Invasive species have been something of a pet peeve of mind ever since I found about them several years ago.  Who knew that the honeysuckle I enjoyed as a child actually belonged in Japan?  While some invasive species have proven more harmful than others (snakehead fish vs. brown trout, for example)- and some can more correctly be called "non-native species"- in general, they are a huge headache.

So of course I was shocked to find a small study showing that science teachers are releasing lab organisms into their local environments.  Since I am a science teacher myself, I feel comfortable asking how any self-respecting science teacher could do such a thing.  Of course, the article states that "many teachers were mortified" when the consequences of their actions were pointed out to them- well, they should be!  It appears that this is yet another area where a little extra teacher education is needed.

And yes, I did once spy an iguana crawling along the side wall of a suburban mid-Atlantic school while on an outside expedition with my students.  I was struck speechless at the time, but boy did they get an earful about invasive species during the next class!