Photo: Intern Sophie Schwartz and Executive Director Kate Gille pose for a photo on a GLA Discovery Boat Tour.
Using Google Earth to Evaluate Invasive Species Management, Inform Strategy
For more than a decade, the Glen Lake Association (GLA) has worked on monitoring and tracking invasive species in the watershed. An invasive species is classified as a non-native species that did not evolve in a particular place, but was instead brought to a region by humans, often across a significant geographic barrier. To be classified as invasive, the species must also have a negative impact on the environment and native species. Invasive species are so catastrophic because they often do not have natural predators in the area they have been brought to, allowing them to outcompete native species and disrupt ecological balances.
The Glen Lake Association (GLA) has been monitoring and removing several shoreline invasive species along the Glen and Fisher Lakes since 2012. The data is collected through an annual inspection of the shoreline (on foot and by boat) and tracked in a spreadsheet to monitor change. This year, however, I will be uploading the data to Google Earth, which will allow the GLA to easily track the patterns of each species across the years and see how successful the program has been. Additionally, this update will show the data on a map, which is useful in cross-comparing patterns of species in particular spots.
As the Watershed Science and Outreach Intern, I have been able to work on the transfer of this data, and am excited to see how it may improve upon or change the current strategies for combatting invasive species on the lakes. To transfer the data, I first identify a particular species in a specific year and then go down a list of addresses to see where it was present. Wherever it was present in a given year, I create a pin in Google Earth. The name of the pin corresponds to the species and year, and each species is given a different identifying pin color. Comparing the spreadsheet location data to the mapping system, I can already see that this will make the data much easier to conceptualize and monitor any strange patterns or changes. Once completed, the data will be shared with various organizations, including the National Park Service. The species that are currently being used in the mapping system are Coltsfoot, Yellow Iris, Purple Loosestrife, Phragmites, and Ailanthus (tree of heaven).
I am excited to be able to contribute to this project and add more than a decade of data to the GLA’s existing biological mapping system. This project will aid the GLA greatly in collaborating with partners such as the National Park Service and tracking the shoreline invasive species more effectively. I am looking forward to seeing how this update will change the way the GLA approaches data management and invasive species prevention.
About the GLA’s Internship Program
The GLA Watershed Science and Outreach Internship is a hands-on learning experience where interns engage directly in field research, environmental monitoring, community outreach, and communications. Our internship program began in 2017, and is made possible by generous annual donations from Jim and Susan Dutmers, Tom and Monica Dutmers, and Bill and Rita Witler, in honor of their mothers, Patricia Johnson Dutmers and Elva Witler. We are so grateful for their support.