APIPP News: Submit BLD Surveys by October 31; Register for 12/1 Partner Meeting

APIPP News: Submit BLD Surveys by October 31; Register for 12/1 Partner Meeting

Dear Partners,

I hope you are enjoying the warm fall weather. The APIPP team is taking advantage of the warm temperatures by finishing our aquatic invasive species eDNA sampling and by joining the New York State Hemlock Initiative for the release of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) biocontrols in the Lake George region.

Thanks to those who joined us for last week’s Adirondack Invasive Species Summit. The speakers were amazing, the presentations informative, and the discussions invaluable. If you missed the event, the Facebook live recordings are available here.

Mark your calendars now for the virtual Adirondack PRISM Year-End Partner Meeting on December 1. Read more about it below.

Adirondack PRISM Year-End Partner Meeting: December 1, 9:30am-12:00pm, Zoom

Join Adirondack PRISM partners and APIPP staff for the Year-End Partner Meeting. This online conversation will include highlights of APIPP’s 2022 field season and a discussion of the new Adirondack PRISM 2023–2027 Strategic Plan and Partnership Operating Principles.

The meeting is a great opportunity to learn more about the strategic plan and how partners can help minimize the impact of invasive species on the Adirondack region’s communities, lands, and waters. We hope you will join us for a discussion of how partners can contribute to advancing the goals of the strategic plan over the next five years and how we can collectively demonstrate the impact of our work. Register here.

Forest Pest Hunters: Fall Beech Leaf Disease Surveys End October 31

APIPP’s’ volunteer Forest Pest Hunters are searching for beech leaf disease until October 31. So far, 33 trails have been adopted and over 90 survey points have been entered into iMapInvasives. There is still time to participate. Enjoy the fine fall weather and survey for this disease. Find everything you need to get started on our website here. Thank you, Forest Pest Hunters!

Adirondack Invasive Species Summit Report

APIPP was excited to bring together top experts to share their knowledge with Adirondack PRISM partners and the public at the Adirondack Invasive Species Summit on October 19. Presentations and audience discussions focused on two invasive species that have the potential to dramatically impact Adirondack forests and freshwater ecosystems—HWA and hydrilla. Presentation recordings can be found here.

After the HWA panel presentations, the audience discussed the implications for the Adirondacks now that we know HWA cannot be eradicated from the region. Participants agreed that early detection is the key to enabling swift treatment of new infestations. To bolster that effort, APIPP and its partners will launch the winter Forest Pest Hunters HWA survey program in late January. The audience conversation also highlighted the need to have more information available for landowners, including best management practices for harvesting hemlock and for  pesticide treatment of HWA.

The hydrilla panelists provided important, and sometimes distressing, information about this aquatic invasive species. After the presentations, the audience discussed what tools and resources we might need in the Adirondacks to prepare for a hydrilla infestation. Revisiting the regional rapid response plan is a first step, as is understanding how to tailor it to the site specifics of an infestation.

PRISM Job Opportunities Outside of the Adirondacks

Three of NY’s Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) are recruiting new staff. If you have the knowledge and experience to help NY PRISMs fight invasive species, check out the postings below. Application deadlines close soon.

Happy Halloween!

Tammara