HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Wild Spotter is a nationwide citizen science program that allows the public to report invasive species on an app.
The Virginia Department of Forestry added Virginia’s state forests to the app and pre-selected invasive species of concern that the department wants help locating in state forests.
“They can download the app and get a free account going. It is super easy to use,” said Katlin DeWitt, VDOF’s invasive species coordinator.
In the app, DeWitt said, each land manager can choose 10 to 20 target invasive species they would like reports on. Then, there’s a photo guide of those species that land managers can look out for.
DeWitt said that if someone reports an invasive species, there will be some questions for the user to answer, but they should leave the plant or pest alone so the VDOF can go out and locate it before deciding the best way to manage the species.
“They are displacing native species that are more beneficial to wildlife and to the landscape,” DeWitt said. “It is just really important for us to look out and try to manage these on our public lands.”
She said that down the line, areas like state parks could be added to the app, but for right now, it is just for state forests.
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