PlayCleanGo Awareness Week

Mark your calendars: June 3-10, 2023

Supported by APHIS & Extreme Terrain and Powered by NAISMA

Show outdoor enthusiasts how they can stop invasive plants and pests from spreading — while enjoying the great outdoors.

Show outdoor enthusiasts how to stop spreading invasive plants and pests — while enjoying the great outdoors. The fourth annual PlayCleanGo Awareness Week was June 4-11, 2022, across North America. The third annual event in 2021 reached more than 500,000 individuals with the PlayCleanGo message.  The goal of the campaign is to show outdoor enthusiasts how to stop spreading invasive plants and pests — while enjoying the great outdoors. Dozens of free materials are available on this webpage to help you spread the word and Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks™!

Partner with PlayCleanGo

PlayCleanGo is designed for outdoor educators, recreation leaders, and other environmental professionals who work with the public. By using a consistent message across the continent, we can work together to spread awareness about invasive species prevention. You can officially join PlayCleanGo by joining NAISMA as a partner here. Outdoor recreationists play an important role in protecting our natural spaces. The PlayCleanGo Awareness Week campaign engages our recreationist community through videos, social media channels, local media outlets.  In your outreach, use the hashtag #PlayCleanGoWeek and encourage outdoor enthusiasts to demonstrate how they “PlayCleanGo.”  Add your June events to our calendar. 

We focus on 6 simple tips for invasive species prevention:

  1. Clean your shoes, clothes, packs, and pets before and after exploring and stay on designated trails.
  2. Clean your horse’s hooves and feed them weed-free certified hay before your adventure.
  3. Clean, Drain, and Dry your watercraft and angling equipment to Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
  4. Don’t Move Firewood! Buy it where you burn it, buy certified heat-treated firewood, or gather on site when permitted.
  5. Before traveling to new areas, inspect and clean your trailers, off-road vehicles, and recreational vehicles with water or compressed air to remove mud, plant parts, and hidden pests.
  6. Take the PlayCleanGo Pledge and invite your family and friends to do the same at PlayCleanGo.org.

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  1. Limpia tu calzado, ropa, mochilas y mascotas antes y después de explorar, y mantente en los caminos designados
  2. Limpia los cascos de tu caballo y aliméntalo con heno certificado libre de malezas antes de salir de aventura
  3. Limpia, Drena y Seca tu embarcación y equipo de pesca para Detener a las Invasoras Acuáticas
  4. ¡No muevas leña! Cómprala en el sitio donde la usarás, compra leña certificada con tratamiento de calor, o recógela en el mismo sitio, si es permitido. 
  5. Revisa y limpia tus remolques, vehículos todo terreno y recreativos con agua o aire comprimido para quitarles lodo, trozos de plantas o plagas escondidas.
  6. Comprométete con la campaña de PlayCleanGo e invita a tu familia y amigos a hacerlo PlayCleanGo.org

PlayCleanGo With Our Partners

Free Action Toolkit

Make PlayCleanGo Awareness Week Your Own

As a PlayCleanGo Getter, you are the most important part of protecting the places and spaces you love from invasive species. PlayCleanGo Awareness Week provides all of our Ambassadors and recreationists, like you, an opportunity to come together with a common goal of protecting the landscape from invasive species. Whether it’s coming together during PlayCleanGo Ambassador events or coming together virtually through sharing our materials. These free, curated materials highlight the many simple ways you can take to prevent the spread of invasive species and help inform your family, friends, neighbors, and educators how to help spread the word and Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks!

Overview

  • PlayCleanGo Awareness Week takes place June 3-10, 2023 across North America.
  • The goal of the campaign is to show outdoor recreationists how they can help the spread of invasive species.
  • Tag PlayCleanGo in your posts to help us see who’s joining the movement with @PlayCleanGo (Twitter) and @Play.Clean.Go (Instagram) and use the campaign hashtags #PlayCleanGo and #PlayCleanGoWeek
PlayCleanGo Awareness Week is sponsored by USDA APHIS & ExtremeTerrain in partnership with:

Free Resources

Free toolkit to help you prepare. Includes sample social media text, daily topic calendar, videos, and more.
National press release highlighting six tips to protect natural spaces. Please share widely across state and regional media.
Press release template. Insert your organization’s information and send to all your local news media.

Free English Graphics

Use these graphics on your social channels. Pair them with our post text, listed below, or make them your own! Get more free material at the PlayCleanGo Graphic Library on naisma.org.

Be sure to tag us (@PlayCleanGo on Twitter & @Play.Clean.Go on Instagram) and use our hashtags (#PlayCleanGo / #PlayCleanGoWeek)

Download a .zip folder of all graphics here!

Free Spanish Graphics
Get More Free PlayCleanGo Graphics at NAISMA.org

Sample Social Media Text

These posts are for you! 

Use these posts on your social channels; make them local, leave them as is, or pair them with our graphics above! 

Find out what PlayCleanGo is posting through the week by downloading our free toolkit.

Be sure to tag us (@PlayCleanGo) and use our hashtags (#PlayCleanGo / #PlayCleanGoWeek) 

Impact of Invasive Species

545 of 1,300 US threatened or endangered species are at risk because of invasive species. You can help by making #PlayCleanGo part of all your adventures by cleaning your gear and your ride before new adventures! Get PlayCleanGo facts and tips here: www.playcleango.org/awareness-week  and follow @PlayCleanGo

En Estados Unidos, 545 de las 1300 especies amenazadas o en peligro estan en riesgo por las especies invasoras. Tu puedes ayudar, solo con limpiar tu equipo y vehículo. Conoce más tips de PlayCleanGo aquí: www.playcleango.org/awareness-week @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek

Invasive species cost the US $138 billion per year in environmental damages, control and losses. But recreationists can help! After caving or climbing, wash hands, clothes, footwear and anything else that may have touched the ground wall or other surfaces. https://playcleango.org/take-action/#caving #caving #climbing @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek 

Las especies invasoras representan una pérdida de $138 billones de dólares al año, en daños ambientales, control y pérdidas. ¡Los excursionistas pueden ayudar a controlarlas! Después de escalar o explorar cuevas, lava tus manos, ropa, botas y cualquier otra cosa que haya tocado las paredes o superficies https://playcleango.org/take-action/#caving #caving #climbing @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek 

Preventing The Spread of Invasive Species (Calls To Action/CTA)

You might be a pro at outdoor recreation, but are you using #PlayCleanGo’s #ProTips to Stop Invasive Species In Your Tracks? Get the pro-tips today! PlayCleanGo.org and following @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek

Tal vez seas un profesional de las actividades al aire libre pero ¿estás usando las recomendaciones de PlayCleanGo para detener a las especies invasoras? Conócelas aquí PlayCleanGo.org #ProTip #PlayCleanGoWeek @PlayCleanGo

Water is vital to our ecosystem and is the source of life for all living things. When you #PlayCleanGo you by cleaning, draining, and drying before entering a new body of water you help protect the waters from invasive plants and animals. 

@PlayCleanGo @StopAquaticHitchhikers

El agua es vital para nuestro ecosistema y es la fuente de vida de todos los seres vivos. Ayuda a proteger los cuerpos de agua en los que pescas. Deja los restos de carnada, y trozos de peces, que no quieras llevarte en la basura en vez de en el agua. #PlayCleanGoWeek @StopAquaticHitchhikers

There are 50,000 invasive species in the US – but there are millions of recreationists that can #PlayCleanGo! Inspecting and hosing down your RV and off road vehicles with water or compressed air can slow the spread of invasive species Learn more by following @PlayCleanGo and @HungryPests

Existen más de 50,000 especies invasoras en los Estados Unidos, y hay millones de personas que hacen actividades recreativas. El simple acto de rociar tu vehículo con agua o aire comprimido, o barrer el interior puede hacer la diferencia para reducir la dispersión de especies invasoras en tu comunidad. Aprende más siguiendo a @HungryPests and @DontMoveFirewood #NationalRVday @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek

Hungry pests can’t move far and wide on their own. But with help from people, they can cover 55 miles per hour. Make sure you check all equipment and wheel wells to remove egg sacks and Don’t Move Firewood! Learn more by following @HungryPests and @DontMoveFirewood @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek

Por sí mismas, las plagas no se pueden mover a grandes distancias. Pero con la ayuda de las personas pueden moverse hasta 90 km/h. ¡Asegúrate de revisar todo tu equipo, y las cavidades de las llantas, para retirar huevecillos! y ¡no transportes leña!. Aprende más siguiendo a @HungryPests and @DontMoveFirewood #PlayCleanGoWeek

Take these easy steps to stop invasive plants and pests: Stay on trails. Clean your gear, clothes, and animals before exploring a new natural space, and take the #PlayCleanGo Pledge today! www.playcleango.org/awareness-week @PlayCleanGo

Aplica estos sencillos pasos para detener a las especies invasoras: camina sobre los senderos designados. Limpia tu equipo, ropa y animales. ¡Comprométete a participar con el programa PlayGleanGo! https://playcleango.org/take-action/ and follow @PlayCleanGo #PlayCleanGoWeek 

Gardening is a great way to spend time outdoors while staying in your own backyard. Remember to #PlayCleanGo and clean your gardening tools between uses so as to not to spread disease from plant to plant. @PlayCleanGo @HungryPests @DontMoveFirewood 

La jardinería es una manera excelente de pasar tiempo en tu jardín. Recuerda comprar plantas que sean nativas para tu área y limpiar tus herramientas después de cada uso, para no propagar enfermedades entre tus plantas. #PlayCleanGoWeek @HungryPests @DontMoveFirewood @PlayCleanGo #PlantHealth