become naturalized in the wild. Without the predators and competitors these plants have evolved with, they are given the opportunity to flourish, usually at the expense of our native plant communities.

Many non-native invasive plants have faster growth rates and higher seed yields than native plants, and the competition for soil resources, light, and area is intense. Also, a number of these species are highly efficient in transporting their seeds and expanding their root systems.It’s important to identify and manage heavy invasions to protect the great biodiversity we enjoy in Western North Carolina.

The goal of Invasive Species Awareness Week is to educate the public about the problems caused by invasive plant species. To get involved and learn more you can:

— Choose native or non-invasive plants for your yard and garden.
— Learn more about invasive plants and how to identify them.
— Get involved by attending an educational workshop in your area.
— Attend a weed pulling workday.

A great online resource for the identification of non-native invasive plants in the southeast is provided by the U.S. Forest Service and can be found by clicking here.

Controlling, and ultimately eliminating, non-native invasive plants from a site is a multi-phase process of monitoring and management. All of these project sites will need to be revisited periodically to ensure that invasions do not become reestablished.

Every bit of help we get from volunteers makes a dent in the advancing wall of non-native invasive plants that threatens our native local diversity.

 NEW MATCHING GRANT OPPORTUNITY!

Thanks to some very generous patrons, we have been given a $10,000 matching grant for our esteemed Invasive Species Program. This means your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar for a limited time. This is an amazing opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR DONATION so please take a moment and help us achieve this goal by contributing today! Donate HERE!

Click HERE to download our new, wallet-sized Do Not Buy Guide to help stop the spread of invasive species at the source! This guide tells you which WNC invasive plants to avoid purchasing and the native alternatives you can use instead. Just print it out, fold it up and keep it with you when you go to your local nursery to get your fall and spring plantings!