Alien Invaders Field Experiences
by Patrick Earle, teacher
T.C. Williams High School, Alexandria, VA
In October T.C. Williams Ecology students took to the woods in Dyke Marsh to learn about invasive species of plants. I must admit I was skeptical that identifying plant species would hold my students' attention for very long, but was pleasantly surprised when the majority found it interesting. After lunch the students broke into two groups, one equipped with binoculars to spy on birds in the Potomac, and the other armed with saws and pruning shears to save trees. Students' reflections revealed that they were surprised at how much they enjoyed 'birding' and gained a sense of satisfaction from trimming away the invasive vines from the trees. In fact, one student was so excited by the experience that she and two friends returned a week later on a Saturday morning to volunteer again to clear away invasive vines. They also enjoyed the quiet reflection time they had after lunch where they thought about their experience in the park.
Our ecology curriculum covers the different components of ecosystems and relationships between organisms. Alien Invaders fit perfectly into our course by showing how alien species can out compete native species in the absence of natural predators. To prepare the students we used the plant ID activity on the BTW website, the "Bean There, Done That" activity, and the biodiversity worksheet. We had also used field guides to identify local tree species in a park near the school. These pre-field activities were critical in preparing the students for the field experience.
Web Sites for Invasive Alien Plants
You will find a wealth of information at the Virginia Native Plant Society
web site: http://www.vnps.org/invasive.html,
and the Maryland Native Plant Society web site:
http://www.mdflora.org/. There are calendars for local meetings, alien
plant removal workshops, and local nurseries specializing in native plants.
A fun site is Weeds Gone Wild! http://weedsgonewild.org/. This is a public education project of the Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group, and focuses on invasive plants and their harmful impacts to natural ecosystems in the U.S. Here you will find background information explaining the problem of invasive species, definitions for frequently used terms like alien, exotic, invasive, native, etc., fact sheets with information on identification, impacts, prevention, management, native range, U.S. distribution, alternative plants, and more.
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