The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will kick off the third annual California Invasive Species Action Week on Saturday, June 4. The goal of Action Week is to promote public awareness of invasive species issues and to encourage public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our natural resources.
CDFW will be partnering with other departments, agencies, organizations and volunteer programs across California to host more than 45 educational and “action” events including invasive species removals, habitat restoration projects, quagga mussel surveys, field outings, public presentations and youth activities. All events are open to the public, although some require registration. A calendar of events planned for around the state can be found athttp://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/filehandler.ashx?documentid=123891&inline.
The California Invasive Species Action Week webpage (www.wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/invasives/action-week) provides information for individuals wishing to participate independently. For example, people can locate recipes for preparing invasive plants or animals, find out where they can purchase certified “weed-free” project materials or livestock forage, find desirable, native alternatives to certain invasive ornamental plants or learn how to monitor plants and trees for symptoms of infestations or diseases. People can also volunteer to “inspect” local waterbodies for quagga and zebra mussels and submit their findings to CDFW on its website.
The winners of the 2016 Invasive Species Youth Art Contest will also be announced the week of June 5. This year’s theme, “The Invader Files,” generated 49 entries from students in second through 12th grade. Entries will be on display throughout California Invasive Species Action Week at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery Visitor’s Center, 2001 Nimbus Rd., Gold River (95670).
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