[RWG] WEB: Invaders Citizen Science Program

[Olivia Kwong]

From: Damon Waitt <dwaitt at wildflower.org>

Speaking of Citizen Science Programs, here is more information about the 
Invaders Citizen Science program discussed at the last PCA meeting:

The Invaders Citizen Science Program was developed by a consortium of 
Botanic Gardens, Natural History Museums, Zoos, and Aquaria in partnership 
with Sea Studios Foundation, National  Geographic and Vulcan Productions 
and launched on April 20 when National Geographic's Strange Days on 
Planet Earth TV series premiered its opening episode about invaders on 
PBS.

The Invaders Program is a campaign whereby volunteer "citizen scientists" 
are trained using a specially developed Invasive Species Early Detection 
and Reporting Kit. With this kit, volunteers can help detect invaders' 
arrival and dispersal in their own local areas. They deliver that 
information into a national database and to local regulatory agencies 
who can do something about it.  The premise is simple.  The more trained 
eyes watching for invasives, the better our chances of lessening or 
avoiding damage to our native landscape. The kit has been field tested by 
several of the Invaders consortium partners which include Arizona-Sonora 
Desert Museum, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower, Missouri Botanical Garden, 
New England Aquarium, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and 
Woodland Park Zoo.

See http://www.texasinvasives.org/Citizen_Science/citizen.html and 
http://www.desertmuseum.org/invaders/ for program specifics at the Lady 
Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

We are seeking to expand the consortium in 2006 to include 4-6 new 
partners who are interested in launching citizen-science based early 
detection and reporting programs at their intitutions. Please contact me 
if you are interested in participating or would like more information.

Best regards,

Damon

Damon E. Waitt, Ph.D.
Senior Botanist
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Ave. Austin, Texas 78739-1702
--------------------------------------------
email: dwaitt at wildflower.org
web: http://www.wildflower.org
phone: 512.292.4200
fax: 512.292.4627