Linking the ecological community to the residential community: The Cal-IPC Speaker’s Bureau January 3rd, 2011
Heather McGray speaking about invasive annual grasses.
The Cal-IPC Speakers’ Bureau consists of a network of knowledgeable and dedicated Cal-IPC members throughout California. Speaker’s Bureau members give presentations to local groups and organizations about invasive species in their area. Cal-IPC and the Cal-IPC Student Chapter have created presentations and notes available to interested parties that can supplement the speakers own expertise. If you are interested in joining the Speaker’s Bureau, you can sign up with Cal-IPC so that if someone contacts them in your area, they will contact you about your talk, or else you can set up your own speaking engagements through contacts you make during other outreach activities.
I have spent a lot of time over the past few years volunteering at plant sales and other public events, meeting local community members and talking with them about invasive plant species. While many people are not familiar with how invasive plants are affecting their surrounding ecosystem, we have often found that these events attract citizens who are familiar with invasive species and are excited to learn more about our unwanted guests. Among our visitors, we have run into many people who lead organizations such as garden clubs, native plant societies, and hiking clubs. At times these groups will ask if someone from the organization can come and talk to the These types of groups have a captive and committed audience that you can give a presentation to and go into more detail about plants affecting your area and what can be done about it. It is these opportunities that really allow you to draw a connection between what is happening in the ecological community to what is happening in the residential community.
The basic talk discusses major questions about invasive plant species:
What is an invasive plant? Why should I be concerned about invasive plants? What are the ecological and economic impacts of weeds? and What is being done about invasive plants?
After describing the basics of invasive plants, you have the ability to tailor to the talk however you choose. If you are speaking to a gardening club, it may be best to talk about how horticultural plants can escape private gardens and infiltrate wildland areas. If you are talking with a hiking club, it may be good to focus on weeds that are spreading into the back country and to make sure that they are educated on cleaning their boots of seeds prior to entering a pristine.
Giving talks as part of the Speaker’s Bureau is great public speaking experience, helps you to fortify your knowledge about invasive plants in your area, and integrates you into the local community. It is also a lot of fun, because you have the ability to interact with people and further their understanding of their wildland ecosystems.
If you are interested in joining the Cal-IPC Speaker’s Bureau, please email Heather Brady at hjbrady@cal-ipc.org. If you have a group that you would like to give a presentation to, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will offer you as many resources as we can.
Mike Bell 