Play, Clean, Go
An Educational Campaign to Reduce the Spread of Terrestrial Invasives
PlayCleanGo was created for outdoor recreationalists to learn how to help slow or stop the spread of invasive species through awareness and changes in behavior. PlayCleanGo raises awareness of possible ways that invasive species can be transported and encourages people to take action by interrupting these recreational pathways.
If you value outdoor recreation, you can practice these simple steps of PlayCleanGo to
slow the spread of invasive species and therefore help preserve BCs native biodiversity.
• Remove plants, insects and mud from boots, gear and pets
• Check tires and remove any plant parts on bikes and ATVs before moving to a new area
• Clean gear before entering and leaving a recreation site
• Stay on designated roads ands trails
• Burn locally sourced firewood
• Learn to identify invasive species and report them when found in new places
How You Can Help Biodiversity in BC (for real)
Examples of Specific Actions!
Find MORE specific actions for your type of activity at the BC Invasive Species Councils website!
When working, playing, or relaxing outdoors in BC, it’s important to be mindful of ways to accidentally spread invasive species from place to place. Here are a few examples of tips to prevent the spread.
1. Come clean
Before leaving for your adventure, take a little time to inspect your gear and remove dirt, plants, and seeds from clothing, boots, gear, and vehicles.
2. Stay on designated trails
Stay on the designated trail when walking, hiking, running, biking, or riding your horse or off-road vehicles.
3. Use weed-free materials
When bringing soil, gravel, or other material onto a work site, check your sources to make sure they are weed-free.
4. Start at the cleanest site
When mowing, grading, or doing other work that involves moving from site to site, plan your work so that you start at the least infested site and finish at the most infested site. Between sites, use a brush or hand tool to remove accumulations of mud and plant debris.
5. Buy Local, Burn Local – Use only local or certified firewood
Before camping, check for any firewood restrictions at your intended campsite. Shop ahead of time to locate a source of firewood near your campsite. Burn all of the wood you bring or leave it with the campsite host. Learn more about Buy it Where you Burn it—Don’t Move Firewood
6. Use weed-free or certified hay
Use a type of certified weed-free hay when possible! If certified weed-free hay is not available, then using straw is recommended because it is less likely to carry hitch-hiking seeds.
7. Leave clean
Before heading back home or to the shop, inspect your vehicle and gear.
When available, use a power washer or air compressor to remove any dirt, plants, seeds, or bugs. When these are not available, use a brush or other tool to knock off chunks of dirt and plant debris.
Resources
All-Around Guide for Invasives 101 and How to Take Action: https://playcleango.org/
Canada Council of Invasives: https://canadainvasives.ca/programs/playcleango/
BC Invasives: https://bcinvasives.ca/play-your-part/play-clean-go/
Examples of Common Coastal Clingers
These plants reduce the biodiversity due to rapid spreading.
Provincially Noxious Clinger Plants
This sticky plant can cling to clothing or animal fur with
it’s fine Velcro®-like hairs. Since the plant is fast growing, it can shade out smaller plants and cause equipment problems when harvesting crops.
Burrs can cling to animal fur and tails and was the inspiration for the product named Velcro®. Each plant can produce up to 16,000 seeds! Small creatures like birds and bats can suffer from the burrs.
Regionally Noxious Clinger Plants
Thistle seeds spread easily with seeds, root fragments, or lateral roots and have hairy stems.
It spreads by wind-dispensed seeds, but since it’s so difficult to manage once established it is ideal to reduce pathways as much as possible. See info about the very similar plant, Milk Thistle, here.
Flower bracts and fragments of Knapweed (several varieties found in BC) can cling onto clothing, animals, and undercarriages of vehicles. They can grow into bushes that increase soil erosion.
