Behaviour Change Friday Email Blast – June 9, 2017 – Beware the Invaders Edition

Behaviour Change Friday Email Blast

5 Bits of Behaviour Change Goodness Delivered to Your Inbox Every Friday

Hi folks,

On this side of the world we are getting into prime warm weather recreation time, including gardening, hiking and watersports. Schools will soon be let out (and so will a bunch of invasive species (http://www NULL.smithsonianmag NULL.com/smart-news/science-teachers-guilty-of-releasing-invasive-species-16577580/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D)). It is time for a focus on how we can use behaviour change to reduce the introduction and impact of invasive species, particularly at this time of the year.

Big, bad invasive species

For those not familiar with invasive species, here are a few examples of some of the worst and the destruction they cause. Carp can take over lakes and rivers in dramatic fashion (https://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=rPeg1tbBt0A&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D), Japanese Knotweed can destroy homes (https://www NULL.thesun NULL.co NULL.uk/news/1686448/mum-says-monster-japanese-knotweed-which-growns-eight-inches-a-day-swamped-her-garden-and-damaged-walls/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D) and grow through building materials (http://www NULL.japaneseknotweed NULL.co NULL.uk/japanese-knotweed-damage/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D), and mussels can create damage to infrastucture and everything else (http://panow NULL.com/article/572977/western-provinces-join-forces-fight-aquatic-invasive-species?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D).

Excellence in Behaviour Change

My friends at the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia (http://bcinvasives NULL.ca/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D) have an engaging program going on that teaches kids about Invasive Species. Although the information on the Spotter Jay (http://bcinvasives NULL.ca/resources/spotter-jay/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D) program is targeted at invasive species activity in BC, I am told that entries are welcome from all over. They would REALLY like to have 150 entries this year, Canada’s 150th anniversary (http://canada NULL.pch NULL.gc NULL.ca/eng/1468262573081?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D). Please help them out!

Preventing Invasive Species in the garden

Speaking of Invasive Species, the Prince Edward Island Invasive Species Council (http://peiinvasives NULL.ca/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D) is warning gardeners to be careful with those wildflower packets and ground cover plants (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-wildflower-warning-1 NULL.4144248?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D). These often include invasive species that may be pretty but are very problematic. It ain’t just Giant Hogweed (http://www NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/canada/nova-scotia-woman-warns-of-run-in-with-giant-hogweed-1 NULL.2930727?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D) that we have to worry about.

As if we needed another reason to love dogs

Dogs can detect invasive species, and can do it better and quicker than their masters. They can detect marine invaders like mussels (https://cottagelife NULL.com/news/dogs-help-prevent-more-invasive-species-from-entering-canadian-waterways?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D), and plants and even snakes. (http://wd4c NULL.org/invasivespecies NULL.html?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D) In Australia. dogs are even being trained to protect species at risk from invasive predators. (http://www NULL.environment NULL.gov NULL.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/factsheet-eastern-barred-bandicoot?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D)

A quote I am pondering

“Global climate change has become entangled with the problem of invasive species. A warmer climate could allow some invaders to spread farther, while causing native organisms to go extinct in their traditional habitats and making room for invaders.” – Richard Preston

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Footnote

Wow! When will politicians learn to stop calling snap elections?

If you have feedback or ideas on topics, I would love to hear from you (and thanks to all of the people who have already done so). I would especially appreciate recommended examples of excellence in behaviour change (if you have an example of one of your own projects, don’t be shy, tell me about it). You can email me at ken@beyondattitude.com (ken null@null beyondattitude NULL.com?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D).

Ken Donnelly
President
Beyond Attitude Consulting
www.beyondattitude.com (http://www NULL.beyondattitude NULL.com/?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D)
ken@beyondattitude.com (ken null@null beyondattitude NULL.com?__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D&__s=%5Bsubscriber NULL.token%5D)