Texas' Citizen Scientist Approach to Early Detection of Invasive Species

The Invaders of Texas Program has trained citizen scientists to detect and report invasive species throughout Texas since 2005. Since inception, more than 2,000 participants have reported over 16,000 observations that have... [ view full abstract ]

The Invaders of Texas Program has trained citizen scientists to detect and report invasive species throughout Texas since 2005. Since inception, more than 2,000 participants have reported over 16,000 observations that have been validated and delivered into a state and national databases. The program has dramatically and systematically increased early detection, reporting and monitoring of invasive species in critical habitats statewide. Citizen science data from the Invaders of Texas program has allowed us to better understand the distribution of invasive species, allowing for better decision-making, management planning, control and restoration. This presentation will also cover program expansion over time, using citizen scientists to act as first detectors of invasive species that are not established in Texas through the Sentinel Pest Network and development of the Eradicator Calculator, a system to track invasive species treatments, cost and time inputs. Since 2009, the Eradicator Calculator has captured over 500 treatments and yielded interested information to assist land managers and decision makers.