Invasive Species Education and Outreach Initiatives

The introduction, spread, and management of invasive species is heavily influenced by the actions of people who live, work, and recreate on public and private lands and waterways of New York. Invasive species education and outreach helps to increase awareness of the threats that these species pose as well as actions that people can take to reduce the risk of their spread.

Looking for a way to get involved? There are many opportunities to help spread the word and not the species-check out some ways to participate below.

Get Involved in Your Community: Volunteer with Your Local PRISM!

A great way to get involved is volunteering with your local Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). PRISMs coordinate invasive species management functions including recruiting and training citizen volunteers, identifying and delivering education and outreach, establishing early detection and monitoring networks and much more! There are 8 PRISMs located throughout New York State.

Participate in New York Invasive Species Awareness Week (NYISAW)

2023 NYISAW was June 5-11. NYISAW is an annual educational campaign coordinated by the Invasive Species Council, the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, the eight PRISMs and their partners. Initiated in 2014, the week-long campaign features numerous statewide events focused on invasive species, ranging from paddling events, presentations, informational webinars, citizen science trainings, film screenings, and more.

Hosting an event for NYISAW? Sign up using this form to have your event on the official NYISAW event calendar and receive a toolbox of useful resources to help plan and host your event!

Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species

Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species is an exciting and informative 55-minute film by Westfield Production Company. The documentary introduces the concept of invasive species and highlights some of the species threatening New York's environment and economy, while also showing some innovative ways that New York State is combating these threats. Uninvited features the collaborative work of DEC and its partners including NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, the eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs), New York State Invasive Species Research Institute (NYISRI), and more.

Invasive Species Lessons for Your Classroom

Help your students become good stewards of the environment by teaching them about invasive species; how they spread, what their impacts are, and how they can help recognize and report species.

Check out our Invasive Species Curriculum for Middle School Students (PDF), a two-week invasive species curriculum featuring hands-on activities that take students through the process of scientific questioning, observation, and analysis.

• DEC's K-12 Educator Resources

2016-2021 Education and Outreach Strategic Plan

The NYS Invasive Species Education and Outreach Strategic Plan Summary was developed by Invasive Species Council and Advisory Committee representatives to guide education and outreach efforts undertaken by statewide partners from 2016-2021. The overarching goal of the five-year plan is to expand New York residents' awareness of invasive species issues and willingness to adopt simple behaviors that prevent their spread.

Education and Outreach Materials

Tip strips:

• Aquatic Invasive Species tip strip - English language (PDF)
• Aquatic Invasive Species tip strip - Spanish language (PDF)
• Aquatic Invasive Species tip strip - French language (PDF)
• Aquatic Invasive Species tip strip - Chinese language (PDF)
• Aquatic Invasive Species tip strip - Russian language (PDF)
• Pet and aquarium owner tip strip (PDF)

Signs:

• Non-motorized boat launch sign (PDF)

Brochures and booklets:

• Giant hogweed brochure (PDF)
• Oak wilt: Tree care tips for professionals booklet (PDF)
• Asian longhorned beetle brochure (PDF)
• Hemlock wooly adelgid brochure (PDF)
• Prohibited and regulated plants booklet (PDF)
• Prohibited and regulated animals booklet (PDF)
• Plantwise New York brochure (PDF) | Plantwise New York brochure - Spanish language (PDF)
• Guide to water gardening in New York (PDF)

Fact sheets:

• Invasive species facts sheets:
  • Southern pine beetle fact sheet (PDF)
  • Giant hogweed fact sheet (PDF)
  • Oak wilt fact sheet (PDF) | Oak wilt fact sheet - Spanish language (PDF)
  • Asian longhorned beetle factsheet (PDF)
  • Hemlock wooly adelgid fact sheet (PDF) | Hemlock wooly adelgid fact sheet - Spanish language (PDF)
  • Spongy moth factsheet (PDF)
  • Hydrilla fact sheet (PDF)
  • Water chestnut fact sheet (PDF)
  • Spiny waterflea fact sheet (PDF)
  • Starry stonewort fact sheet (PDF)
  • Northern snakehead fact sheet (PDF)
  • Ludwigia peploides fact sheet (PDF)
• Other fact sheets:
  • Boat Steward Program fact sheet (PDF)
  • Prevent the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species flyer (PDF)
  • PRISM fact sheet (PDF)
  • Guidelines for aquarium and pet owners fact sheet (PDF)
  • Native plants for gardening (PDF)

Posters:

• Giant hogweed poster 12" X 16" (PDF)
• Giant hogweed poster 18" X 24" (PDF)
• Nitidulidae: Sap feeding beetles poster (PDF)
• Asian longhorned beetle lookalike poster (PDF)
• Spotted lanternfly look-alikes poster (PDF)

ID cards:

• Asian longhorned beetle card (PDF)
• Hydrilla ID card (PDF)