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I will leave this conversation with a deeper understanding of how to build antiracism into lessons on invasive species.

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A new community member, who is an immigrant from India, recently asked me for resources that would help him design a native plant garden in his yard. After looking at the resources I offered and our educational signage, he brought up how negative the language surrounding native plants is and how it made him feel as an immigrant.

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Alien
Invader
Nonnative

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Ecologically valuable (I'm not sold on this one but I needed an example!)

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I'd love to be offered an alternative term for invasive species. "introduced" doesn't describe how invasive is different than non-native. 

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I'd love to be offered an alternative term for invasive species. "introduced" doesn't describe how invasive is different than non-native. 

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to work toward better framing of invasives species/native species

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In working with refugee & new immigrant populations, it is often discussed at how negative terminlogy in ecological settings can be

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Master Gardener Volunteer at a "native plant" garden restoration site

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Master Gardener Volunteer at a "native plant" garden restoration site

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Need to learn language that does not sound offensive when describing the impact of non-indigenous plants or animals on an ecosystem.

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Master Gardener volunteer at a native plant garden

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Master Gardener volunteer at a native plant garden

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Have had people visit the garden and express concern over the language used to talk about non-native plants.

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Master Gardener volunteer at a native plant garden

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Master Gardener volunteer at a native plant garden

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use of the term "toxic Plants" to describe non-native plants.

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Master Gardener volunteer at a native plant garden.

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Master Gardener volunteer at a native plant garden.

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wildlife web plants and animals

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Another MG volunteer and former HS Environmental Science teacher

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Another MG volunteer and former HS Environmental Science teacher

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immigrant
foreign

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Another MG volunteer and former HS Environmental Science teacher

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Another MG volunteer and former HS Environmental Science teacher

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sustaining maybe? as in contributing to continuation of the natural environment

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Another MG volunteer and former HS Environmental Science teacher

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Another MG volunteer and former HS Environmental Science teacher

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I've always felt a bit uncomfortable using the terminology about invasive species and have always wished there was a non-offensive way to address the issue.

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Another MG volunteer and former Environmental Science teacher

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Another MG volunteer and former Environmental Science teacher

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I taught for many years at a high school with a quite diverse student population. I cringe now when I think of how many students I might have inadvertently made uncomfortable when teaching about invasive species.

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to be able to better understand how and why organisms (people and plants) take root in places and how my outlook could change towards "what belongs and doesn't belong"

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placed? settled? naturalized?

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nuisance? exotic?

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My objective for this conversation is to learn antiracist language for teaching others about invasive species.

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weed, pest, vermin

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no, I would not have put racism of people together with plants until I started reading the suggested materials.

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I teach a "weed warrior" class and work with volunteer groups to pull invasives in our park system. Many plants are labeled non-native but we focus on the ones that can take over or harm native plants. (There are aggressive natives that need to be controlled as well).

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Habitat Positive:)

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I am interested in understanding the connection between plants and people. Why are useful plants labeled as weeds and harmful plants coveted?

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I need to better understand how to communicate to the groups I work with in a way that is accessible and they can understand. I have never questioned using the term non-native or invasive before bc that is in fact what the species are as I'm discussing them. I dont really know another way to say it and hope I will from this workshop. 

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I need to better understand how to communicate to the groups I work with in a way that is accessible and they can understand. I have never questioned using the term non-native or invasive before bc that is in fact what the species are as I'm discussing them. I dont really know another way to say it and hope I will from this workshop. 

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weeds
black-eyed susan
anything named after a white man that 'found' it

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Saw an EE willing to quickly kill off Japanese beetles and goldfish in a stream, while preaching that all livings things should be honored.

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To learn how to better communicate about invasive species to be more sensitive to the communities we work with. 

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To learn how to better communicate about invasive species to be more sensitive to the communities we work with. 

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I have not, but do worry about how the words are impacting some of the students and youth I work with as I know many of them are first generation here in our community.

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non-native, invasive, exotic
native, preferred

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A forager I know uses the terms "overabundant, under utilized" for "invasive" species. The term aggressive can be used for both native and invasive. pre-colonial could be a term used for "natives".

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This may not be the forum for this, but another area that needs some work is in the realm of "citizen science" this sometimes goes hand in hand with invasive species education as we talk about tools to use to track various species.

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No but I do see the looks on the kids faces sometimes when we start talking about it. It almost looks like "is she talking about me?"

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No but I do see the looks on the kids faces sometimes when we start talking about it. It almost looks like "is she talking about me?"

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sometimes I call the "invasive" plants "guest" or a plant that's not from here or a super plant or an opportunistic plant (kinda cringy on opportunistic)

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To help improve our site's education around invasive plant management, especially as it involves talked to students, members of the public, and volunteers.

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To help improve our site's education around invasive plant management, especially as it involves talked to students, members of the public, and volunteers.

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T gain abetter understanding on to how better present the topics of species types in ecosystems in an inclusive and appropriate way specifically with young, diverse populations

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When working with students around these topics, I have witnessed students want to be labeled as native over invasive which was led to identifying them as a part of a group of invasive plants or native plants instead of them being the "invasive group" although not explicitly racism, the idea of grouping by "good" and "bad" is exclusionary in itself.

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invasive, non-native, intruders, agressive, harmful

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To learn the differences between invasives and plants that may be great pollinators but are not native to my area. 

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To learn the differences between invasives and plants that may be great pollinators but are not native to my area. 

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In my own experience, plants typically labeled "weeds" not only show us what types of soils we may have, but some are being applauded as good pollinator plants. We need to be more progressive and thoughtful about what nature provides. Humans have a tendency for species supremacy. 

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In my own experience, plants typically labeled "weeds" not only show us what types of soils we may have, but some are being applauded as good pollinator plants. We need to be more progressive and thoughtful about what nature provides. Humans have a tendency for species supremacy. 

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How about indigenous for native, aggressive instead of invasive? It's a tough one, since so many 'natives' have actually been culturally introduced.

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How about indigenous for native, aggressive instead of invasive? It's a tough one, since so many 'natives' have actually been culturally introduced.

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To connect with others and share my thoughts regarding this growing conversation and scholarship with the demonizing, hyperbolic, polarizing, and inflammatory language of nonnative "invasive" species within conservation, academia, and the media. Part of my master plan in my graduate program is to foster BIPOC leadership and inclusion in conservation. As a woman of mixed heritage I have been personally alarmed at the xenophobic and anti-immigration implications of this 'othering' language that is potentially harmful and exclusionary to BIPOC communities.

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Foreign, enemy, invader, menace (these words have been historically used to describe unwanted immigrants). Also murderous, intruder, colonizer, evil, competitor, exploit, steal, threaten. 'Native' species are often portrayed as being "threatened" by the "invader."

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I feel it's important to specify how all "invasive" species were introduced by humans to lessen their demonization. I hope to gain insight for holistic, inclusive, and non-polarizing language from this discussion.

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At the time, I was an environmental educator at my local nature park where I often found myself on patrol looking for invasive species (mainly kudzu, honeysuckle, parrot feather, and privet). I hated them...all of them. We had a community garden and one day, one of our regular visitors who was from Bangladesh, asked if she could plant some vegetables in the garden. Not really thinking about what she was planting I told her to go ahead. Soon after I found that she planted luffa and days later found that some loofa had even spread into part of the nature park’s wetland habitat. I remember feeling angry that she planted this “non-native” plant, even though (and stewing in my own ignorant hindsight) people were planting fruits and veggies that originated from all over the world.

-Nathan

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For native ‘Team player’ - works well with others and helps the other members of the habitat. In comparison invasive non- natives are the prima donnas - they want all the resources for themselves and don’t share with the other parts of the natural world.

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Unfortunately

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Alternative for invasive: interfering species

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Alternative for invasive: interfering species

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We generally use community science rather than citizen science in all of our communications and explanations, now. 

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We generally use community science rather than citizen science in all of our communications and explanations, now. 

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I have seen some animals described with anthropogenic characteristics, like "greedy invasive green crabs" in field guides

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I have seen some animals described with anthropogenic characteristics, like "greedy invasive green crabs" in field guides

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To gain a better understanding of where the field is with regards to this topic, and what opportunities we have to significantly shift the conversation, beyond just finding new terms.

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All the common names of plants with Indian in the name.

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All the common names of plants with Indian in the name.

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compatible plant communities - doesn't matter where the plants originated. 

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compatible plant communities - doesn't matter where the plants originated. 

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ecologically beneficial

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Regional descriptions get a bit wordy, but are fairly non-biased - plants of the eastern boreal forest, for example

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Regional descriptions get a bit wordy, but are fairly non-biased - plants of the eastern boreal forest, for example

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Greater sensitivity to nuances of language. Better, less agressive more welcoming and inclusive ways to talk about weeds that frame the ecology in a less miltaristic way.

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Noxious Weed Specialist, King County, WA

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Noxious Weed Specialist, King County, WA

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Our now dated literature on noxious weed ( noxious = leaglay defined by state as damaging introduced species) uses a lot of aggresssive language " Be a Weed Warrior" "Stop the Invaders" "Stomp out Noxius Weeds".  This year I am loking at this language and thinking how would it make me feel to be a new imigrant or a member of First Nations presented with these "educational" materials?  Time for an overhaul, but what are the new words? * See photo of our booth at a local Farmer's market.

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( Note: Updated on July 13 with the upcoming schedule) King County noxious weed specialists will be on hand to answer questions about invasive plants and noxious weeds at a variety of farmers markets and fairs this summer. They will have live weed specimens on display to help with identification and plenty of informative weed guides and fact sheets about noxious weeds. Sometimes the only way to learn a plant is to see it live, so this is a great opportunity for people to find out about these obnoxious plants so they can stop them from taking over. We will also have free pollinator seed packets and other materials to give away. See our Fairs and Events calendar for the whole schedule. In July and August, find us at these places:

July 13, GoGreen Night during King County Parks' Movies@Marymoor, 6pm-9:30pm

July 16, Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market, 10-2, Des Moines Marina

July 19, Carnation Farmers Market, 3-7 pm, downtown Carnation

July 23, Issaquah Farmer's Market, 9-2, Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave. N.W.

July 29-30, Enumclaw Street Fair, 10-7 both days, downtown Cole St.

July 31, Auburn International Farmers Market, 10-3, Auburn Station Plaza

August 6, Redmond Farmers Market, 9-3, 7730 Leary Way NE

August 11, North Bend Farmers Market, Si View Community Center

August 13, Federal Way Farmers Market, 9-3, The Commons, Federal Way

August 19-21, Snoqualmie Railroad Days, downtown Snoqualmie

August 20, Duwamish River Festival, 12-4, Duwamish Waterway Park, Seattle

Categories: Program News

Tags: booth, event calendar, farmers markets

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Learn about noxious weeds at local farmers markets and fairs

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(Note: Updated on July 13 with the upcoming schedule) King County noxious weed specialists will be on hand to answer questions about invasive plants and noxious weeds at a variety of farmers markets and fairs this summer. They will have live weed specimens on display to help with identification and plenty of informative weed guides...

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Noxious Weed Specialist, King County , WA

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Noxious Weed Specialist, King County , WA

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Native= endemic, but that's not super accessible, or terribly accurate. We sometimes use the term "Bully" to describe plants that are using resoruces and puchin out more desirable ones.

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even if there is a creation of a new term or phrase, there will have to be a connection/discussion of the two (invasive & the new phrase) as referring to the same thing. Usage of progressive phrasing or the time to explain the phrasing is not always available to all individuals, and at present is not always a priority. Since the priority would be communication and clarity in an environmental ed. space, I think this is important to clarify.

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Organisms with honorific names named after colonizers

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I had a bumper sticker with garlic mustard on it and a red line through it that said "Stop Invasives!". I was approached by a man who was upset about illegal immigrants and thought I shared the same views. He pointed to my sticker, and I realized that outside the ecology sphere this could be a problematic term.

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To engage in more critical conversations about restoration language and practices.

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To engage in more critical conversations about restoration language and practices.