Hello IPANE enthusiasts! I know it hasn’t been much of a
winter, but it is still refreshing to know that spring is just around the
corner. I’m writing in a new format with lots of news about what’s current and what’s
new for IPANE. Keep reading to find out what’s changed, what’s next, and what
exciting opportunities are available.
If any of you have checked out the website or data this
year, you may have noticed that the website has been a bit static. That’s
because we’re revamping the website, developing new on-line data entry methods,
and developing an iPhone app for data entry in the field! These exciting
advancing are being done in conjunction with our partnership with EDDMapS, the
Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System. We hope to have the website
(at least parts of it) up and running in April and I will keep you posted as
that dream becomes reality.
We’re also working on a new educational branch of IPANE. We
have recently submitted a grant proposal that, if awarded, will fund iSpy-Invasives. This off-shoot of IPANE
would use invasive plant species as a basis for scientific education. It
specifically targets groups currently underserved by IPANE proper including
school kids and urban centers. This is a collaborative effort which includes
partners from UCONN School of Education, EDDMapS, Vital Signs of Maine, the
Arnold Arboretum, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Silvio O. Conte National
Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and the Center for Invasive Plant Management (which
focuses on invasives in the western U.S.). Our connection with the Conte Refuge
also connects us with the Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)
partnerships of the watershed. The funding of full time staff through this
grant would help revitalize IPANE while expanding with new opportunities and a
national visibility. We’ll keep you posted as we get more information. Keep
your fingers crossed that the funding pulls through.
You may have noticed that we have a new“IPANE blog”. Any new
posts will be immediately visible on the main page of the new website as well
as notifying you if you follow the blog. We will use this tool to update you on
IPANE events such as trainings and workshops while also posting related news
items from the region and applicable research. We plan to post once a month
with maybe a few more during the growing season if there are more workshops and
events. We will also have a Google calendar on the main page to display
regional events: conferences, workshops, trainings, lectures, pulling parties,
etc. Please subscribe to the blog and forward to the blog to those you think might be interested.
They can just read or sign up to be notified of new posts.
We’re in the planning stages for a few trainings this
spring. It looks like there will be at least one in Connecticut and the others
are in the works. As we finalize schedules I will send out an announcement.
This will be a great opportunity to refresh your identification skills as well
as getting reacquainted with IPANE survey methods.
If you need to reach us, we have a new gmail account for
IPANE. This new email address will be easier for us to check from anywhere with
a lot more storage. So, feel free to email your questions and comments to: ipane.uconn@gmail.com
IPANE is still doing what it does best, documenting
non-native invasive plant species of interest in the New England region. The
data entry form and associated data are the same. This is important for long
term data collection and monitoring. We hope that all this hard work will
result in early detection of new and worsening invasions.
Thanks and keep your eyes on the ground!
Sarah T. Bois
Interim
program coordinator
Invasive
Plant Atlas of New England
