Invasive Species Week: A conversation on crayfish

On Thursday, 27 May 2021, RSK Biocensus Aquatic Ecology Lead Dr Pete Walker will deliver the First Thursday Club webinar on crayfish to coincide with the GB non-native species secretariat’s (NNSS) Invasive Species Week. In the webinar, Pete will introduce the different species of crayfish found within the UK and will provide an overview of the risks posed by non-native crayfish to our aquatic environments and species. He will also talk about the importance of biosecurity in reducing the impacts on invasive non-native crayfish.

The NNSS is a UK Government body that is tasked with helping to coordinate the approach to invasive non-native species in Great Britain. It hosts an annual Invasive Species Week to raise awareness of these species and to promote how everyone can help to prevent their spread. The NNSS website is packed with useful information about what constitutes an invasive species and what the public can do to help safeguard the environment. The annual events are huge in scope: the 2019 week involved more than 320 organisations and 93 separate events. Beginning on Thursday, 24 May 2021, Invasive Species Week is packed with lots of events and activities that people can join online or in person, socially distanced.

“The annual Invasive Species Week is a terrific venture that provides such a vast programme to satisfy everyone, from a casual observer to the more dedicated and seasoned participant. This year will prove no different. Despite the pandemic, NNSS has organised a terrific event, and I’m looking forward to joining online,” offers Pete Walker.

To coincide with the NNSS-sponsored week, Pete will host RSK’s First Thursday Club a week earlier than usual, on Thursday, 27 May 2021. Run by RSK’s ecological business Biocensus, the First Thursday Club is an opportunity to hear about new legislation, policy and best practice relating to the natural environment, including how it affects your business, through a series of webinars.

Click here to book your free place.