University of Minnesota Extension has developed By Land and By Sea: Identification Guide to Non-Native Species for Minnesota to offer an all-inclusive field guide for invasive and potentially problematic species. This new resource includes 86 species in seven major categories: Aquatic Animals, Birds, Insects, Worms, Aquatic/Wetland Plants, Herbaceous Plants, and Woody Plants. It clearly defines important terms including non-native, invasive, and weed, and provides important information about state law, as well as the best methods for reporting invasive species. For each species, there are 1-3 high-quality images, along with plain language descriptions of the species, life cycle, and threat, as appropriate.
This field guide is intended to be used in the field. Its 8”x4” size and waterproof paper make it easy to fit in a pocket or backpack and durable enough for a rainy day in the field. To enhance usability, each page is color-coded by major category and includes a quickly identifiable icon, making scanning through the pages user-friendly.
In addition to being a high quality and affordable resource (copies can be purchased for $19.99 at the UMN Bookstore), Extension volunteers including Master Naturalist, AIS Detectors, and others contributed almost 600 crowd-sourced photos and gave UMN copy and sell rights for a total public value of $5,690.
We hope you’ll never find an invasive species, but if you do, hopefully it’ll be in this great new resource! Enjoy.