G.R.A.S.
Your goal is to educate people about the long-term dangers of releasing pets into the wild. You have been asked to develop a national awareness campaign to be used by pet stores around the country. This campaign should help people understand how introducing a new species into an ecosystem can change an ecosystem forever.
Role
You are an ecologist who has been asked by an organization affiliated with pet stores across the country to develop a public awareness campaign related to invasive species. This campaign should highlight various invasive species that have become key species in a new ecosystem. You will want to share the impact these new species had on other components of the ecosystem and any species that were eliminated from the original ecosystem.
Audience
Your audience will be pet store owners across the country who will be attending a national conference. These people are looking for creative ideas to educate their customers about the dangers of introducing invasive species into an ecosystem.
Situation
More and more stories are being reported by newspapers and television news shows about pets being let go in the wild and the issues that this can cause. Recently, a giant goldfish was found in Lake Tahoe. Where did it come from? Most likely someone dumped it into the lake from an aquarium. Situations like this can disturb the ecosystem, and in some cases, cause harm that cannot be fixed. Other stories are constantly in the news about other animals that were once pets. These stories include everything from alligators to snakes. People need to understand the impact these creatures can have on an ecosystem and the living components within.