A New Look for the New Invaders Watch Website!

New Invaders Watch Program (NIWP) is an early detection and rapid response network of volunteer, government, non-profit, and business organizations dedicated to identifying, mapping and controlling new exotic invasive species. Our current focus area is within Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana. 

Our target species are known to be invasive in the Midwest or regions of similar climate, and are not known from Northeast Illinois. Or have yet to spread into their preferred habitats in the region.

NIWP help meet the early detection and rapid response initiatives of the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership and the Indiana Coastal Cooperative Weed Management Area.  

NIWP is now housed within EDDMaps, an nationally recognized online early detection, mapping and monitoring system.  EDDMaps brings a great deal of expertise in online mapping, reporting and programming

New resources include:

·         Online interactive mapping of verified reports, updated as soon as reports are confirmed

·         Simplified online report form that uses Google maps to help you find your latitude and longitude

·         1500 herbarium records geo-referenced by the INHS are uploaded to look at historic records of our original 15 target species

·         14 new species have been added to the target list (2 insects, 3 aquatic plants, and 10 terrestrial plants)

·         New species information pages are available

·         Take advantage of the new  “forgot your username and password” button!

·         You can sign up for custom species / county alerts through EDDMaps

·         View recent reports on the NIWP home page

·         Updated Training presentations are online and downloadable  

There are also many features built in for automatic email alerts to landowners where new species are found, the ability to update reports with control information, and tools for administrative maintenance which will help keep information current.  

Look for trainings and talks on the updates and how to use the system in coming months, the first being May 8th at the Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership Workshop at Chicago Botanic Garden.