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Unless you are Jerry Seinfeld, you probably aren't going to tolerate an invasive neighbor. Imagine this scenario. One day your neighbor comes over and he kind of annexes your foyer. Then he takes your living room and kitchen, but it's still your house. Your name is on the mailbox and you still pay rent. After awhile, your neighbor has taken over your whole house and you have nowhere to live. Sounds awful.
That's what's happening with some of our plants. With the advent of long-distance travel, seeds can travel across the world in a matter of hours. These new plants can grow unchecked on foreign soil and choke out native plants. What can we do to stop this?
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is looking for volunteers to assist in the removal of wayward plants. It's a huge effort. In many places, the invasive species have to be removed through physical means. You'll have to pull or cut the plants by hand. They may also employ herbicides or biological controls to truncate the spread of invasive pants.
The USFWS cannot afford a staff large enough to rid our countryside of far-flung foliage. They depend on the charitable contributions of citizen labor. The work does not go unrewarded.
Citizen volunteers receive a host of benefits for their generosity:
- Meet new people.
- After 500 hours of work, they'll receive free passes to all federal parks that usually charge admission.
- Develop new skills
- Learning Opportunities
- Chances to explore places usually not open to the public.
Volunteer today and help protect our wild lands.
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