BEACON, NY – Clearwater has launched an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program to help raise awareness about harmful non-native species and get people involved in preventing their spread. The AIS Program is funded by the Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) through the Environmental Protection Fund (For more information, see lhprism.org.) Samantha Epstein is Clearwater’s coordinator for the new program.
An invasive species is defined as one that is non-native; causes (or has the potential to cause) harm to the economy, environment, or human health; and causes harm that outweighs its benefits. There are all kinds of invasive species – terrestrial, aquatic, plant, animal, pathogen, insect, etc. There are almost 300 invasive species in the Lower Hudson region alone.
While there are management options for many of these invasive species, the best management tool is prevention. By preventing an invasive species from entering into or spreading within our region, we eliminate the need to spend millions of dollars managing it in the future.
The most common way that invasive species spread is as hitchhikers on boats. As part of its AIS program, Clearwater will station volunteer Watercraft Inspection Stewards at popular boat launches along the Hudson River this summer. The stewards will teach recreational boaters about AIS identification, impacts, and clean boating practices that can help prevent spread. (More information is available at protectyourwaters.net). Stewards will also provide voluntary boat inspections to remove any invasive species from boats.
Recreational boaters may often be the first to discover a new invasive species infestation. The AIS Program offers numerous types of educational opportunities that allow citizens to help in the fight against their spread. Through seminars, workshops, and trainings, Clearwater is empowering more citizens to be on the lookout for new infestations and help prevent established infestations from spreading.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Watercraft Inspection Steward – In Beacon, volunteers provide educational materials for recreational boaters at the local boat launch and offer voluntary boat inspections to recreational boaters before launching and after exiting the water.
Volunteer Surveyor – Volunteers help survey local waterways for aquatic invasive 
species, including the dreaded Hydrilla verticillata , an aggressive aquatic invasive plant recently discovered in the Croton River System. Our Invasive Species Program Coordinator is holding AIS survey training sessions throughout the spring and summer to teach aquatic invasive species identification, surveying methods, and data collection protocol. Surveying rakes are available for participants, or people can learn how to build their own for under $30.
For more information about the program or about aquatic invasive species, please contact Samantha Epstein, Invasive Species Program Coordinator, at invasives@clearwater.org, or call (845) 265-8080 x7114.
