An invasive plant is defined by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) as a plant which sustains itself outside of cultivation and expands its range into and within Floridian ecosystems. These invasive species can degrade our natural resources, cause management problems in agricultural fields, and can be very costly. The ornamental plant industry is the primary pathway for movement of invasive plants worldwide, with invasives accounting for a significant portion of the inventory and revenue.

This critical issue led Tina McIntyre, Florida Friendly Landscaping Agent at the UF/IFAS Extension in Seminole County to write a book that can help homeowners and professionals alike better understand which commercially available species to avoid. It is available at the University of Florida IFAS Extension Bookstore and can help people select the right non-invasive plants! Plant This Not That: A Guide to Avoiding Invasive Plant Species in Florida is a field-friendly guide that features over 20 entries, each detailing a commercially available invasive plant. Each entry contains:

• the common and scientific names of the plant

• a description of its appearance, growth habit, distribution, and range in Florida

• the ecological implications of the plant

• alternative plants or approved cultivars to plant instead

Here's a sneak peak for one of the plants!

Gwinnett County, GA, and surrounding areas are rich in natural resources. Mountains, granite outcrops, forests, lakes, rivers, and other places provide an abundance of natural environments and habitats for wildlife. However, the county is one of the most densely populated in Georgia, causing strain on the environment.

The University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry has developed the Georgia Master Naturalist program to promote environmental awareness. It consists of a series of fun and weekly interactive classes requiring 48 hours of instruction with topics that promote a better understanding of the natural world and minimize human impacts. The program has a specific format but is flexible to meet local conditions and instructors with expertise in those areas. The program does not offer any certification.

In 2021, the University of Georgia Extension in Gwinnett County offered its inaugural Master Naturalist Program for 12 participants. It had instructors that gave informative presentations on diverse topics such as water quality and conservation, forestry, invasive species, reptiles and amphibians, geology, soil science, urban agriculture, and many more. The program included field trips to places of interest, such as Stone Mountain, a large granite monadnock with a unique ecosystem, a tour of the Wayne Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant, and an operating urban farm on the campus of Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, GA. It also had a session on fish and fisheries at a local park where specialists from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources discussed fish population dynamics, stocking, and the importance of keeping lakes in balance. They had a boat and demonstrated using electric shock that stuns the fish, causing them to float to the surface, where they can be identified and determine the population of fish in the water body.

The participants took a 30-questions pre-test at the beginning of the class and a post-class test on the last day test using the same questions. The post-test had a score that was 6% higher than the pre-test.

The program will help participants make changes in their lives and their communities. They are encouraged to conduct community outreach programs through many possibilities, such as in schools, neighborhoods, community organizations, and other groups. Some will start environmentally related projects on their own such as removing invasive plant species on public and private land, building pollinator habitats, and a host of others.

UGA Extension Gwinnett is planning to have future Master Naturalist Programs, and in time hope to have it twice a year, once in the spring and another in the fall. New subject matter will be incorporated into the program, such as marine ecology, meteorology, wells and drinking water, GPS and GIS, and other possibilities.