National Invasive Species Awareness Week 2025 will take place during the last week of February:
February 24 - 28

NPS Photo
National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) is an annual multi-agency event to raise awareness about invasive species. This annual event is typically in the last week of February. Invasive species are a serious challenge for our parks and connected ecosystems. Join the celebration by learning more about what invasive species are, how they spread, and what we all can do to help prevent them.
Use the hashtag #NISAW to join the conversation on social media!
Join a Webinar
The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) hosts educational webinars on priority invasive species issues the week of NISAW. Other organizations may host webinars also. Speakers and topics for NISAW 2025 are listed below:
- US Geological Survey
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- Environmental Protection Agency
- OH-SMART/One Health
- VIDA Intergovernmental Response Framework
- USDA APHIS
Check the NISAW 2025 events page for updates and details.
What are Invasive Species?
- Duration:
- 4 minutes, 2 seconds
Native species, non-native species, invasive species, pests....what’s the difference? Don’t worry, we break it down for you in this video.
Invasive Species Basics
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Animals
Learn more about invasive terrestrial animal species
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Plants
Learn more about invasive terrestrial plant species
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Invasive aquatic species
Aquatic species are plants and animals that survive in the water.
Invasive Species Prevention
The ideal way to address invasive species is to keep them from establishing in a new area in the first place—to stop the spread. There are a variety of simple sterps a visitor can take to ensure that they are not transporting invasive species into, around, or out of a park. Find out how you can help stop the spread before and after you recreate and even by taking action at home.
Stop the Spread!
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What You Can Do
Just a few steps can prevent the spread of invasive species.
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Conservation at Home
Invasive species are not just a problem in national parks — they're a problem worldwide. Find out how you can help stop the spread at home.
I Didn't Know That! Series
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I Didn't Know That!: Clean, Drain, Dry
We can unknowingly introduce harmful aquatic hitchhikers when we recreate on the water. Help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species.
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I Didn't Know That!: Don't Move Firewood
Firewood can hide invasive hitchhikers. Learn more about preventing the spread of invasive species by not moving firewood.
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I Didn't Know That!: Boot Brushing
Why would I brush mud off my boots before hiking a trail? Brushing you boots before a hike can help prevent the spread of invasive species.
What We Do
- Locations: Curecanti National Recreation Area
- Offices: Inventory and Monitoring Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network
Invasive exotic plants are one of the most significant threats to natural resources in the national parks today. To provide early warning of weed invasions, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitors target plants in park areas where they are likely to first establish: along roads, trails, and waterways. Find out what we've learned at Curecanti National Recreation Area.
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Restoring Butterfly Habitat at Terra Vista
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Battling Invasive Plants in Cuyahoga Valley
- Locations: War In The Pacific National Historical Park
- Offices: Inventory and Monitoring Division, Pacific Island Inventory & Monitoring Network
War in the Pacific National Historical Park is working to protect Guam’s biodiversity by managing invasive species like brown tree snakes and little fire ants while safeguarding native wildlife, including the endangered Guam tree snail. A recent study assessed the park’s Guam tree snail population, providing essential data to inform conservation efforts aimed at restoring the island’s fragile ecosystem.
- Locations: Dinosaur National Monument
- Offices: Inventory and Monitoring Division, Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network
- Locations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Offices: Heartland Inventory & Monitoring Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division
- Locations: Acadia National Park, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Saguaro National Park
- Offices: Desert Research Learning Center, Schoodic Education and Research Center
Last updated: January 6, 2025
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