See it, Map it! Ontario Now Has an Invasive Species App!
Concerned about Asian carp,
giant hogweed, or zebra mussels? You can report these species and more online
or with your mobile device using EDDMapS Ontario.
The Ontario Federation of
Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources (OMNR), the Invasive Species Centre (ISC) and the University of
Georgia Centre for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health are announcing their
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 GIS experience. Users simply take
a picture with their mobile device and report from where ever they are. It’s
that simple!
“Preventing invasive species
from arriving and becoming established in Ontario is critical in our fight
against this growing threat,” says the Honourable David Orazietti, Ontario
Minister of Natural Resources. “Ontario is proud to be working in partnership
with OFAH on the development of the EDDMapS Ontario App. The App will
serve as a key prevention tool helping Ontario to detect and track the spread
of invasive species and, along with Ontario’s proposed Invasive Species
Act, will make Ontario a national leader in invasive species prevention
and management.”
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
more than 150 invasive species. 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 EDDMapS App is an
excellent innovation that takes cutting-edge technology and makes it accessible
to Ontarians who want to play a role in preventing the arrival and spread of
invasive species,” says Dilhari Fernando, Invasive Species Centre Executive
Director. “Invasive species, if they arrive and take hold, can irreversibly
alter our landscapes and waterways. EDDMapS will enable citizens to contribute
to protecting Ontario’s forests, natural lands, lakes and rivers from the
serious economic, environmental and social costs of invaders.”
“Preventing the introduction of
invasive species into Ontario woods and waters is everyone’s responsibility,”
says OFAH Executive Director Angelo Lombardo. “EDDMapS Ontario is another tool
in our efforts to prevent invasive species introductions. We certainly hope
that you’ll join us in this fight to protect this province’s fish and wildlife
by signing up online and downloading this App to start tracking invasive
species in your area.”
You can start tracking invasive
species today by signing up at www.eddmaps.org/Ontario
or visiting the Google Play store and Apple iTunes App store. The OFAH and OMNR
will be hosting a series of workshops and webinars to promote EDDMapS Ontario.
Contact the OFAH/OMNR Invading Species Awareness Program at 1-800-563-7711 or
email eddmaps@ofah.org to learn
more about the new mapping system.
With over 100,000 members, subscribers
and supporters, and 720 member clubs, the OFAH is the province’s largest
nonprofit, fish and wildlife conservation-based organization, and the VOICE of
anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.
Media Contacts:
Alison
Kirkpatrick
Monitoring
& Information Management
Specialist/Aquatic
Invasive Species
Outreach
Liaison
(705)
748-6324 ext. 234
Matt
Smith
Invading
Species Awareness Program Coordinator
(705)
748-6324 ext. 247