From the Texas Master Naturalist listserv:
What potential invasive species may be available for sale at aquarium stores across Texas? This is a question that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division is asking, because pet owners may dump an aquarium pet into a stream, pond, lake or river when they no longer want it. With assistance from Texasinvasives.org, TPWD has developed a survey to answer that question. However, we need volunteers to visit aquarium stores to conduct the survey. Therefore, I am contacting all of the Texas Master Naturalists chapters to enlist members to assist us in this effort. The survey will augment TPWD’s “Never Dump Your Aquarium” outreach campaign.
Conducting the survey is not very involved. It consists of identifying a local aquarium store to visit, contacting the manager to discuss the project and ask permission to conduct the survey at his/her store, conducting the survey by completing a survey form and taking photos if necessary, and sending us the completed form and photos. We provide the forms, instructions and talking points to use when contacting the store manager.
We would appreciate it if you could bring up this volunteer opportunity with your members as soon as possible. Anyone interested can contact me for more information and for the survey materials. By participating, they will be assisting the management of aquatic invasive species and the protection of aquatic habitat across Texas.
Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Hans Landel, Ph.D.
Invasive Species Program Coordinator
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
University of Texas at Austin
4801 La Crosse Avenue
Austin, TX 78739-1702
o: 512.232.0107 | http://www.wildflower.org
Manager, http://www.texasinvasives.org
Inspiring the conservation of native plants