Join the Hydrilla Hunt!
Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is an aggressive aquatic invasive plant found in a limited number of locations in state waters during the last three years. The webinar, recorded in 2014 by NYSFOLA and The Nature Conservancy, will instruct volunteers on the skills needed to identify Hydrilla, what to do if you find a suspect plant, and how to record the areas that have been searched.
Volunteers will help us search in lakes and rivers across New York in mid to late August when the plant is fully developed and easier to find. A statewide effort will help us better identify the ways that this invasive is spreading and the conditions that are favorable for its growth.
The webinar instructs participants where to look for hydrilla, summarizes sampling techniques to gather suspect plants and shows how to report search areas and findings. Report possible hydrilla sightings as well as locations that were searched but no hydrilla was found will help us understand the statewide distribution of hydrilla type of lakes that are conducive to hydrilla.
The steps in the Hydrilla Hunt are:
- Mid-late August- Search your lake river or water body for hydrilla and keep track of the areas that were searched
- Report your results at the iMap site or by email to Nancy Mueller at fola@nysfola.org. It is important to report all locations searched in order to better understand how hydrilla is being transported around NYS or how fast it is moving in NYS
- If you find a suspected hydrilla plant report the information and collect the suspected plant for verification. You can post a photo on iMap or send it to Nancy (fola@nysfola.org).
- Be available to answer questions on your search for follow-up for plant verification or verify where searches have been completed
- Get your friends and neighbors involved. Additional volunteers can participate by reviewing the webinar and other information on our web site to see the instructions to complete a Hydrilla Hunt. Results can continue to be submitted after August.
For more information on hydrilla see: http://nyis.info/invasive_species/hydrilla/
and:
http://ccetompkins.org/environment/aquatic-invasives/hydrilla
An identification guide and data form should be used in the hunt.
A PowerPoint presentation describing the RAKE TOSS METHOD for collecting and identifying aquatic plants can be found here. You do not have to use this method to participate in the hydrilla hunt.
Expanded charts with additional information can be found here.