Prevention of invasive species in the context of lower secondary education

Abstract

Biological invasions are recognised as a potentially major threat to biodiversity and may have considerable economic and social effects. Public, including pupils, attitudes may have large implications for invasive species management in terms of prevention, early warning and eradication success, but significant is the relations between the lay public’s visions of nature, their knowledge about non-native species and their perceptions of invasive species management. The more direct experience people have with the impact of invasive species, the more likely they will be able to understand the potential benefits of management programmes. The aim of our work was to prepare educational materials about invasive organisms for elementary schools. Some of them were subsequently applied directly in practice as part of an excursion in a schoolyard in west Slovakia, where up to six species of invasive plants were identified in the close proximity to the school.

Keywords: Biological invasions, prevention, education, excursion.