Authored by: Chuck Bargeron In February 2025, the second annual Wild Spotter Invasive Species Ambassador Training will take place at Lake Guntersville State Park in Alabama. This three-day workshop is designed to equip natural resource managers and community leaders with practical skills and tools to strengthen invasive species management, local program engagement, and community outreach. Over 60 participants, selected through an application process, are expected to graduate as certified Invasive Species Ambassadors. The training is coordinated by the University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, USDA Forest Service, and Invasive Plant Control, Inc. (IPC). “The goal of the Invasive Species Ambassador training is to energize people and affect change at the ground level,” said Chuck Bargeron, Director of the UGA Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. “The training will familiarize natural resource managers and volunteers with the Invasives Free USA concept, the Wild Spotter program, and provide them with a comprehensive toolbox of best practices for grassroots program success. Invasive species management success is powered by people.” This training emphasizes the human element of invasive species management, focusing on community involvement rather than solely on prevention or control. Over 20 speakers and a class of 59 members attended the inaugural Invasive Species Ambassador Training held in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, December 5-7, 2023 Key Workshop Highlights: Partnership Building & Stakeholder Engagement: Strategies to foster partnerships and engage key stakeholders. Branding & Marketing: Methods to promote programs, raise awareness, and gain support. Innovative Tools & Technologies: Training on tools like the Wild Spotter app for mapping and managing invasives. Volunteer Coordination: Techniques for recruiting, keeping, and managing citizen scientists. Leadership Community Action: Developing leadership skills for community-driven, sustainable change. Dre Arman, Idaho/Nevada Coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, leads the “Knotweed” Team in the invasive species occurrence scenario simulated to affect the Sierra National Forest and Yosemite National Park regions. Wild Spotter and Invasives Free USA Wild Spotter, a national citizen-science detection initiative, has expanded rapidly, enabling people to identify and report invasive species through an easy-to-use smartphone app. Wild Spotter empowers individuals to protect wild places from invasive species threats. Wild Spotter has been adopted by the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management. The Wild Spotter training program is built upon Invasives Free USA, a concept introduced in 2016 by Steve Manning of IPC. Inspired by similar international campaigns, Invasives Free USA aims to establish invasive-free zones across the country by promoting a collaborative, community-driven approach. At the heart of Wild Spotter is EDDMapS, a web-based platform that streamlines invasive species tracking for professional and volunteer use. Graduates of the 2025 Ambassador Training will join previous cohorts in championing Invasives Free principles and engaging communities through the Wild Spotter app. For more information on the Invasive Species Ambassador Training, visit Invasives Free Ambassadors, and to learn more about Wild Spotter, go to Wild Spotter.
