Six simple things you can do to help stop the spread of invasives and keep our natural communities natural............

1. Verify that the plants you are buying for your yard or garden are not invasive. Replace invasive plants in your garden with non-invasive alternatives. Ask your local nursery staff for help in identifying invasive plants.
2. When boating, clean your boat thoroughly before transporting it to a different body of water.
3. Clean your boots before you hike in a new area to get rid of hitchhiking weed seeds and pathogens.
4. Don't "pack a pest" when traveling. Fruits and vegetables, plants, insects and animals can carry pests or become invasive themselves.
5. Don't release aquarium fish and plants, live bait or other exotic animals into the wild.
6. Volunteer at your local park, refuge or other wildlife area to help remove invasive species. Help educate others about the threat.

Check back soon for an in-depth look at invasive species in North Carolina and what the Conservancy and others are doing to combat this threat to our natural communities.