Are you really a solo traveler? You may carry more that you think!

Do you love travelling? Is the idea that you can just hop on a plane on a grey rainy cold day and in a few hours being in a lush green island very alluring ? Join the club! 

If like me you love travelling and try to make it as sustainable as possible, then apart from reducing the impact of flying , you should also consider that you don’t travel alone but bring a whole variety of things around without thinking , from bacteria  and viruses to larvae and eggs. This means that you can be a vehicle for invasive species to hop on and off between grey rainy countries and luscious green islands (aren’t they lucky to get a free trip !?).

Invasive species ? If you have never heard the term don’t panic - hopefully by the end of this post you will have some clearer ideas, so please stick with me.

Just a few weeks ago, I came back from Madeira and as I removed my hiking boots out of my bag I became aware of the amount of red-coloured clay (mud) that I brought back together with them. I washed it off right away, of course, before wearing the boots out into the forests around the Netherlands, but as I was doing that I was left wondering about all of the species that I could have help spreading without wanting to,  should have I not washed them. 

These could have potentially been non-native species, which may become invasive. So, down to business: what are invasive species? 

‘An invasive species is a species that is not native to a specific location (an introduced species), and that has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health’. Of course what can be considered invasive is an object of scientific debate, but nonetheless we should be careful moving things around, as some might be faster spreading and damage the natives, changing ecosystems etc.. 

Wondering what type of invasive species you might be accidentally bring back with you?
Let me give you some examples:

1. Pathogens (e.g. oak wasting disease)- they are microbes and you can be carrying it anywhere.
2. Plants
3. Invertebrates

 
How? 

1. Microbes - via any living thing (plant materials for example), water, attached to mud etc
2. Seeds - mud, attached to shoes, clothes and socks and watch out in particular for the sticky ones
3. Larvae - in mud, attached to shoes, Aquatic species - through any water sport equipment

What can you do to prevent this?
Wash things (better to do this before leaving) in boiling water. Wash all of your sport equipment and clean those shoes.
Make sure no seeds attached to clothing 
Be mindful (or better: avoid) bringing back souvenirs like pieces of wood or bits of plants, make sure that they don’t get in contact with the local nature


List of resources 
Invasive species council https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/how_do_they_get_here.shtml
European code of conduct https://rm.coe.int/european-code-of-conduct-on-international-travel-and-invasive-alien/168075e833
 
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