Citizen Scientists are Oklahoma’s front-line defense against invasives.
The OK Invasives initiative pulls together the efforts of people across the state to find and report invasive species.
How do we battle this problem?
The first step in fighting invasives is knowing your enemy’s location. OK Invasives is a plan of action for citizens throughout Oklahoma to find and report invasive species in the places they live and work. The data collected from observations will be used by land managers to plan and eradicate infestations before they take over the landscape.
How can you help?
- Learn the target species in your area and read up on the common invasives of Oklahoma.
- Make observations about species in your area.
- Record accurate location — Use a GPS devise, GPS smart phone app, or mapping software to record the latitude and longitude of your observations.
- Take pictures — To validate observations, biologists need good pictures of your organism. Take several close-up images of flowers and leaves using a clipboard or notebook behind the organism as a solid background. Take a landscape picture to help illustrate the size and abundance of the invasive species.
- Enter your observation online through the OK Invasives website.
- Request a Citizen Science training through the OK Invasives website — organize a group of people interested in helping fight invasives. OK Invasives would like to teach you how to identify and report invasive species for your area.
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