Alien species & urban parks: tools for environmental education

Abstract

Alien or exotic species are a concern, not only for native biodiversity but for human health and economy. Urban parks and green areas may act as an entry route for these exotic species via gardening, pet escapes or abandonment. Thus, the urban parks and the exotic species they harbor represent a great opportunity for environmental education by bringing the population closer to nature and raising awareness about the problems that alien species can cause. Collaboration between researchers and citizens (citizen science) is a crucial step in the control of exotic species, mainly in their prevention/early colonization phase. Here we propose the use of these parks to promote knowledge about alien species that may became invasive, both in formal (elementary and high school) and informal environmental education.