Invasive non-native species are one of the top causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Here in Britain they harm wildlife and the environment, cost the economy almost £2 billion a year, and can even impact on our health and way of life.
Get involved
There are five simple ways that everyone can help to prevent the spread of invasive non-native species:
- keep 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 wildlife
- record your sightings of invasive non-native species, particularly alert species
- volunteer with a Local Action Group working on invasive species management
Further guidance is available for groups that may have a greater risk of spreading invasive non-native species, including recreational water users, gardeners and horticulturalists, people working in the field and more. View further guidance for different groups
Awareness raising
Find information and resources to help with awareness raising including:
- the Check Clean Dry awareness raising campaign for recreational water users
- the Be Plant Wise awareness raising campaign for gardeners and horticulturalists
- our annual Invasive Species Week campaign
- links to all awareness raising materials and resources
Training
- free online training modules covering an introduction to non-native species, recording, identification of key species, and biosecurity
- links to other training resources and providers