Springville, Tenn.–Are there aliens living among us? These invaders are actually exotic plants and animals that can wreak havoc in our ecosystems when introduced. What can we do to keep this from happening and what about those already here?
Join the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Springville for this month’s Refuge Discovery Series as guest naturalist Shannon Brockway from the Land Between the Lakes Nature Station presents “Alien Invaders” at 1 p.m. Saturday February 22nd at the Center at 1371 Wildlife Drive. Filled with live animals, this program should prove to be educational as well as entertaining for all ages. Entrance to the Refuge Visitor Center and attendance of this program are free.
The Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge considers this a very important topic to discuss. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the only agency of the U.S. Government whose primary responsibility is the conservation of the nation’s fish, wildlife, and plants. Because of their responsibilities, the Service is very concerned about the impacts that invasive species are having across the Nation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes an invasive species as one that is not native to an ecosystem and which causes, or is likely to cause, economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. It is important to note that when we talk about a species being invasive, we are talking about environmental boundaries, not political ones. In addition to the many invasive species from outside the U.S., there are many species from within the U.S. that are invasive in other parts of the country.
However, not all exotic species are invasive. In many cases, a species not native to an area will not adapt to it. Only in a few cases do introduced species “go wild” and grow invasively, beyond acceptable levels. Current research seems to indicate that approximately 4-19% of the non-native species introduced into the U.S. might become invasive. Although the numbers vary widely, some of the current research estimates that there are approximately 50,000 non-native species in the United States today. However, of that 50,000 species, approximately 4,300 have been considered invasive species. But in some cases, only a few invasive species can cause extreme harm as we are finding with the Asian carp in Kentucky Lake.
The Refuge Discovery Series was created by the Friends of Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge to help the public enjoy and interact with the refuge and its wildlife. Each considered a good family activity, the series presents different wildlife related topics and guest speakers to help the public connect with nature and why conservation of nature is important. Hosting the program at the Refuge Visitor Center is a perfect fit as families can come early or stay to enjoy our state of the art exhibits. While there we encourage folks to see the waterfowl, eagles, pelicans and other birds that are daily present off the back patio.
For more information about the Refuge Discovery Series, how to become a member of the Friends of Tennessee NWR or about the refuge in general, please call the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 731-642-2091 or see our website at www.fws.gov/refuge/tennessee.