In the soon-to-be released new version of the Outsmart Invasive Species app, we are making it easier for you to report the most wanted weeds and pests in Massachusetts. With species grouped by Tree, Vine, Shrub, Herb, or Insect, the new interface will look more like a familiar field guide. The screenshot below, from the U.S. Forest Service Southern Forests Research Station’s Invasive Plants in Southern Forests app, gives a feel for how the updated Outsmart app will look.

The app will feature several images of each species to show how it looks at different stages of growth.

We are also adding labels that indicate the risk level associated with each species: Established Invasive Plants, Early Detection Invasive Plants, and Insects.

These categories will to help our team respond to major threats quickly and effectively. But every species listed within the Outsmart app is there for a reason. Regardless of the threat level, it is important to report any potential invasive species.

Here’s what the threat levels mean, and why you should report them:

ESTABLISHED

Description: These plants have already invaded Massachusetts and are steadily gaining ground, especially in disturbed areas like along roadsides.

Example: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Why to report them: What can garlic mustard in Massachusetts tell us about global climate change? Actually, quite a bit, if we know where it has been, and where it is going.

The more data we have on the whereabouts of an established invasive species, the better we can understand how its distribution is changing over time, and how this change relates to climate. Tracking how invasive species respond to climate change can help us predict which native species and ecosystems are at risk.

EARLY DETECTION

Description: These plants may already exist in some parts of the state, but they are not yet widespread.

Example: Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)

Why to report them: There is still potential to control these invasive species, but it is critical to catch them early. That means every report can really make a difference in stopping their spread.

INSECTS

Description: Bugs, pests, mini-beasts. You guessed it: This category is for invasive insects, rather than plants.

Example: Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Why to report them: Invasive insects can be devastatingly destructive. Just think of Worcester, where an outbreak of ALB in 2007 led to the destruction of nearly 30,000 trees.

Insects can travel long distances in short time periods by hitchhiking in packaging or firewood, and often work quickly to infest and damage trees or property. Some invasive insects are difficult to detect because they are small or elusive, so it is important to also be on the lookout for telltale signs.

Stay tuned for more updates on the new and improved Outsmart Invasive Species app!

Over the years, environmental managers have developed numerous strategies for controlling invasive species – hand removal, poisoning, burning, even goats. But UMass Amherst graduate student Jared Starr sees potential for improving invasive-species control through an innovative approach: video tutorials.

Last summer, Starr produced a series of high-quality videos for the Outsmart Invasive Species Project, explaining how to identify five of the top invasive plants in Massachusetts. Using sharp photographs, instructive animations, and plain English, he demonstrated that anyone with a smartphone or Internet access can learn how to identify one of these non-native weeds in less than a minute and a half.

UMass Amherst graduate student Jared Starr explains where to look for invasive honeysuckle in one of the video tutorials he produced for Outsmart.

Now Starr is turning the camera on pests that are often more elusive, and more destructive: invasive insects.

In January, Starr was awarded a contract from The Nature Conservancy to produce five new videos focusing on some of the most wanted insects in the country: gypsy moth, winter moth, hemlock wooly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and the infamous Asian longhorned beetle, which wreaked havoc on urban forest in Worcester, Mass., in 2008.

Starr’s videos will be accessible on the Outsmart Invasive Species app, as a handy resource to help users key-out invasive species while hiking, working in the field, or just strolling through their neighborhoods.

A master’s student in Environmental Conservation with a background in video production, Starr views multimedia resources as an inroad for the public to connect with science. Describing the video tutorials as part of the “digital outreach” approach of the Outsmart Invasive Species Project, he explained that providing detailed information in an engaging, accessible format gives anyone the capacity to identify harmful species, and help protect native habitat.

Starr said he thinks if enough citizens are aware that this resource is available at their fingertips, “Videos could really make a difference in helping detect these insects.”

The need to raise awareness is where The Nature Conservancy comes in. For more than six decades, the non-profit conservation organization has been spearheading and supporting projects and partnerships around the globe on behalf of protecting the environment. The Conservancy’s Don’t Move Firewood campaign is helping to tackle the invasive-species issue by focusing on the role of citizens in preventing outbreaks.

While the videos will be accessible through the Outsmart application and YouTube channel, they will also be available on other regional invasive-species applications, such as IveGot1 and Invasive Plants of Southern Forests. The hope is that the distribution of a high-quality, standard protocol for identifying invasive insects will foster more accurate reports, and enable early detection nationwide.

The new videos are slated for release in May 2013, but the Pestimonial will be featuring an inside look at the production process this spring. Stay tuned, and in the meantime, check out Starr’s plant identification videos on the Outsmart YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/OutsmartProject

William H. from Hampshire County!

With several formidable contenders neck-in-neck, the Outsmart Summer Pestathalon seemed like anyone’s game at the end of August. But in September, William H. came out of nowhere, leaving everyone in his dust with a slew of reports of Japanese knotweed, oriental bittersweet and glossy buckthorn.

Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) was the top species reported during the Pestathalon, thanks in part to the distinct greenish-white flowers that bloom from August through September.

Well done, William H.! You are soon be the proud owner of an Annual National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass. Send us a postcard from Yosemite!

And kudos to all of our competitors. Thanks for your efforts, and keep up the great work!

Good news! After careful deliberation, the official judges for the Outsmart Invasive Species Summer Pestathalon have decided to extend the contest until the end of September. After all, it’s the Summer Pestathalon, and it’s still summer!

Plus, the current top submitter is a member of the Outsmart team, and thus not eligible to win the grand prize. But you could be!

Check out the updated leader board below, and if you don’t see your name, start reporting! You could win an annual National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands pass. That means free access to any National Park or Federal Recreation Land, anywhere  in the country, for an entire year!

Top submitters:

1. Sean L. from Hampshire County, MA: 5 reports = 7 points

2. Jennifer F. from Hampshire County, MA: 3 reports = 5 points

3. Andrea F. from Kent County, RI: 2 reports = 2 points

Top species:

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

Black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae)

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Keep up the great work!

Less than two weeks remain in the Outsmart Summer Pestathalon, and the competition is heating up!

Sean L. from Hampshire County has pulled ahead with 5 correct reports equaling 7 points. Geoffrey G. from Middlesex County has moved into second place, and there’s currently a three-way tie for the third-place position.

Why aren’t you in the running? There’s still plenty of time to join the competition and rack up points by using the Outsmart app to report invasive species. You could win a National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands pass.

Go get those pests!

Top submitters:

1.  Sean L. from Hampshire County, MA: 5 reports = 7 points

2. Geoffrey G. from Middlesex County, MA: 2 reports = 2 points

3. Steven D. from Hampshire County, MA: 1 report = 1 point; Andrea F. from Kent County, RI: 1 report = 1 point; Susan F. from Bristol County, MA: 1 report = 1 point

Top species:

1. Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

2. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

3. Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Black swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae), Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)

Keep up the great work!

Help protect local wetlands from invaders by becoming an Aquatic Weed Watcher. During a hands-on training at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, you’ll learn about both the native and invasive plant species that can be found in local freshwater ecosystems.

Wednesday, August 15th, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

680 Hudson Road, Sudbury, MA

About the training:

The two-hour class begins with an introduction to the invasive, non-native species issues, how exotic species are introduced into our waterways, methods of dispersal, basic terminology, and guidance on performing bi-weekly monitoring and completing plant surveys.

During the remaining class time, instructors will engage volunteers in hands-on identification. A variety of non-native and native plant species will be provided, and people are encouraged to bring in their own samples as well.

Volunteers will become familiar with using a dichotomous key and although the emphasis is on exotics species, the goal is to teach volunteers to understand how to use the key so that they will be able to identify the majority of common aquatic plants in their lake or pond.

To register:

Contact Amber Carr by phone at (978) 443-4661 ext. 33, or by e-mail: amber_carr@fws.gov

Top submitters:

1. Susan F. from Bristol County, MA

2. Andrea F. from Kent County, RI

3. Steven D. from Hampshire County, MA

 Top species:

1. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

2. Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

3. Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

Keep up the great work!

If you’re not competing in the Pestathalon, why not?

You could win a National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands pass…Read more.

As it spreads along roadsides in Conway, Japanese stiltgrass threatens to creep into adjacent forestland, where it can find the ideal shady conditions to spread out. But there’s still time to stop the invasion into precious woodland habitat. The New England Wildflower Society is leading a multi-day charge to control stiltgrass in Conway, and needs more boots on the ground.

Photo: Chris Evans, UGA

Join NEWFS staff on Saturday, August 11th, from 9 a.m. to noon for hands-on management in the field. Meet at Natural Roots Farm at 888 Shelburne Falls Road in Conway, just south of the intersection with Bardwells Ferry Rd.

Since the work will take place along roadsides, for safety concerns this is not an appropriate event for young children. Bring gloves, sunscreen, wear long pants and sleeves and sturdy shoes or boots.

New England Wild Flower Society staff will also welcome help on weekdays of Aug. 9, 10, and 20 (contact John or Cynthia below for more information). An additional Saturday event of Aug. 25 will be held if needed. 

This project is in cooperation with the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the Town of Conway, the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For more information contact Ted (508-877-7630 ext 3203, telliman@newfs.org) or John at 802-318-1600 (this is the cell on site, though Conway has spotty reception)
or Cynthia Boettner (cynthia_boettner@fws.gov, office: 413-548-8002 x115). Contact only Cynthia for the Aug. 25 event.

All hands on deck: Stiltgrass has been found in the woods on the grounds of the Pioneer Valley Regional School in Northfield! Join a volunteer pulling event tomorrow, August 4th, from 9 AM – noon to help weed out this invasive pest.

Meet the organizers at the entrance to the school for a brief training, and then head into the field for to help with easy hand pulling in the great outdoors. Bring gloves, sunscreen, wear long pants and sleeves and sturdy shoes or boots. 

The event is supported by numerous local organizations and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Pioneer Valley Regional School
97 F. Sumner Turner Rd., Northfield, MA
Info: John Lepore
ask@ future-lands.com| 413-512-0644