Invasive Species Awareness Week 2018

The 5th Annual New York Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) is a statewide campaign being held the week of July 8-14, 2018 to educate and inform citizens of New York about the threat of invasive species and opportunities for action.

Thank you for making last year’s ISAW a huge success. Our region hosted over 70 events across 17 counties and highlighted our region’s dedication and commitment to stewardship and fighting invasive species.

We need your help again! Local events, presentations, workdays, and field tours are needed across our region to help make ISAW a success. This year the theme of ISAW is “What YOU can do to stop the spread.”

To have your event listed as part of Awareness Week and included on the ISAW online calendar, please submit no later than June 14.  All event information will be posted online at fingerlakesinvasives.org/events and www.stoptheinvasionny.com/calendar-of-events/.

You can fill out an event description form here or send an email to mosher@hws.edu. Put “NYISAW Event Submission” in the subject of your email, and include the following information:

• Event title
• Event description,
• Registration information
• Event time
• Event location, address, including town/city and zip code
• Event contact and email address

Examples of events that may be successful:

• Plant pulls / native plantings
• Volunteer survey and data entry into the iMap Invasives database
• Interpretive hikes or paddles
• Boat tours / floating classrooms
• Public presentations and exhibits
• Ask-an-Expert displays at farmers markets and visitor, welcome, and nature centers
• Other kinds of awareness activities, such as signage on marquees of fire departments or town offices

We look forward to working with you on the 5^th annual NYISAW campaign. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or concerns or would like to request specific materials for your event. All suggestions are welcome! We appreciate your time and support of the Finger Lakes and invasive species programming.

Get involved to create awareness or engage your community to #stoptheinvasion.

NYISAW Planning Committee for the Finger Lakes PRISM

Dylan Hurd, Patty Wakefield-Brown, and Hilary Mosher

10 Ways for Organizations to Take Action during NY Invasive Species Awareness Week

1. Post and share invasive species news on your website and social media forums
2. Include invasive species news in an upcoming newsletter
3. Send an email, blog post, or Tweet to members
4. Schedule an invasive species presentation during the week
5. Host an invasive species training session
6. Lead or join an invasive species control or restoration project
7. Showcase an invasive species display
8. Organize an invasive species mailing
9. Post an invasive species message on a billboard, sign, or marquee
10. Create a public service announcement or radio spot

10 Ways for Citizens to Take Action during NY Invasive Species Awareness Week

1. Conduct research to learn more about NY’s regulated and prohibited invasive species
2. Attend a training to learn how to identify or manage invasive species
3. Check your property for signs and symptoms of invasive species
4. Manage invasive species if they become established on your property
5. Help to track and map invasive species on public lands using iMap Invasives
6. Participate in an invasive species control or post-control restoration project
7. Tell a friend or neighbor about invasive species and the importance of gardening/landscaping with native plants
8. Write a letter or talk to your elected officials about invasive species solutions and funding
9. Survey neighborhood trees for damage inflicted by oak wilt, emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid, or other forest pests
10. Visit the web calendar at www.stoptheinvasionny.com/calendar-of-events/ to find events taking place in your region during ISAW