Preventing Aquatic Invasive Species Spread on Prairie Birding Outings

Birdwatchers help prevent aquatic invasive species spread with one habit: clean, drain and dry everything that touched water or wet mud before moving to another wetland. Boots, waders, tripod legs, kayaks, tires and even a dog's coat can carry seeds, plant fragments, tiny snails, larvae or microscopic organisms from one pond to the next. A few minutes at the edge of a marsh, plus an orderly plan for the day, protect the wetlands that prairie birds depend on.

What does preventing aquatic invasive species spread mean for birdwatchers?

For a birdwatcher, preventing aquatic invasive species spread means making sure that nothing living leaves one body of water on your gear and arrives at another. Aquatic invasive species are plants, animals or pathogens that live in or near water, come from somewhere else, and can harm native habitats once they become established.

Most attention goes to boaters and anglers, but birders also move between waters. On a single spring morning you might walk the shore of a slough, set a scope in the shallows of a pothole, and finish at a reservoir. Each stop is a chance to pick up something small. This everyday care is often called wetland biosecurity: simple practices that keep wetlands as they are.

Which aquatic invasive species might prairie birders encounter?

The species of concern differ by province, state and watershed, so your local conservation or natural resources agency is the best guide to what is present nearby. Commonly discussed groups include:

• Invasive plants, such as purple loosestrife, flowering rush and Eurasian watermilfoil. Some can regrow from small fragments or spread by seeds caught in mud.
• Invasive mussels, such as zebra and quagga mussels. Their larvae are too small to see and can survive in small amounts of trapped water.
• Small invertebrates, such as the New Zealand mud snail, which is tiny enough to hide in boot treads and wader seams.
• Pathogens and parasites, including organisms that cause diseases in fish or amphibians. They cannot be seen at all, which is why cleaning and drying matter even when gear looks clean.

You do not need to identify every invader to help. The routine works the same whether or not you know what might be present.

How can birding gear carry invaders between wetlands?

Gear spreads invasive species through three routes: attached material (mud, plants, snails), trapped water (in boots, hulls or pockets) and damp surfaces where small organisms can survive. The table below shows where birders most often overlook these routes.

Item	Where material hides	What to do
Boots and waders	Treads, laces, seams, gravel guards, felt or fabric soles	Scrub off mud and plants, rinse, let dry completely
Tripod and scope stand	Leg joints, clamps, rubber feet, spikes	Extend the legs, rinse joints, wipe and dry before collapsing
Kayak or canoe	Hull, footwells, hatches, paddles, anchor line	Remove plants, drain all water, dry inside and out
Vehicle	Tires, wheel wells, undercarriage, floor mats	Knock off mud at the site, shake out mats, wash when practical
Dog	Coat, paws, collar, harness	Towel and comb on the shore, then rinse at home
Small gear	Walking sticks, field bags, nets, sample containers	Inspect, rinse, empty and dry

How do you clean, drain and dry after a wetland visit?

Clean, drain, dry is the widely used three-step routine for stopping aquatic hitchhikers. Do the first two steps before you leave the site, so anything you remove stays in the water it came from.

1. Inspect. Stand on firm, dry ground near the wetland and look over your boots, gear and clothing. Check treads, cuffs, seams and tripod joints.
2. Clean. Remove mud, seeds, plant bits and anything that looks like a snail or shell. A stiff brush works well. Leave the debris at that site, away from the water's edge, rather than carrying it to the next one.
3. Drain. Empty water from boots, wader feet, hulls, bottles and buckets. Tip gear over so water does not remain in hidden corners.
4. Dry. Let everything dry thoroughly before it touches another body of water. Many organisms die when fully dried, but damp seams and thick fabrics can stay wet longer than they appear. Agencies give different recommended drying times, so check the guidance where you live.
5. Disinfect if advised. Some regions recommend hot water or approved disinfectants for certain species or sites. Follow local instructions and keep cleaning products away from the wetland itself.

Boots and waders

Boots and waders are the gear most likely to carry invaders, because they sit in mud and water for long stretches. Rubber boots with simple treads are the easiest to clean. Felt soles and fabric gravel guards hold moisture and fine sediment for a long time, and some jurisdictions discourage or restrict felt-soled waders for that reason. If you wade at several sites in one day, a second pair of boots lets one pair dry while you wear the other.

Tripods, scopes and small gear

A tripod planted in a marsh edge collects mud in its joints and feet, and that mud is easy to forget once the legs are collapsed. Rinse and dry the legs fully extended. Keep optics themselves out of rinse water, and wipe any splashes off cases and straps.

Canoes, kayaks and vehicles

Paddling to a nesting island or a quiet bay brings you close to birds, and it also brings the most water into your gear. Pull any vegetation from the hull and paddles at the launch, open drain plugs and sponges out the footwells. For vehicles, kicking mud from tires and shaking out floor mats before leaving a muddy access road is a modest but useful habit.

Dogs

A dog that swims in one slough and then another can move seeds and small organisms in its coat. Where dogs are allowed, towel and comb them at the shore, keep them out of the water at sensitive sites, and rinse them at home. Keeping dogs leashed also reduces disturbance to nesting and resting birds.

How should you prepare before a wetland outing?

Good preparation makes preventing aquatic invasive species spread almost automatic. A small kit and a sensible route do most of the work.

• Pack a cleaning kit: a stiff brush, an old towel, a small bag for debris you cannot leave on site, and a jug of clean water for rinsing.
• Plan your route: when you can, visit cleaner or more remote waters first and busier or known infested waters last. This lowers the chance of carrying something into a less disturbed wetland.
• Bring spare footwear: a second pair of boots gives you dry gear for the next stop.
• Check local notices: access points sometimes post signs about invasive species found at that site or about inspection requirements for watercraft.
• Start dry: make sure gear from your last trip has fully dried before you set out.

How do the seasons change the risk on prairie wetlands?

The seasons change how wet your gear gets and what it may carry, so your routine can shift a little through the year.

• Spring: snowmelt fills potholes and sloughs, and migration draws birders to many wetlands in a short time. Muddy shorelines and frequent site changes make this a busy season for cleaning boots and tripods.
• Summer: aquatic plants grow quickly, and fragments catch easily on paddles, hulls and wader legs. Warm weather helps gear dry faster, but trapped water in hulls and boots still needs draining.
• Autumn: many wetland plants set seed, and seeds cling to laces, socks, cuffs and pet fur. Falling water levels expose wide mudflats that shorebirds use and that birders often walk.
• Winter: frozen wetlands carry less risk of moving water, but mud on vehicles and gear can hold seeds until spring. A quick clean before the thaw is still worthwhile.

What can you notice and note in your field notebook?

Observant birders can help by noting possible invasive species and passing those sightings to the people who manage the wetland. Signs to watch for include:

• Dense stands of tall plants with magenta flower spikes along a shoreline, which can indicate purple loosestrife.
• Thick mats of submerged plants that seem new to a familiar site.
• Small striped shells attached to docks, rocks or posts.
• Changes from one year to the next, such as a once-open marsh edge becoming crowded by a single plant.

Write down the date, the location, what you saw and, if possible, a photograph. Do not collect or move plants or animals to show someone, because that can spread them. Report sightings to your regional invasive species program or conservation agency. Your field notes on birds and habitat over several seasons can also show useful long-term changes.

Why does preventing aquatic invasive species spread matter for birds?

Preventing aquatic invasive species spread protects the plants, insects and open water that wetland birds rely on for food, cover and nesting. Invasive plants can crowd out native vegetation that ducks, rails, grebes and blackbirds use, and invasive animals and pathogens can change the food web from the bottom up. Once an aquatic invasive species becomes established in a wetland, removing it is often difficult or impossible, so prevention is the most practical tool any visitor has.

The prairie's scattered wetlands are connected by birds, water and people. Taking a quiet moment at the shoreline to brush your boots, drain your gear and let it dry is a small act of respect for the places that give us our best mornings outdoors. Make it part of your routine, alongside checking the wind and filling in your field notes, and it soon becomes second nature.