Cross-training to stamp out a creeping menace

Karla Salp
Communications

Hurricanes. Wildfires. Floods. When these types of natural disasters occur, the entire community – often the entire nation and sometimes the world – knows that it happened.

But not all natural disasters command such attention, at least not at first. Sometimes the devastation is more insidious, like the quiet, unassuming introduction of invasive species.

There are many examples, some right here in Washington.

Take for instance Capitol Lake in Olympia. This iconic landmark used to be enjoyed by the community for a variety of activities. But an infestation of New Zealand mud snails, invasive pests the size of a grain of rice that were discovered in the lake in 2009, has rendered the water off-limits to the public.

The colorful spotted lantern fly nymph.
 (Photo credit, Pennsylvania Dept of Agriculture) 

And on the Eastern seaboard, there's kudzu. This prolific vine is swallowing up many areas of the South, not only choking out plants and trees and reducing habitat, but even ruining soil and air quality.

Then there is the gypsy moth, which was first introduced in the 1800’s in Massachusetts. Today it is permanently established in over 20 Eastern and Midwestern states. In 2016, gypsy moth damage in New England was so bad, in fact, that it could be seen from space. The news is full of stories of dead trees – including nearly three out of every four oak trees and more than a quarter of all hardwoods dying in Rhode Island.

The ecological and economic impacts will likely be felt for decades.

Cross-training for pest detection

Exotic Pest Workshop in Bellingham, Wa.

Several WSDA staff recently joined about one hundred natural resource managers from Canada, Washington, and other US states for the Exotic Pest Workshop in Bellingham in an effort to try to avoid this kind of natural disaster. The purpose: to cross-train one another on invasive species currently present or likely to be introduced into the area in the near future.

Recognizing that invasive species have no respect for county, state, or international borders, the goal is to have more professionals in the field trained to recognize a wide range of invasive species – including animals, plants, and diseases – even though it may not directly involve the work they are doing.

For example, an aquatic weed management program may notice invasive muscles. Properly trained professionals can identify and report these pests and potentially stop or mitigate an ecological disaster.

Topics of discussion included information about how invasive species get to the area, public outreach, decontamination, and effective eradication programs. Presenters covered a wide variety of pests, including:

European green crab
 (Photo credit: Alison Fox, University of Florida)

• Spotted lanternfly
• Japanese beetle
• Invasive mussels
• Knotweed
• European green crab
• Sudden oak death
• White nose syndrome
• Feral swine

Deploying technology

While cross-training professionals in the field is a great step in the right direction, it only provides a limited number of eyes in the field. As with any natural disaster, a whole-community approach is critical to the successful response and recovery from invasive species introductions.

People enjoying parks, gardeners, hikers, hunters and fishers, campers – anyone enjoying nature – can educate themselves about invasive species and report anything that looks suspicious. For more information about invasive species, visit the Washington Invasive Species Council.

Reporting possible invasive species is as easy as snapping a picture with your phone and uploading it either to the council’s website or using the Washington Invasives app.