10.10.2016. Uninvited Guests! Create effective plans to prevent new biological invasions and methods of management in ecologically sensitive areas, has been subjected to invasions - one of the main targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. In this case the same the Global Strategy in one of its targets, calls for stronger partnerships and the creation of networks and alliances of environmental institutions at national, regional and international level.
We wholeheartedly support the global community to the botanical gardens to achieve the targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. We are absolutely convinced that the international initiative projects will be the most productive. But only the efforts of state scientific organizations, even when a serious government support for monitoring the problem and the fight against invasive species cannot be solved. Only the involvement of the all possible target groups of the local community can provide real and lasting results. Because professionals around the world are well aware of the global threat posed by invasive species, both flora and fauna, particularly in vulnerable regions of our planet. But can any number of long and hard to discuss this topic, but you can begin to act. Suppose that at the local level, albeit slowly, but really!
Last summer in Belarus hosted the international seminar with the expedition, which was attended by experts of botany from Russia, Belarus and the United States. One of the points of the program of this expedition was the work on the experimental station of the Central Botanical Garden NAS of Belarus in Gantsevichi. There has been for many years, are large-scale experiments to test and introduce varieties of cranberries, blueberries and other berries. Since, at the time, large-fruited cranberry planting material was brought from North America, along with the actual cranberries in Belarus were seeds and live plants and from North America. This invasive plant in Belarus. A number of species of North American flora fixed on experimental plots, despite regular agro-technical measures to destroy weeds. However, a particular danger is not it, but that invasive North American species have already gone beyond the experimental station of the fields and were introduced with the natural community. Similar stories of many thousands around the world, on different regions and different plants. In some cases, they acquire the magnitude of these disasters for regional flora. So we decided to botany experts from the three countries to create an alliance and to offer a special initiative, which could become part of a global program to control the spread of invasive species.
Alliance of the three botanical gardens: Central Botanical Garden of NAS (Belarus), the Botanical Garden of Tver State University (Russia), Landscape Arboretum of the University of Minnesota (USA) launched the development of the International scientific-educational and socio-educational project "Uninvited guests - invasive species and society - awareness of threats and protection of regional biodiversity". The mission of the project is defined as the development of a comprehensive program for the study, control, monitoring and addressing invasive plant species on the basis of synthesis efforts of science and society. The main target of the project identified: development and maintenance of regional "Black Book", a comprehensive monitoring of population status and control the number of invasive species in the region, the development and sharing of regional and national procedures on combating by invasive species, a comprehensive educational work and social marketing, development methods creation of interactive educational exhibits and displays, scientific and practical initiatives for the local community and others.The main idea and the thought of a new project - the work of scientists, together with the local community, the involvement of all target groups to work together to control the number and status of invasive species. The project will not only scientific but also educational, social and, of course, interesting and fun :)). We'll make it so that the project "Uninvited Guests" has become a very useful and interesting to the maximum possible number of ordinary people with the support and consultation of botanists and ecologists were able to recognize the threat of invasive species and to contribute to the control of their number. To the world of our nature became more harmonious!
And that at the early stages of our project does not look as only theoretical arguments about the issue, we immediately started to work :)). In the summer the participants of the international expedition began the process of not only discuss the future of the project, but also the destruction of invasive plant species that managed to "get out" beyond the experimental station in Gantsevichi. The first "battle" was given to the North American species Polygonum - Persicaria sagittata. Together, we have destroyed fragment undergrowth in an area almost completely occupied by invasive species, it took only a few minutes. So little effort, and it is the result. Let too small, but where it begins. More large-scale assault on the positions of the invasive plant species we have done together with the participants of the 3rd Congress of the Council of botanical gardens of the CIS countries this autumn. Congress participants from 6 countries weeding overgrown Goldenrod, Impatiens and Erigeron. It is easy, fun and rewarding. Of course, we all have a very large joint work on the development and implementation of the project "Uninvited Guests."
We are with the beginning of the project, though it has moved to implement it :)). Dear friends and colleagues, we invite you to participate in the International scientific-educational and socio-educational project "Uninvited Guests - invasive species and society - understanding the threats and protection of regional biodiversity." We need your advice, your support! We are willing to listen and accept any suggestions, advice and comments. We are ready for dialogue and are happy to see you in our alliance gardens. Contact in Russia with Yuri Naumtsev - naumtsev@mail.ru, in Belarus with Alena Spiridovich - a.spirydovich@gmail.com. |
