This year National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) runs from February 21-27th. If you’re not quite sure what an invasive species is, there is no better time than NISAW to find out!
There are many definitions for invasive species, some more detailed than others, but a pretty straight-forward one from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is “… an organism that causes ecological or economic harm in a new environment where it is not native.” To find out more about invasive species in Pinellas County, your local UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County Natural Resources Team has collaborated with some local partners (Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Brooker Creek Preserve, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Pinellas Parks & Conservation Department, and the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve) to offer you a great line up of classes, work days, and even a photo contest to celebrate National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Check out all of your options below:
Classes
| Date | Time | Location | Title | To Register |
| 2/22 | 6:30- 7:30 p.m. | Pinellas Park Library | FL Invasive Species | https://invasive.eventbrite.com |
| 2/23 | 6:30- 8:30 p.m. | Tarpon Springs Library | Alien Plant Invaders In The Home Landscape | http://alienplants.eventbrite.com |
| 2/23 | 5:00- 6:00 p.m. | South Community Library in St. Petersburg | Introduction to Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ and Invasive Exotic Plants” | Just show up! No registration necessary. |
| 2/26 | 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. | Brooker Creek Preserve | Family Fun Friday Mornings: Alien Invaders | http://fffm.eventbrite.com |
| 2/26 | 12:30- 1:00 p.m. | Online webinar | WANTED: Invasive Wildlife of Pinellas County | http://nisawebinar.eventbrite.com |
| 2/27 | 10:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. | Brooker Creek Preserve | Invasive Species: Butchers of Biodiversity in Your Backyard | http://nisaw2016. |
Work Days
| Date | Time | Location | To Register |
| 2/20 | 8:00-11:00 a.m. | Brooker Creek Preserve | http://rtpworkday.eventbrite.com |
| 2/21 | 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | http://boydhillnisaw.eventbrite.com |
| 2/20 | 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | 7440 62nd Terrace North Pinellas Park | Contact: Jamie McWade jmcwade@kpbcares.org • 727-533-0402 |
| 2/22 | 12:00-12:30p.m. | McKay Creek Greenway, 119th Street North, Largo, FL | http://outvasive.eventbrite.com |
Photo Contest
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- Know what an invasive plant is and why they are bad – http://bit.ly/defineinvasive
- Between February 20-28th, remove an invasive plant from your yard or during one of our work days and take a selfie
- Post on social media with hashtag #OUTvasive
PRIZE(S): Winners (4 total) will receive UF/IFAS merchandise PLUS a resource book of your choice. Winner will be informed on Monday, February 29th.
We look forward to your participation in one of our programs and look forward to your contributions to our #OUTvasive photo contest! HAPPY LEARNING!
A flyer for all of these opportunity is provided here (NISAW_Flyer) and below:
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