Successful wildlife conservation programs often include habitat restoration projects, which allow native endangered species to thrive. These habitat restoration projects address the growing problem of invasive alien plants and animals which displace or kill native species and may spread disease. As more people learn about the problems caused by invasive alien species through outreach programs, environmental volunteer opportunities will continue to grow.
Controlling Invasive Species is More Costly Than Prevention
It has been estimated that more than 100 billion dollars are spent on invasive species each year in the US alone. Those invasive aliens include plants, animals and even disease causing microbes. Nearly half of all the species on the US Endangered Species List are impacted in some way by the invasive aliens.
More importantly, once these non-native species have established themselves it is much more difficult and expensive to remove them. Non–native crayfish and other aquatic invasive species damage important habitat for many economically important fish and shellfish species. Microbes such as the ones that cause West Nile Virus affect the health of humans and domestic animals. Invasive species may also be carriers of diseases which affect native wildlife.
Volunteer Ecological Surveys Help Detect Invasive Species
One of the ways to prevent invasive alien species from becoming established is to monitor their spread and stop them from entering critical wildlife habitat. This is much easier said than done, but the early detection of new species allows for a rapid assessment of their potential impact and a more rapid response in initiating control measures. Volunteer ecological surveyors put in countless hours tracking these invasive aliens In other cases, the volunteer surveyors provide data which gives environmental management personnel an indication of where the invasive species are spreading, and how quickly that is happening.
Volunteers Help Reduce the Spread of Non–native species.
Once a non-native species is present in the ecosystem, it is often impossible to completely remove it. Wildlife conservation volunteers can help with environmental management of the invasive species. Removal of invasive plants allows native plant species, which are often important food sources for endangered wildlife, to return.
The spread of shellfish and other invasive aquatic species may also be slowed by ongoing removal programs. Although eradication may not be possible, slowing the spread of the non–native species can help protect undisturbed habitat nearby.
The Role of Environmental Education Programs in Controlling Invasive Species
In addition to helping federal, state and local government agencies and wildlife conservation organizations to manage invasive alien species, volunteers can help disseminate information on how to prevent the movement of these species.
Boaters and fishermen are used to seeing signs near launch areas and water access parking lots reminding them to clean their gear in an effort to slow the spread of invasive species such as Eurasian milfoil and zebra or quagga mussels. But there are so many other types of invasive species both aquatic and terrestrial that keeping the public informed requires a great deal of effort. Environmental conservation volunteers may man information booths at public events or distribute literature and talk one on one to people about the problems caused by invasive alien species.
To find environmental volunteer work reducing the impact of invasive aliens on endangered wildlife species, check the Volunteer and Eco Adventures section here on Suite101 or the Global Restoration Network website.
Dawn M. Smith - A vet nurse, Dawn has worked in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation around the world in addition to her veterinary hospital ...
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