National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW), February 21-27, 2016

By: Shantell Frame-Martin, Montana Noxious Weed Education Campaign

National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) is set for February 21-27.  For information about programs, presentations and events taking place around the country, visit: http://www.nisaw.org/.  You can also add events you are planning for the week to the interactive map located on this website.  Also, be sure to check out the PCG Facebook page during NISAW week; as this site will be a ‘hub’ of information sharing for partners to post events and presentations to along with interesting factoids about various invasive species and prevention tips!  Be sure to log-on to Facebook and tell us your plans and events and share materials you have developed to promote NISAW and PCG!

Download this 8.5 x 11 poster by clicking on the image.

PlayCleanGo Program Growing by Leaps and Bounds

By: Sue Burks, Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources

Since the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) adopted PlayCleanGo (PCG) as their national campaign in 2014, the number of PCG partners has grown an average of 10 new partners per month. The total as of the writing of this article was 234 partners ranging across 33 states and 3 Canadian provinces. The growth is in large part due to the advocacy of NAISMA members. Hats off to the association!!

State and Provincial Pages

To accommodate the growing list of partners, we have created separate partner pages on the PCG website for each state and province.  We are also adding a banner at the top of the page with the total number of PCG partners, to be updated monthly.

PCG partners are invited to draft introductory language to be included on each respective state or provincial page to direct local residents and businesses to the most important sources of information within those locations. Examples include the Minnesota and Alberta pages.  Highlights are links to the most current list of invasive species known to occur in that state or province and where to report new occurrences. Also included are local councils or public agencies offering financial or technical support for invasive species management.

Partners within states and provinces are encouraged to contact each other to develop language to post on their respective page. In some states and provinces, critical organizations are not yet PCG partners. If that is the case in your area, please contact them and discuss the benefits of participating in the PCG outreach campaign. Once text has been written for your state or provincial page, please submit it to info@playcleango.org. Contact info@playcleanto.org if you have any questions or need more guidance.

DropBox and PCG Graphic Flies

To facilitate information sharing between PCG partners, all partners have been asked for permission to share their respective contact information. New partners have been asked through the new partner sign-up form on-line, whereas senior partners were contacted via email. All of those responding positively have been listed in a spreadsheet that is now available to all partners.

To help protect private data, the partner list has been posted in a member only Dropbox account along with our graphics library. To access the folder, create a Dropbox account; established accounts may also be used to access the folder. A free Dropbox account allows for up to 2G of data, which is sufficient to access PCG materials. Please contact info@playcleango.org if you do not receive an Dropbox invitation within the next week, have trouble accessing the shared PCG folder or if your contact information is not included among our PCG partners and you would like to add it.

There are six files in the folder:

• 2015 Read Me
• Dropbox Folders-Hyperlinked
• PCG_Graphic_Standards_06_30_15_LREZ
• PCGSteeringComm2016
• PCGSteeringCommCharter2015
• Shared Partner Contacts
  

All partners are asked to read and abide by the information in both the Read Me and PCG graphic standards files. Please respect the privacy of our partners by using the contact information provided for conducting PCG business only. The hyperlinked Dropbox Folders will take you to all of the latest PCG graphics, organized by type of media.  A sub-folder for PCG partner materials is included. You are encouraged to share any PCG materials you have developed using the Shared PCG Folder. If you choose to upload and share files, those files will then be moved to the PCG Partner Materials folder to keep the shared folder under 2G of data.

Moving Forward

The growth of PCG 2015 is both a blessing and a challenge. The primary goal of the PCG outreach campaign is to reduce the risk of spreading invasive species and to promote sustainable recreation.  A change in public behavior is vital to protecting our natural resources and the societies that depend on them. The more partners that utilize PCG campaign materials, the more likely the recreating public will come to recognize the PCG brand and engage in the action steps advocated. With the number of partners that have been added this year, a giant step has been taken toward our mutual goals.

On the other hand, the more partners added, the more difficult it becomes to meet partner needs and to maintain PCG brand integrity. In striving to meet those secondary goals, PCG partners are encouraged to actively communicate with each other as well as with Sue Burks (PCG campaign manager) and Kim Lanahan-Lahti (PCG web master). In order for PCG to continue to grow, please share organizational needs, project ideas and how you are using PCG materials. Also look for opportunities to collaborate on PCG projects that will benefit other partners. “It takes a village… or in this case, a continent” to become educated, change behavior, and be proactive in the fight against invasive species.

Meet the Newest PCG National Steering Committee Member: Jeffrey Pettingill

By: Jeffrey Pettingill, Bonneville County Weed Control, ID

Jeffery Pettingill has been the County Weed Superintendent (CWS) at Bonneville County Weed Control since 1999. He is very active in the ‘weed world’ and is currently on the board of the Idaho Weed Control Association (IWCA) (past chairman) and the board of the Idaho Association of Weed Control (IAWC) (past Chairman). Jeffrey is the current chair of the Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign, and the Upper Snake River Cooperative Weed Management Area. He writes a weekly column titled, “The Weed of the Week”, in the local newspaper, Intermountain Farm and Ranch and a quarterly newsletter for the Idaho Association of REALTORS’ e-letter on environmental issues.

As a nationally recognized American Safety Institute ATV safety Instructor, Jeffrey has had a lifelong passion for riding ATV’s, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and off-road trucks. When not able to hunt or fish he likes to hike the hills with family and friends. When not busy with ‘weed work’, Jeffrey volunteers at Camp Magic Moments, a summer camp for 8 to 12 year olds that have had their lives interrupted by cancer. Jeffery will be serving on the PCG Steering Committee as the Motorized Recreationist Group Representative.

We all are lucky enough to participate in a variety of local/regional/national conferences, workshops, other professional gatherings and public outreach events across North America (and maybe even some exotic places outside of the U.S. and Canada). To help promote the message of PCG, the Steering Committee encourages you to think about the events you attend and identify those where the PCG message can be shared with the general public, outdoor recreationists, natural resource professionals, and other potential PCG partners. Our goal is to spread the PCG message to new audiences and recruit additional partners; a great way to do that is to find a small spot at your organization's/agency's table(s) for PCG materials whenever you attend an event as an exhibitor.

Do you have a great invasive species curriculum, lesson plan or fun educational game you play while teaching about invasive species? If so, we’d like to hear about it and share it amongst our PlayCleanGo Partners! Please send your educational materials to Sue (Susan.burks@state.mn.us) or Shantell (shantell.frame@montana.edu) so that they can be featured in the April edition of the PlayCleanGo Newsletter.

If you’re looking for an invasive species curriculum, click here to check out the Montana Invasive Species Education project!

PlayCleanGo – Wyoming Outreach 2015

By: Erika Edmiston, Teton County Weed & Pest, WY

The Wyoming Weed and Pest Council became a PlayCleanGo Partner in the fall of 2014 and quickly began adapting the message and materials to meet the needs of partners across Wyoming.

Prevention is the cheapest and most effective way to manage invasive species. With positive action we can make a difference in preventing the spread. PlayCleanGo is not just a slogan; it’s a code, an attitude, an ethic that we can carry with us on all of our adventures. As a PCG partner, we are using this message to encourage everyone to Stop Invasive Species in Your Tracks!

The launch of a statewide campaign for PCG in Wyoming included a multifaceted approach. All of the following are part of a multi-year effort that began in 2015 thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Task Force on Forests. In addition to the Governor’s Task Force grant, the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council and other Wyoming PCG partners provided nearly $150,000 in matching funds.

The Task Force grant supported the PCG launch with items such as paid marketing (digital & print ads, web banners & ads on WY new source websites, billboards, social media), non-paid (e-marketing, Facebook, press releases), partnerships, guerilla marketing (events, community engagement), website updates and PCG page development. A total of 16,000 rack cards were printed and distributed to Visitor’s Centers across the state and through various other media outlets. Entities such as WY State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails, Bowhunters of Wyoming, WY Department of Ag, State Lands and various partners through the Weed & Pest Districts (including but not limited to the Shoshone, Bighorn, Bridger-Teton, Caribou-Targhee, and Medicine Bow National Forests, the Bureau of Rec, National Park Service, WY Game & Fish Department, Boysen State Park, various cities/towns, Bureau of Land Management and Conservation Districts) received 550 trailhead PCG trailhead signs to be put up to increase awareness.

Various partners from across the state participated this year and provided matching funds for the grant. Projects and involvement were as varied as the different entities themselves but all included the PCG message. There are now 25 Wyoming PCG partners and that number continues to grow. Nineteen of the 23 Weed and Pest Districts, the US Forest Service (Big Horn, Bridger-Teton, Caribou-Targhee, Shoshone, Medicine Bow), and various State agencies were engaged in the launch. Match was also provided through Wyoming Public Media sponsorships (Science Friday and Morning Addition), Giveaways and Contests (celebrated Wyoming’s 125 Birthday, Fall Hunter/Outdoorsman Giveaway both on social media), and through trailhead sign installation and billboards (i.e. Park County). Boot Brush stations were installed across the state. The Popo Agie Weed Management Association recruited boy scouts to build 10 boot brush stations and installed 7 southwest of Lander, WY at popular trailheads, 4 in Sinks Canyon State Park and 3 at various Forest Service trailheads. Finally, sponsorship of events across the state included trail races, golf tournaments, triathlons, local outdoor shows, 4-H events, WY Game and Fish Kids Fishing Day, Play.Clean.Go Day/National Get Outdoors Day, FFA classes, Ag Expos and Wildlife Expos.

PlayCleanGo in Alberta – 2015 Highlights

By: Don Hare, Alberta Invasive Species Council (Alberta)

In 2015, the Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC) undertook the challenge of customizing and promoting the PlayCleanGo program to Alberta partners and recreationists.

Based on the foundation of the PlayCleanGo program, the AISC collaborated with several ministries within the Government of Alberta and with the Alberta Conservation Association to 1) align PlayCleanGo with Alberta specific provincial mandates, legislations and invasive species issues, and 2) to develop customized materials for use by Alberta partners, including:

• A dedicated webpage – PlayCleanGo.org\abinvasives - housed on the AISC Website
• Trail signs – designed to meet Alberta Government signing standards
• Two sizes of posters for use by partners at public offices, field kiosks and field days
• Rack cards for general distribution at field sites
• Training Module - Introduction to PlayCleanGo program.

AISC spent considerable time researching and defining the target audience and recreation activities for Alberta recreationists. The three groups identified for future outreach efforts are as follows:

1. Designated Trail Recreationists (foot and non-motorized)
2. Complex Site Recreationists Sites (non-trail foot and non- motorized)
3. Multi-use Site and Motorized Recreationists 

Meetings with Alberta Stakeholder Groups

The AISC received confirmation of funding from several grants for 2015, and in June was able to hire a program coordinator to introduce the PlayCleanGo program into Alberta. 2015 can be best summarized as a design and development year, with intense efforts placed on understanding key target recreation audiences, securing support from key land manager stakeholders, and designing and producing customized materials acceptable to the partnering and sponsoring organizations land and use site managers who will be participating in the PlayCleanGo program.

2016 will be a key implementation year to establish the PlayCleanGo sites, train the partner organizations on the program and concept, and introduce the PlayCleanGo program and concept to the public recreationist groups at the target locations. Extensive consultation will be required to ensure that all the stakeholders’ needs and understandings’ have been aligned.

One of the highlight’s of the 2015 launch year was a joint meeting between the AISC and the Canadian Weed Science Society held Nov 25, 2015 in Edmonton Alberta. Approximately 140 influential people attended the meeting where PlayCleanGo was introduced.

PlayCleanGo was also highlighted at the Alberta Government annual in-service training conference, to municipal employees from the 70 Agriculture Service Boards in Alberta (responsible for managing the invasive species monitoring and implementing the legislative mandated control programs for Alberta), and numerous stakeholders, partners, to discuss the potential for their involvement in 2016.

Another significant effort was the re-introduction of the PlayCleanGo program and concept to key Alberta Provincial ministries and departments. A new provincial government was elected in Alberta in 2015, and this resulted in a significant reorganization with a new combination of government ministries, including the ministries responsible for management of public lands, environment, forestry, parks and agriculture. It is anticipated that PlayCleanGo as a concept will be endorsed by the key stakeholder provincial ministries, which should allow implementation on key lands containing recreation use sites managed by these various government ministries.

A PlayCleanGo pilot program was designed and is scheduled to be implemented in spring 2016 at a Alberta Conservation Association site in the town of Canmore. This critical mountain forested wilderness site is having its trail system and access sites restructured to help protect wildlife while still allowing recreationists access to the site. PlayCleanGo will be a part of the designated trail program to help control the spread of invasive species. In summary, 2015 was very successful for the design and introduction of the PlayCleanGo program for Alberta collaborators, sponsors and partners that manage recreation lands and sites, and 2016 will be even more exciting as the program gets introduced to the general public recreation site users.