Contact: Dane Huinker: DHuinker@WildlifeForever.org

White Bear Lake, MN – Wild Spotter™ is a Nationwide program developed in partnership with Wildlife Forever, the U.S. Forest Service and University of Georgia. The free program and mobile app engages and empowers the public to help find, map and prevent invasive species and has now received an award of excellence from the Southern Regional Extension Forestry.

Southern Regional Extension Forestry's (SREF) mission is to identify, prescribe and implement a mix of education and technical services that increase the efficiency of forestry programs in the United States. For their extension Awards Program they selected Wild Spotter™ as an Award Winner in the Computer Software and/or Website category.

Since its creation, the Wild Spotter™ App has tallied 951 downloads and 497 reports of invasive species in 9 different National Forests.

“Download the app and join the team of citizen scientists all across the country who are now the eyes and ears protecting our favorite wild places from the spread of invasive species.” said Dane Huinker, Conservation Program Manager at Wildlife Forever. “Our volunteers are making a huge impact because the simple act of reporting an early sighting can save resource managers countless hours and funding otherwise spent on controlling a much larger infestation. Hunters, anglers, hikers, and other outdoor recreationists have been an untapped resource for too long in the battle against these harmful invaders.”

“Wild Spotter™ is an incredibly powerful tool”, said Mike Ielmini, National Invasive Species Program Manager for the U.S. Forest Service. “The Service manages over 193 million acres of public land and controlling the spread of invasive species presents a tremendous challenge. Using volunteer reported data collected through the Wild Spotter™ app allows our staff to prioritize control efforts to protect the natural resources we all enjoy.”

About Wildlife Forever (WF): Wildlife Forever’s mission is to conserve America's wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. As a non-profit, 501c3 charity, for over 30 years, WF supporters have donated millions of dollars in all 50 states plus Canada, to conduct fish, game and habitat conservation projects. By investing resources on the ground, recent audits reveal 94% of every dollar supports our conservation mission. Please Join Today! To become involved and learn more about the award-winning programs, including work to engage America’s youth, visit www.WildlifeForever.org.