Python Challenge: 400 Sign Up For Dangerous Everglades Snake Hunt

Nearly 400 people have signed up to enter the Everglades and do battle with Burmese pythons, the giant constrictors that have emerged as the latest and weirdest threat to South Florida's wildlife.
The 2013 Python Challenge, which begins Saturday, has attracted participants and media interest from around the United States for a monthlong event that will feature prizes of $1,000 for catching the longest snakes and $1,500 for catching the most.
Participants do not need hunting licenses, unless they're under 18, or have experience with snakes. The only required training can be done online. Given those slender requirements, some have questioned the wisdom of encouraging amateurs with firearms, particularly non-hunters, to take on pythons in the wild.
"Going out into the bush in Florida is a potentially dangerous thing to do," said Stuart Pimm, a prominent Everglades scientist who is professor of conservation ecology at Duke University. "This is very, very rough terrain. Getting stuck out there without enough water could be a life-terminating experience."
But assuming people use caution, he said, they could kill enough of the giant snakes to help the Everglades.
"This is a very serious threat indeed," he said. "It could radically change the composition of the species that we find in the Everglades, and the Everglades have enough threats without the snakes. I think extreme measures are extremely appropriate."

Continue Reading at  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/python-challenge_n_2420764.html

Dr. John D. Madsen to Speak at Aquatic Plant Management Workshop in British Columbia

Dr. John D. Madsen, Mississippi State University, has been invited to speak at an aquatic plant management workshop hosted by the Frasier Basin Council, British Columbia, on February 15, 2013 in Abbotsford, British Columbia.  He will be speaking on the biology, ecology, and management of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum).

Dr. Madsen is part of the Geosystems Research Institute at Mississippi State University, a NAISN member organization.

Dr. John D. Madsen, Invited Speaker at Aquatic Invasive Plants – Approaches to Management in Ontario

Dr. John D. Madsen, Mississippi State University, was an invited speaker to the workshop “Aquatic Invasive Plants – Approaches to Management in Ontario,” September 13, 2012 in Peterborough, Ontario.  The workshop was organized by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and reviewed management programs and responses to invasive aquatic plants in that province. 

Dr. Madsen is part of the Geosystems Research Institute at Mississippi State University, a NAISN member organization.

Dr. John D. Madsen, Invited Speaker at Symposium on the Biology and Management of Monoecious Hydrilla

Dr. John D. Madsen, of Mississippi State University, was an invited speaker at the workshop, “Symposium on the Biology and Management of Monoecious Hydrilla,” September 11-12, 2012 in Syracuse, NY.  

Dr. Madsen is part of the Geosystems Research Institute at Mississippi State University, a NAISN member organization. 

The Symosium, organized by the City of Ithaca, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and US Army Corp of Engineers Buffalo District, was held in response to the discovery of monoecious hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) in Cayuga Lake, New York.  His presentation was entitled “Does Monoecious Hydrilla Pose a Unique Threat to Glacial Lakes:  Let Me Count the Ways.”

Gulf & South Atlantic Regional Panel On Aquatic Invasive Species - Traveling Trunk of Invasive Species

The Gulf and South Atlantic Regional Panel (GSARP) on Invasive Species is making available an educational outreach awareness "Trunk".  It is intended for use by conservation and environmental groups as well as secondary level educators.  Loan of the "Trunk" is free of charge.
The "Trunk" consists of 3 sections:

• A spiral bound manual of talking points for presentation, covering background, sources, impacts, and species profiles of 5 invasive plant species (Kudzu, Chinese Tallow, Hydrilla, Water Hyacinth, and Giant Salvinia) and 6 animal species (Zebra and Green Mussels, Orange Cup Coral, Lionfish, Python, and Nutria).
• A PowerPoint presentation on CD containing images from the manual for projection.
• Series of hands-on specimens of the 5 plant and 6 animal invasive species from the talking points manual.  Specimens are embedded in acrylic blocks, laminated, or in their natural form.

There are currently 3 "Trunks" available for a loan of up to 10 days (including shipping time; longer reservations can be negotiated) from the GSARP office located at the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission in Ocean Springs, MS.  The highlighted dates on the calendar below are unavailable.  If you would like to reserve one of the "Trunks", please fill out the request form and you will be notified within 7 business days if the request is approved.

For more information visit the GSARP website. 

NAISN Board Meeting

North American Invasive Species Network
Strategic Planning Workshop and Board of Directors Meeting
April 22–23, 2012
Hotel Oasis Cancun • Cancun, Mexico
View Agenda

Android versions of Outsmart Invasives and Missouri River Watershed Invasives Now Available!

Many of you have been contacting us to find out when the Android versions of our Invasive Species Reporting Apps will be available.  We have recently released the Android versions of Outsmart Invasives and Missouri River Watershed Coalition Invasive Species Reporting.  These apps support the work of people in Massachusetts, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska who are trying to locate and manage invasive species.