The Invasive Plant Resource Guide is a collection of materials designed to support your invasive plant management and education efforts. Whether you are a public lands manager, a member of a cooperative weed management area, or a local weed worker, the materials in this book will provide you with a broad perspective on the invasive species problem, as well as much practical information.

Fact sheets, booklets, and handbooks developed by many agencies and organizations make up the Resource Guide. These materials cover a variety of topics including natural resources, land stewardship practices, weed management techniques and tools, and working effectively with groups. Knowledge from these resources can be shared with stakeholders in building community support, which is essential to preventing and managing plant invasions, and to sustaining the ecological integrity and economic value of the lands that we depend upon.

The Resource Guide is divided into four themes, each one defining a suite of materials related to that theme. Following the introduction to each theme is a User’s Guide that briefly describes each item, its source, and how to order or download it from a website. Most of the materials are free, making it easy to obtain more for distribution to your local audience.

These materials can be used in many ways, to increase your knowledge on a specific topic, develop handouts or presentations, print fact sheets or order booklets to hand out at meetings and other events, or provide a specific reference to others. Keep in mind that although some materials have been developed for specific regions or ecosystems, the ideas or basic concepts can usually be applied to your area. Exploring the website provided for each item in the User’s Guide may lead you to additional helpful resources.

We hope you find that this BIG BOOK serves well as a resource for the BIG PROBLEM of invasive plants.