Invasive Species Week 2023: Free resources to help you protect the environment from invasive non-native species

This post is greater than 6 months old - links may be broken or out of date. Proceed with caution!

This week, 15-21st May is Invasive Species Week, led by the GB Non-native Species Secretariat (NNSS).

Organisations across the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are working together on a week of action to raise awareness of invasive non-native species, their impacts, and the simple things that everyone can do to help prevent their spread.

What are invasive non-native species?

Over 2,000 plants and animals have been introduced to Britain from all over the world by people. These are known as non-native species. Most are harmless, but 10-15% spread and become invasive non-native species which can harm wildlife and the environment, cost the economy nearly £1.9 billion a year, and can even harm our health or interfere with activities we enjoy.

What can I do to help?

To reduce the future impacts of invasive non-native species we need to prevent further new species from being introduced and becoming established. There are five simple things that everyone can do to help:

Keep any boats, clothing, footwear and equipment used in water free of invasive non-native species – remember to Check Clean Dry after use.
Be Plant Wise and don't let your garden, pond, or aquarium plants enter the wild.
Take care of your pets, never release them or allow them to escape into the wild. It’s cruel and could harm other wildlife.
Look out for Asian hornet and other ’alert’ species and record your sightings. View more information on ‘alert’ species below.
If you enjoy being outside why not volunteer with a Local Action Group working on invasive species management.

Someone scrubbing the sole of a wellington boot — (NNSS)

Additional guidance for anyone working or volunteering in the field

When working or volunteering in the field there is a risk that you could accidentally spread invasive non-native species and other biosecurity threats, such as diseases, between sites on your clothing, footwear, equipment or vehicle.

You can reduce the risk by following a good biosecurity routine. It’s important to do this every time you go out. Even if you can’t see any invasive non-native species or diseases they could be spread from tiny fragments or invisible to the eye.

You should consider biosecurity at the earliest stage when planning any field work, from surveying an area to removing non-native species. Some biosecurity measures can be as simple and as quick as making sure your equipment (including any sampling or survey equipment), footwear, PPE, and vehicle is clean.

Basic biosecurity advice for site visits

If practical do not take vehicles onto premises, keep to established tracks and park vehicles on hard standing.
Arrive at the site with clean equipment, footwear and vehicle.
Ensure equipment and footwear is clean (visually from soil and debris) before leaving the site.
Ensure vehicle is kept clean - in particular, remove any accumulated mud before leaving the site.
Make use of facilities provided on the site to clean footwear/equipment.
Keep access to a minimum.
Where possible avoid areas of livestock or known disease.
Plan visits so that the highest risk site is visited last.

Free online biosecurity training for field staff and volunteers is available from the NNSS. View further information on biosecurity

More information on recording ‘alert’ species

One of the easiest ways to help prevent the spread of invasive non-native species is to look out for and record ‘alert’ species. These are species which are a threat to GB but are not yet widely established. If we can intervene at an early stage and stop them from becoming established we can prevent future harmful impacts from these species.

Currently there are 19 ‘alert’ species. The links below provide more information on each species.

Vertebrates

Plants

Invertebrates

All non-native species records can be submitted through the online recording platform iRecord, including any other unusual sightings. View more information on recording and other websites and apps that you can use to submit records.

Resources available from the GB Non-native Species Secretariat:

Further information and resources on non-native species are available from the NNSS website, including:

Check Clean Dry guidance for recreational water users
Be Plant Wise guidance for gardeners and aquarium owners
Free ID sheets for invasive non-native species
Biosecurity guidance
Legislation
Free online training
Non-native Species Information Portal with information on over 2000 non-native species
Local Action Group toolkit
Gallery of images
A full list of alert species
Links to recording website and apps

Invasive Species Week events
Join an upcoming Invasive Species Week webinar hosted by the NNSS:

Tuesday 16th May
12:00-12:40 Webinar: Non-native plants in the BSBI Plant Atlas 2020. With Dr Oliver Pestcott, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Thursday 18th May
12:30-13:00 Webinar: Greater white-toothed shrew. With Professor Graham Smith, Mammal Society Chair of Science Advisory Committee.

Friday 19th May
13:00-14:00 Webinar: Biosecurity for LIFE, saving seabirds on islands. With the Biosecurity for LIFE project team.

Find a list of other events taking place on the Invasive Species Week website, and join in the action on Twitter @InvasiveSp, #InvasivesWeek and #GetINNSvolved.