Pittsburgh, Pa. – February 26, 2025 – Tune in on Friday, February 28, 2025, to hear Amy L. Jewitt, our Pennsylvania iMapInvasives program coordinator with the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program at the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, on the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s podcast, Pennsylvania Legacies.
During the podcast, Amy explains how and why invasive species continue to jeopardize Pennsylvania’s native plant and animal species by altering their habitats and reducing biodiversity, among other threats that can result in extensive economic impacts to Pennsylvania’s agriculture and recreation industries.
Amy also provides insights into efforts to manage invasive species to help save the state’s most vulnerable ecosystems and shares ways you can reduce the spread of invasive species. The online resources below, some of which were mentioned in PEC’s podcast with host Josh Raulerson, provide ways you can further your understanding of invasive species and share how you can support conservation efforts to control a variety of unwelcomed species across our state.
RESOURCES
- Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management PRISM(Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture website)
- Pennsylvania Governor’s Invasive Species Council/PRISM Factsheet
- “How a PRISM Program Would Benefit Pennsylvania” (article included in Fall/Winter 2024 PA iMapInvasives newsletter)
- PA iMapInvasives Program
- ArcGIS Dashboard created by WPC for use by elected officials and others
- PA Noxious Weeds and Controlled Plants(PA Dept of Ag website)
- Invasive Plants in PA(DCNR website)
- Invasive Plant Fact Sheets(DCNR website)
- PA’s Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species(online field guide)
- Mid-Atlantic Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species(online field guide)
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas(online field guide)
- Invasive and Unwelcome Species (WPC website)
- Green Isn’t Always Good (WPC website of alternatives to non-native invasive plants)
- Seeing The Unseen: Aquatic Invaders & What’s at Stake (WPC website info on a film about invasives)
- Controlling Invasive Species That Threaten Biodiversity (WPC’s Conserve Magazine, winter 2024 article)
CONTACT US
For more information or questions about the Conservancy’s invasive species work, please contact Amy Jewitt at 412-586-2305 or ajewitt@paconserve.org or Mary Walsh at 814-689-1823 or mwalsh@paconserve.org.
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About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 290,000 acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.
Media Contact:
Carmen Bray
Senior Director of Communications
412-586-2358, work
cbray@paconserve.org