How to tell the invasive plant story?

**Larry Maupin larrymaupin@sbcglobal.net>**

on 6/19/02 7:18 PM, Saxon Holt at sholt@saxonholt.com wrote:

> gardeners are all too aware of problem plants that become thugs when
> introduced to an environment that is not ready for it.  It is our job as
> garden communicators to keep the public aware of this

Saxon et al -

I enjoyed the irony in "indigenous to planet earth," but until that
unfortunate time, how can we best get this message to the masses? I write
for several magazines and have been able to slip in some "sidebar info" on
invasives, and I've touched on the issue in some features, but have been
unable to get a solid message out. I have proposals out to two groups of
pond gardening magazines, but my story idea on invasives/exotics/natives,
though couched in palatable descriptions, have gone untouched so far.

Someone on this list mentioned earlier that the newspapers thrive on
controversy, but the magazines avoid it. I believe it. Even the Koi and
water gardening club I joined last year doesn't really want to hear about
invasives. Some members are unaware of the issues and others don't care
("What are my few water hyacinths going to hurt?"). Texas law states a $200
fine for possession of each water hyacinth, but they are undeterred.
Regarding the shipping of invasive plants, a prominent mail order water
garden nursery proprietor in another state told me off the record that
"everyone ships everything everywhere."

While the more experienced gardeners out there may know about invasive
"plant thugs" many don't have a clue. I've read numerous water gardening
books which say little or nothing about this issue. To get a book published
on this subject is probably fantasy - who would but it? I would expect that
a publisher would edit out so much as a chapter on invasives.

I'm not giving up, rather I have collected more information and met key
individuals who are fighting the invasives on the national level. (Salvinia
molesta is now considered to be a serious national problem for American
waterways.)

My question to the group is have you found a way to EFFECTIVELY get this
message out? Has the topic been avoided by your editors? What works and what
doesn't? For the sake of planet earth and the air and water we require, what
can garden writers really do?

Thanks for your input,
-- 
Larry Maupin
Maupin Photography
Freelance Garden Writer/Photographer
Member, Garden Writers Assoc. of Amer.
larrymaupin@sbcglobal.net
Dallas, TX   214/341-3933

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