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As humans trek the globe, traveling from continent to continent, hitchhikers, in the form of plants, animals and organisms, often stowaway, ultimately becoming established in faraway places with devastating effects.
If left to spread, non-native invasive species can disrupt the natural balance of an ecosystem by competing for habitat and food with natural plants and animals. By doing so, they degrade habitats, displace natural species, jeopardize the recovery of threatened species and reduce native biological diversity. In fact, invasive species are the second leading cause of species extinctions in the world, according to renowned Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson, the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes.
In Georgia, The Nature Conservancy has worked to identify harmful populations of non-native invasive species around the state, including water hyacinth, feral hogs, Chinese tallow and English ivy. The Conservancy staff organizes year-round volunteer work parties to eliminate these species or minimize their ecological impact at the Conservancy’s 18 Georgia preserves.
In partnership with the Sapelo Island Natural Estuarine Research Reserve, the Conservancy has identified the top 10 non-native species threatening the diversity of south Georgia and enacted an outreach program to alert boaters, gardeners, hunters and other community members about these species and how to stop their spread. The project has been funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information about these species, download A Guide to Invasive Species in South Georgia.
To obtain copies of this brochure, contact Jeff Spratt at (912) 437-2161 or jspratt@tnc.org