Citizens Scientists Asked to help USFS

Citizens Scientists Asked to help USFS

Maura Bennett
Maura Bennett

The US Forest Service is asking for help in spotting invasive species in National Forests and rangelands.

Mike Ielmini, USFS National Invasive Species Program Manager told the USDA News service about another new citizens scientist program called Wildspotter.

Wildspotter is a program to help build the capacity to have your average person out there across the landscape and visitors of these national forests come help us find and map invasive species in America's wild places. Download the free apps that we have that are off the android or the Apple platforms.

Ielmini says they're asking for a few things from citizen scientists. What you find, where you found it and how much of it you found. He says they need the public's help to protect the national lands because the spaces are so vast. There is over 193-million acres of national forests and grasslands across the country. There are 174 national forests and it's really hard for forest service employees to monitor every acre.

If you like to help find and download the app at www.wildspotter.org.

The app helps identify invasive plants, insects, species and diseases that can then be reported to the Forest Service.

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