NO INVASIVES
IN MY BACK YARD
"No Invasives In My Backyard" (NIIMBY) is a call to action for all area residents and a crucial part of the regional effort to eradicate invasive plants in the Carlsbad Watershed. It is an opportunity to "make a difference" as an individual, as a business or as a group toward a more beautiful neighborhood and a healthier natural environment.
Background: According to The National Geographic Invasive cost the U.S. economy $200 billion each year. Locally, in San Diego County, we are spending more than $10 million to remove invasive plants from our rivers and waterways. Yet, to truly rid the county of invasives, we must remove invasive plants from our own backyards or else these plants will within a few decades once again take over hundreds of acres of natural habitat.
A Little History: Invasive weeds are generally non-native plants introduced to this area from other parts of the world. Weeds began entering this country in earnest in the mid-1800s, and new arrivals continue to this day. These plants have spread at an alarming rate because, unlike native species, there are no native insects, fungi, or diseases to control their growth and spread in this country. Invasive are currently the most devastating element in our environment. Invasive species affect many businesses from fisheries to agriculture, destroy natural habitats and more worsen flooding and fires.
Many of these invasive plants have come into backyards as volunteers or through landscapers.
You may have an invasive
in your backyard!
The Vision: A Natural Habitat: The natural habitat is an interdependent ecosystem of plants and animals. When the natural environment is intact, it filters water, recharges underground aquifers, filters air, prevent soil erosion, provides oxygen, contributes to temperature control, provides food, nesting, and habitat for wildlife as well as places for our leisure and outdoor activities.
Invasive plants threaten native plants and wildlife...
A critical part of the natural environment are plants considered "native" because they are an integral part of eco-system that supports animal life, provides natural checks and balances on plant and animal populations, and serve to manage the flow of water.
Non-native, invasive plantsare well adapted to this climate, BUT DO NOTPROVIDE these services.
The Goal: Remove non-native invasive plants so that native vegetation can restore the Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit (CHU) to the optimum level of ecosystem services, preserve the natural beauty, and eliminate the necessity for the residents of the CHU to "pay" for these services such as flood control "out of pocket" through property losses and public funds.
Start in your "Backyard"
We need you to start in your backyard. Simply identify if you have invasive plants, remove and dispose as trash, and replant with native and non-invasive plants. See back panel of this brochure and visit our website more detailed information: www.carlsbadwatershednetwork.org. You can make a difference!
What can I do?
Start by removing invasive plants on your property. Here's how:
- IDENTIFY Find out which plants in your property are invasive. Learn about the most problematic plants and download our color brochure on invasive plants.
- REMOVE: Pull out and discard invasive into the trash bins. Do not mulch. Instructions on removing invasive plants are available here.
- REPLANT: Select wisely and replant native or non-invasive plants. Choose from a list of alternative plants found in the brochure and approved by the California Invasive Plant Council.
What else can I do?
- Ask your family, friends and neighbors to remove invasive plants from their property.
- Get your HOA to remove invasive plants from common grounds
- Garden responsibly with California native plants or plants suitable replacements that are not invasive.
Have a big problem and need help?
Call us and we will visit your property and help you identify and clear invasive plants on your acreage. Call today at 760-427-2665.
Help rid our watershed
