The Washington Invasive Species Council is asking for the public's help in detecting invasive species and reporting them on their new WA Invasive app.
Invasive species pose a $1.3 billion threat to Washington's economy every year, according to the Washington Staste Recreation and Conservation Office.
The new WA Invasive app "enables anyone to report a plant or animal by collecting photographs, geographic coordinates, and sighting information," the Recreation and Conservation Office said in a news release. Users also are able to collect data offline when service is not available.
“Invasive species damage land and waterways, harm local economies, ruin crops, weaken roads and other infrastructure, limit recreation, and harm human health and wildlife,” said Justin Bush, executive coordinator of the Washington Invasive Species Council. “Left unmanaged, they will change the very way of life and the availability of experiences and resources critical to life in Washington state.”
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The Invasive Species Council says the goal of the app is to prevent species from being introduced or spreading further within the state of Washington.
“You don’t have to be a biologist, entomologist, pathologist or botanist to help us detect invasive species,” Bush said. “Simply be aware of your surroundings. Learn the signs and symptoms of invasive species and then snap a photo and report anything you suspect might be a problem.”
Click here to download the WA Invasive app for Apple IOS.
Click here to download the WA Invasive app for Android.
Cox Media Group
