FIGHTING INVADERS
Organizations need the public’s help in keeping invasive species from gaining a foothold
A clear photo of the species, along with contact information for the sender, can also be emailed to dm282@ cornell.edu.
In the fight against the spread of invasive species, organizations like Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County are relying on the public to be their eyes.
Dona Crawford, Master Gardener coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, said the agency is offering free invasive species identification services to the public. Through that service, the agency is able to determine where invasive species might be found locally and provide resources on how to eradicate them, she said. Crawford said members of the public are the ones who can re-
ally tell the agency what is going on and be its eyes.
“They’re helping us,” Crawford said recently. “They’re helping Ulster County map where the invasives are.”
Mapping where invasive species like Jumping Worms or the Spotted Lanternfly are located helps the agencies that are trying to control their spread, Crawford said. She added that her agency does not perform eradication services itself, but can provide people with information that would allow them to eradicate invasive species on their own properties. Other agencies, such as the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership, or CRISP, have strike forces that can go in to investigate and eradicate an invasive species when large amounts are reported, Crawford said.
“It’s important to know where they are,” Crawford said of the invasive species. She added that her agency’s identification program is part of a grant from CRISP.
Ulster County residents who find a plant, insect or animal they believe may
be an invasive species can bring it to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County office located in the Kingston Plaza for free identification and recommendations. Samples can be dropped off during horticulture hotline hours, which are from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
A clear photo of the species, along with contact information for the sender, can also be emailed to dm282@cornell.edu.
“Even though only a small percentage of introduced species become invasive, the damage they cause is significant,” according to a press release from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County. “For example, a single group of feral swine can destroy a 10acre cornfield in less than a week. The need for a national early detection and rapid response system to prevent the spread of invasive species before they are well established has been recognized in order to deal with this increasing threat.”
Crawford said the information she receives is also reported to a statewide app called iMapInvasives to track where invasive species are located. She added that one of the biggest invasive species the public is being asked to be on the lookout for now is jumping worms.
Jumping worms alter the structure and chemistry of soil dramatically, leaving a distinctive grainy soil full of worm castings, according to information from Cornell Cooperative Extension. The worms can damage lawns, landscapes and the forest understory habitat. People unknowingly spread these worms by using them for bait or transport their egg cocoons on shoes and wheels, in mulch, of through transplanted plants.
The worms have a clitellum or collar that goes all the way around their body and is smooth. The worms are very active and have a sheen to them.
Crawford said she recently held a class on jumping worms as part of a plant swap because the species can be transported in soil. She said raising the public’s awareness of the species will help stop their spread.