NYSG Launch Stewards: Getting Familiar with The Issues

The college students hired by New York Sea Grant (NYSG) to work as Launch Stewards come from different educational institutions and have different knowledge bases and work experiences. NYSG has developed an in-depth training program to get the stewards up to speed on the current aquatic invasive species (AIS)/AIS-related issues in the region.

The NYSG Launch Steward training prepares the students to perform to the standard consistent with NYSG outreach and provides them with the information and resources needed to respond to boaters' questions. Travel to the various launch sites enabled the stewards to identify variances in aquatic plant and animal species at the sites across seven counties. NYSG provided additional training throughout the boating season.

In 2014, the Launch Stewards attended weekly team meetings to discuss experiences at their designated launch sites and share different perspectives on how to help educate the public about stopping the spread of AIS. The stewards also discussed projects they were developing to help further increase public awareness on AIS.

Above: NYSG Launch Stewards going over materials during a weekly team meeting. From Left to Right; Jeremy Galvin, Maggie Markham, Jake Barnes, Rob Tornatore, Rob Bucci, Ashleigh Grosso, Jordan Bodway.

Photo by: NYSG Chief Launch Steward, Brittney Rogers

The Launch Stewards updated and created educational displays, PowerPoint presentations and posters for use at local fairs/events and at launch sites. The Launch Stewards extended outreach in cooperation with a variety of public and private environmental organizations by attending events such as European water chestnut hand-pulls, the Skaneateles Antique Boat Show, Magic in Minetto, Empire Farm Days and the New York State Fair.

NYSG Launch Stewards: Aquatic Plant Identification Training

Part of the annual training of the NYSG Launch Stewards focuses on aquatic plant identification. In 2014, staff at Cornell University’s Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point provided native and invasive aquatic plant identification training. This training highlighted plant species commonly found at the launch sites within the NYSG Launch Stewards' coverage area.

Above: NYSG Launch Stewards holding different aquatic plant species during the aquatic plant identification plant training at Shackelton Point with Limnology Research Support Specialist Kristen Holeck. From Left to Right, Ashleigh Grosso, David Newell, Maggie Markham, Jeremy Galvin, Jordan Bodway, Rob Tornatorre, Rob Bucci, Jake Barnes

Photo by: NYSG Chief Launch Steward, Brittney Rogers

The plant identification training was instrumental in helping the Launch Stewards prepare to educate the public, reinforcing how quickly AIS can spread and the many negative impacts AIS can have on our environment:

• Unchecked or not properly managed AIS can quickly impair recreational activities such as swimming, boating, and fishing.
• AIS are particularly detrimental to our fisheries as an overabundance of plant growth can reduce oxygen levels in the water which contribute to fish kills.
• AIS can also destroy stands of native vegetation, adversely affecting the animals that depend on the native vegetation for food and habitat.
• Excessive plant growth can also lessen aesthetic appeal, potentially causing lower property values.

With this invaluable information, the 2014 NYSG Launch Stewards were able to effectively communicate and stress the importance of stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species to the public.

Above: Shackelton Point's Limnology Research Support Specialist Kristen Holeck helping to educate two of the 2014 NYSG Launch Stewards on identifying and differentiating between many of the native and nonnative species they were most likely to encounter working throughout the summer. Left to right: Rob Tornatore, Jordan Bodway, Kristen Holeck

Photo by: NYSG Chief Launch Steward, Brittney Rogers

NYSG Launch Stewards: iMapInvasives, You can Too!

Trained to identify and locate AIS, the 2014 NYSG Launch Stewards also learned how to utilize iMapInvasives (www.imapinvasives.org), an online, GIS-based data management system that assists citizen scientists and natural resource managers working to protect natural resources from the threat of invasive species.

The iMapInvasives website aggregates, organizes and provides information on the extent of AIS and terrestrial invasive species infestations from a wide variety of sources, supporting early detection of new populations of invasive species that may require rapid response and analysis of management strategies at scales relevant to diverse user needs.

The iMapInvasives partnership seeks to support all those working to safeguard environmental resources from the effects of invasive species, including citizens, volunteers, natural and agricultural resource managers as well as scientists, program administrators, and policy makers.

The general public can learn more on the iMapInvasives website.