Now you can track invasive species

March 28, 2014
For Immediate Release

Now you can track invasive species

Tracking and reporting invasive species in Ontario just got a lot easier. With a click of a button, mobile users can now join the fight against one of the greatest threats to Ontario’s biodiversity.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the Invasive Species Centre (ISC) and the University of Georgia Centre for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health have unveiled the new EDDMapS Ontario online and mobile App for Android and Apple devices. 

EDDMapS Ontario is a fast and easy way to map invasive species without any technical expertise. Users simply take a picture with their mobile device and report from where they are standing. 

The new EDDMapS Ontario App builds on the EDDMapS Ontario web online system that contains more than 17,000 invasive species records from Ontario. Using your mobile device, you can make a report, search data and distribution maps, get email alerts and learn about the more than 150 invasive species in the province. The app helps early detection and rapid response efforts, maximizing the effectiveness and accessibility of invasive species observations with a network of expert verifiers. 

The OFAH will be hosting two workshops to train professionals and the public about EDDMapS Ontario. The workshops are planned for Peterborough and Toronto and webinars will be delivered throughout the year.

What: OFAH EDDMapS Ontario Training

When & Where:       

Toronto Workshop

Tuesday April 22, 2014 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Black Creek Pioneer Village, Garfield Weston Theatre,
1000 Murray Ross Parkway, Toronto, ON M3J 2P3 

Peterborough Workshop

Thursday April 24, 2014 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Best Western Plus, Otonabee Inn, Rogers Room,
84 Lansdowne Street East, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7N9

Space is limited for the workshops, which will be offered on a first come, first serve basis. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or smart phone to follow demonstrations. To register or learn more about the workshops, call Alison Kirkpatrick, OFAH Monitoring and Information Specialist/Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Liaison at 705-748-6324 ext. 234 or alison_kirkpatrick@ofah.org.    

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