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Alligatorweed
(Alternanthera philoxeroides)
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Testimonials
"One of the greatest values of using iMapInvasives is receiving a quick catch
of a new invasive species report."
Brian Pilarcik, Watershed Specialist at the Crawford County Conservation District, uses iMapInvasives to learn of newly reported invasive species so that Early Detection/Rapid Response efforts may be initiated quickly and efficiently.
Read more testimonials
Stacie Hall
Assistant Manager at Pymatuning State Park, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
"As a manager of a large resource, mapping invasive species and related control efforts is vital to understanding the significance of a population in the landscape, size of necessary control measures, and tracking effectiveness of treatments. At Pymatuning, I have been using iMapInvasives over the last three years to assist in the management of several invasive species including hydrilla, a significant concern for the health of the reservoir. Not only am I able to track my own records, I am able to use the statewide data when speaking to others on the spread of hydrilla."
Kimberly Bohn, Ph.D
Forestry and Natural Resources Educator with Penn State Extension &
Co-Director of the Allegheny Plateau Invasive Plant Management Area
"iMapInvasives is the perfect tool for collaborative groups, such as CWMAs, to coalesce and anaylze invasive species data from multiple sources including agency and industry partners as well as information collected by citizen scientists. What makes iMapInvasives so powerful is that not only can you view general distribution maps documenting invasive species across the state, but other tools allow you to create specific maps for a project area, set up an EDRR alert system for account users within your CWMA, or track the progress of treatments and control efforts."
Dan Barringer
Preserve Manager and Invasive Species Management Coordinator at
Crow's Nest Nature Preserve
Natural Lands
"iMapInvasives is useful for Early Detection-Rapid Response as it allows me to know what weeds to look out for in my region so I can manage them efficiently before they become well established."
Eric Rensel
Natural Resource Specialist
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of State Parks
"We will be using iMapInvasives to track our invasive species found in the Parker Dam State Park Complex. Interns will be doing some of this work - as well as control - and we wanted a good way to document it all. And, for the next park manager/staff who may want to know what invasive species we have (or had) on our managed lands and what was done with them, iMapInvasives will prove most useful."
Michael Hartshorne
Senior Limnologist
Princeton Hydro
"iMapInvasives has proven invaluable in documenting new occurrences of invasives in the state and developing a comprehensive database on shifts in these species over time. This data is critical in helping to inform policy and management decisions in Pennsylvania and beyond."
Benjamin Mummert
Invasive Plant Ecologist
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Division of Forest Health
"When invasive species find their way into Pennsylvania, iMapInvasives reveals their geographic distributions by distributing information across political and institutional boundaries and among citizen scientists (via email alerts). In addition to innovatively collecting and publicly publishing this important occurrence data, iMapInvasives serves as a network that connects citizens and professionals in efforts that collaboratively address the threats invasive species pose."
Note: Ben's former title was Director of Land Stewardship at the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Barbara Lathrop
Watershed Program Specialist
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
"With certain invasive species on the move, I see iMapInvasives as a useful tool to communicate to others about where species have been found, which is useful information to nearby stakeholders."
Sara Stahlman
Extension Leader
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
"The email alert capability in iMapInvasives has been extremely helpful to me. I've set up several alerts in order to receive information on new infestations reported in Pennsylvania."
Craig Bingman
District Manager (retired)
Snyder County Conservation District
"I am amazed at the diversity of the iMapInvasives database. There are so many choices and selections that can be made."
Brian Jones
Land Stewardship Coordinator at the
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy &
Member of the Southern Laurel Highlands Plant & Pest Management Partnership
"iMapInvasives has been a useful tool for the Southern Laurel Highlands Plant & Pest Management Partnership. We have a lot of data to add and will primarily be using this application to identify and treat areas within our partnership."
Matt Shank
Aquatic Biologist
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
"PA iMapInvasives is a useful and intuitive interface that allows researchers and managers ready access to distribution data for aquatic invasive species, which are often novel and poorly understood. The convenience of both providing and retrieving distribution data in a central database facilitates information exchange and fosters informed aquatic resource research and management decisions ."
Brian Crooks
Community Forester
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
"iMapInvasives is comprehensive, yet easy to use. A user can quickly get a complete picture of what is threatening a given area and then make management decisions."
Caitlin Seiler
Director of Volunteer & Land Resources
Allegheny Land Trust
"After attending a training on iMapInvasives, I definitely feel like I have a better grasp on the tools it provides and a good idea of how the Allegheny Land Trust can best use iMapInvasives to track data on our properties and in our overall management efforts."
Nicholas Tonelli
Community Scientist
"As a nature enthusiast, I'm greatly alarmed by the spread and impact of invasive species. The iMapInvasives program is an outstanding resource that I've used not only to share my own observations but to further my understanding of invasive species. The program offers a wealth of information, all in one place, that I can't find elsewhere."
Dan Nydick
Community Scientist & Board Member at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
"I see a lot of value in the iMapInvasives program as it has encouraged me to share my observations of invasive species for the benefit of others engaged in invasive species management efforts."
iMapInvasives User
"iMapInvasives allows me to quickly and easily trade reliable invasive species-related information with a potentially large network of informed workers and the public throughout Pennsylvania and the nation. I encourage more persons to involve themselves in this program and contribute to this growing wealth of information."
Tom Cermak
Coastal Outreach Specialist
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
"The iMapInvasives mobile app has provided partners of the Lake Erie Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area with an effective platform to document and share invasive species related data throughout the region. This user-friendly tool continues to be a wonderful resource to track both the distribution of invasive species and restoration efforts that have been completed. Having this data easily accessible is beneficial to all of our partnering organizations."
Brian Beinhauer
Community Scientist
"I really enjoyed participating in the 2021 Water Chestnut Chasers Challenge. Being my first time, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I signed up to volunteer. But the use of the iMapInvasives mobile app and website made gathering data and submitting findings a breeze."
Hannah Bequeath
Community Scientist & Education/Outreach Coordinator at the Clarion Conservation District
"As a community scientist who often worries about the rapid spreading of invasive species, iMapInvasives gave me the opportunity to take part in the state's efforts to manage these species. This mapping tool was easy to use and allowed me to feel like I was making a difference for my local environment."
Kelly Sitch
Ecologist
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry
"Accurate mapping of invasive plant infestations at all scales - from within individual sites up to the statewide level - is critical to inform effective prioritization of control projects and allocation of resources. Staff within the Bureau of Forestry rely on the accurate, verified data that iMapInvasives provides to better understand how invasive plants are spreading on and off State Forest lands throughout Pennsylvania. I would encourage all land managers and folks engaged in invasive plant management across the state to fully utilize this resource while planning control projects."
Kristopher Abell
Coordinator
Pennsylvania Governor's Invasive Species Council
"iMapInvasives is an essential component of invasive species management in Pennsylvania. From receiving reports of new infestations and confirming species identification, to storing and tracking species distribution and treatment efforts, iMapInvasives does all this and more, making it an invaluable tool for protecting our state from invasive species."
Sgt. Jesse Bish
State Game Warden & Land Management Group Supervisor
Pennsylvania Game Commission
"My position as a Land Management Group Supervisor with the PGC covers many duties and responsibilities. Of those duties and responsibilities, I manage the wildlife habitat on over 50,000 acres of State Game Lands within Jefferson and Clarion counties. Invasive vegetation management has a large role in providing quality wildlife habitat and forest health. During the planning stages of any project, treatment of invasive vegetation is often the first step in habitat management. Being able to document and take inventory of noxious weeds such as Japanese knotweed through the iMapInvasives database will further provide critical information for our habitat management activities."
Jim Zoschg
Conservation Resource Technician
Cameron County Conservation District
"As part of my role with the Cameron County Conservation District, I help to administer the Sinnemahoning Invasive Plant Management Area (SIPMA). The Sinnemahoning Creek Watershed covers an area of 1,050 square miles, and there are many areas without information about invasive species. Two of the target plant species for our group are tree-of-heaven and phragmites due to their limited distribution. The iMapInvasives database has made us aware of several populations of these two species that are located 'off the beaten path' that would have been overlooked in our control efforts."
Jared McGary
Environmental Education Specialist
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
"iMapInvasives has helped the staff at Pymatuning State Park locate and treat invasive species, both aquatic and terrestrial. The app allows us to be ahead of the game and target potential threats before they develop a stronghold in our Reservoir."
Sean Hartzell
Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
"I use Pennsylvania iMapInvasives on almost a daily basis as a reference for the current distribution of aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the Commonwealth. This helps me assess new reports for AIS received by the PFBC in a broader geographic context for appropriate management actions. Additionally, the tools provided by the program, such as the ability to export data in CSV format or a shapefile, is a useful tool in generating maps for reports or publications. The program's process of expert verification and QA/QC of incoming invasive species records also provides reliability as a high quality reference, just like a well-worn field guide or textbook on the office shelf. This program is an essential tool for those managing invasive species in Pennsylvania."
Thomas Huff
Community Scientist
"As a new user of iMapInvasives, I plan to explore the relevant trainings and tutorials offered by the program to ensure any data I provide is as robust as possible. iMapInvasives provides a good way for someone like me to contribute to the scientific community here in Pennsylvania."
David Jackson
Forest Resources Educator
Penn State Extension
"My organization used iMapInvasives to survey for tree-of-heaven, 3,676 records in total, and used those locations to look for spotted lanternfly. By looking for and mapping tree-of-heaven in high travel areas, we were able to survey for spotted lanternfly in areas where it could likely be introduced. iMapInvasives was easy to use and allowed Extension educators from across the state and in many disciplines to assist in surveying for and mapping tree-of-heaven locations. Points in the database are able to be seen in real time, so it allowed those working in the same county to see where observations had already been made."
Jim Valimont
Community Scientist
"When I discovered kudzu growing near a power line in a neighboring town, I made several calls to various agencies to report it. I found out about the iMapInvasives app and downloaded it to my phone and reported the sighting. The app will make it easier for me to report other invasive species in the future."
Scott Sjolander
Associate Educator in Renewable Natural Resources
Penn State Extension
"Thank you for introducing me to the iMapInvasives mobile app this summer! I found the tool to be quick and much more reliable at reporting invasive species finds than writing a note on a pad of paper and hoping to remember it at the end of the day."
Katrina Stanley
Environmental Science Student
University of Pittsburgh
"iMapInvasives has taught me the importance of reporting sightings of invasive species. As an inexperienced student working with the program, I found it easy to understand and navigate and I learned that observations can be vital to the role of mitigation by natural resource managers. It is a tool I will continue to use and refer to in the future."
Note: As of 2025, Katie is an Interpretive Naturalist with the Latodami Nature Center.
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