The Wildlife Trusts in Wales are launching a new national campaign across Wales called ‘Ymledwyr Ecosystem Invaders’. This will be launched during Invasive Species Week (16 - 22 May) at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Camarthen on 22 May. The campaign aims to increase awareness of invasive species and their impacts in Wales through public engagement.
Many of us have heard of the dual challenges facing our planet: the biodiversity and climate crises. There is arguably much less awareness of invasive non-native species (invasive species). This is despite the fact invasive species have being recognised globally as one of the ‘top five’ threats to nature, and could become an increasing problem because of climate change.
Tomos Jones, Wales Resilient Ecological Network (WaREN II) Project Manager at North Wales Wildlife Trust said: “Invasive species are considered one of the ‘top five’ threats to nature globally.” He added: “They can spread quickly and dominate entire ecosystems, out-competing and endangering native biodiversity. This is why this campaign is so important.”
Examples of invasive species include the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), which is an Alert Species.
Minister for Climate Change, Julie James said:
“Invasive non-native species threaten our environment, the economy, our health and the way we live. This Invasive Species Week is a chance to highlight and thank the hundreds of volunteers who take action against them each year.
“I welcome the launch of the Wales Resilient Ecological Network’s ‘Ymledwyr Ecosystem Invaders’ campaign which helps raise the profile of invasive species and their impact across Wales.
“It’s essential we continue to work together to combat this critical threat to our biodiversity.”
Ecosystem Invaders will engage with two key audiences: gardeners and those who enjoy recreational water activities, such as canoeists and kayakers. We encourage them to pledge to tackle invasive species in Wales. Tomos Jones said: “Those who sign our pledge will receive handy tips and advice on how they can tackle invasive species including on biosecurity, volunteering opportunities and how to identify and report sightings of invasive species in Wales. With a collective effort we can tackle this threat and protect Wales’ beautiful biodiversity.”
This campaign is part of the Wales Resilient Ecological Network (WaREN II) project across Wales. This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.
Sign our pledge and receive handy tips and advice on how you can tackle invasive species near you!
