A shout-out to the SLELO Team, our partners, and volunteers for another excellent year in program delivery. Together we made tremendous progress on our conservation initiatives including:

• 45 volunteers and staff planted over 6,670 native plants of 24 different species to restore a 30-acre riparian area along South Sandy Creek.
• We completed invasive species suppression on 122 sites and ecological restoration efforts on 6 sites designed to promote biodiversity and increase resilience to changes in climate.
• Implemented a WISP program resulting in the interception of aquatic invasive species on 1,452 occasions preventing their spread to and from other North American waterbodies.
• Maximized the liberation of biological control agents on multiple target invasives exceeding 9,400 insects released.
• We directly, and indirectly engaged over 47,000 individuals through sponsored events, social media, SLELO-sponsored websites, and via Watercraft Stewardship.
• Developed an online dashboard to better engage and track our Volunteer Surveillance Network (VSN) activities. 

Kudos to Zack Simek, Robert Smith, Brittney Rogers, Megan Pistolese-Shaw, our principal partners and cooperating affiliates, and our many volunteers for making 2023 a success.  We look forward to advancing our work and further engaging everyone in 2024.

              ~ Rob Williams