ST. LAWRENCE EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT
The St. Lawrence-Eastern Lake Ontario (SLELO) Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) is in cooperation with The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and more than twenty-three regional partner organizations. Our mission is to protect native habitats, biodiversity, natural areas, and freshwater resources by using a collaborative and integrated approach to invasive species management with emphasis on prevention, early detection, rapid response, education, and outreach.
You can help prevent and manage invasive species, too! Join our protectors by taking the Pledge to Protect against invasive species. We’ll arm you with the information you need to protect our region, based on the outdoor environments you live, work and play in. Protectors receive monthly emails with simple steps to take, education on invasive species and badges to share on social media. Read More…
Our work is a collaborative effort among multiple partners. Our work is focused on priority initiatives identified by our partnership. These priorities guide our strategic planning and actions and are aligned with our mission to protect our lands and waters from the impacts of invasive species. Read More..
As the SLELO PRISM continues to implement successful and innovative projects, our team has expanded to meet the needs of our program. This increased capacity allows us to deliver more effective and targeted approaches to invasive species spread prevention, early detection, control and management. Learn more about the staff and how our roles tie together to deliver the most successful program possible. Read More..
Discovering populations of invasive species before they become too large to manage, known as Early Detection, gives a strategic advantage to prevention and management initiatives. You can aid early detection efforts in the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Region by joining our Invasive Species Volunteer Surveillance Network (VSN), and by joining other volunteer opportunities we offer. Read More…
Beginning June 23rd, 45 people contributed to over 650 total person hours, 25% of which were volunteer hours. Where 6,272 plants were placed in the ground throughout the riparian areas of South Sandy Creek spanning over nearly 30 acres within the Lakeview WMA. Volunteers and staff endured rainy hot weather, and worked hard to install the plants over the course of just five days!
The latest updates from our Terrestrial Restoration and Resiliency Coordinator, Robert Smith.
Get the latest updates from our Aquatic Restoration and Resiliency Coordinator, Brittney Rogers.
Recently, Water soldier has been detected by commercial fishers at the outlet of the Bay of Quinte. Due to concern for potential spread, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry Surveillance Program is expanding to include Eastern Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River in 2023.
Elm zigzag sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda), an exotic pest native to East Asia that feeds exclusively on elm species, has been detected in many locations across New York State this season. EZS was first detected in St. Lawrence County in August 2022. Since, it has been found in Allegany, Ontario, Madison, Ulster, Schenectady, Albany, Saratoga, Warren, and Clinton, with new counties being confirmed weekly.
Yellow iris is a target species in the SLELO region. Get an overview of the species’ history, and identification, and learn of volunteer removal efforts.
By focusing invasive species suppression and habitat rehabilitation on connected areas, both terrestrial and aquatic areas, we can defragment our recovery efforts, preserve the resilience of these systems and augment their natural character to achieve a greater conservation impact.
Is the health of our Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs) improving, maintaining, or worsening as a result of our invasive species management strategies and restoration activities? Answering this important question first requires a benchmark. To achieve this, the SLELO PRISM continues to develop scorecards for each PCA, and to date, approximately half of our PCAs have been benchmarked.
The Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) program of the Ecological Research Institute (ERI) has made considerable progress in its efforts to detect “lingering ash”, trees that likely have some resistance to emerald ash borer (EAB) and from which material can be used to breed highly EAB-resistant trees. As EAB’s invasion expands in the SLELO region, participation in MaMA needs to expand as well, so locally adapted lingering ash can be found.
Volunteers have helped to remove over 1,200 target invasive species this summer!
Our work is more than restoration – it’s about sustaining biodiversity, improving carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat by reducing invasive plant monocultures and increasing native plant establishment. Often, invasive plants create monocultures on the landscape thereby reducing native plant diversity. These same ‘disturbed’ areas can often reduce the healthy sequestration of carbon – as is the case with forest pests. By suppressing invasive plants and promoting native plant recovery, we can increase biodiversity on these sites. As a result, we can improve carbon uptakes and wildlife habitat making these areas more resilient to external stressors such as a changing climate.
Did you know that you can spread invasive species by boating, taking a hike, gardening, moving firewood, and many other activities you may enjoy? Learn about invasive species introduction pathways and actions you can take to prevent their spread.
Take the Volunteer Challenge to get involved and win prizes!
Specialized relationships between plants and insects are vital to the lifecycle of many pollinators. Invasive plants can easily overtake pollinator habitats. You can help by planting pollinator host plants and by removing invasive plants on your property. Learn more in this Protector’s Blog!
