I have spent the greater part of this last year devoting my time to invasive plant research.  I have witnessed the havoc that these plants, seemingly harmless in gardens across the United States, are capable of wreaking in native ecosystems.  While scientific research is wonderful, it is nothing if it is not shared with the public.  This is something that I have to come to realize after much time and thought.  After sharing my work with a 150 person audience at Columbia University and Barnard College at the Awareness into Action Leadership Panel, I realized that even getting the word out about invasives is not enough to help stop the problem from worsening.  Yes, it is important to communicate and to make people aware of the issues at hand---perhaps this will even persuade people to stop planting invasives in their gardens---but, this is not enough.

The next step in the endeavor to eliminate invasives is to address the policy that makes them available in the first place.  Regulations need to be put into place at the governmental level so that these plants are eliminated from nursery inventory and so that an official management strategy is put into place to stop their spread from areas that have already been invaded.

Connecticut is one example of a state that has already passed laws regarding this issue.  They have a council that informs regulators of problems that invasives are causing and also have the ability to ban certain invasives from being brought into, sold, or planted in the state. 

New York also has an Invasive Species Task Force involving the culmination of several organizations including the Department of Transportation, Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historical Preservation, the Invasive Plant Council, and the Nature Conservancy just to name a few.  This task force met in 2005 and decided on the next steps that should be taken to help manage the invasive species problem within the state.  Although a bill was drafted a few years later, it is currently wrapped in red tape at the state government level.

So what does this mean for readers?  Well, this is my call to you to help change governmental policy regarding invasives.  I implore you to contact your local government so that bills like the one in New York can be passed across the country.  By spreading the word about invasives and encouraging the initiation of legislation regarding their management, it will be possible to preserve our native biodiversity.