CAPITAL REGION PRISM

New York Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW): June 5-11, 2023
Join the CR-PRISM in celebrating the 10th Annual New York State Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW)! The mission of this statewide event is to promote knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they can cause to our environment, economy, and to human health.
Local events, webinars, workdays, and field tours help make ISAW a success.

Click here to view all events state-wide!

Click here to view our local events on our Facebook page!

Current Species Highlights

Spongy Moth (Formerly known as gypsy moth)
The spongy moth is a defoliating insect native to France and originally introduced in the US in 1869. Generally preferring to feed on the leaves of oak trees, they also feed on apples, maples, hickories, birches, pines and much more.

Caterpillars eat young, tender leaves in the spring, and in outbreak years can lead to mass defoliation. Typically however, the leaves will regrow (albeit somewhat smaller) by midsummer allowing the tree to continue photosynthesizing as normal.

For a fact sheet from the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, with information about identification, control, when you should worry and more, click here (leaves website).

For the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fact sheet with information on phenology, control options, helping trees recover from outbreak and more, visit the DEC fact page here (leaves website).

For the leaflet from the USDA Forest Service with detailed information on life history, natural enemies, control and bio-controls and more, click here.

Beech Leaf Disease (BLD)
Beech Leaf Disease is a relatively new pathogen of beech and kills both native and ornamental species throughout the landscape. BLD was first reported in Ohio in 2012, and has since spread into nine more U.S. States and one Canadian province. There are still many unknowns associated with this disease (including the exact mechanisms of spread), but there is an association with a foliar nematode known as Litylenchus crenatae mccannii. BLD is especially threatening in New York as beech/birch/maple is the predominant forest type of NY, and beech is one of the most common tree species in the entire state.

BLD causes damage to a tree’s leaves, leading to reduced vigor and eventually leading to tree mortality. BLD can kill beech of all ages and size classes, and unlike beech bark disease (BBD), kills both native and ornamental beech species. Mortality typically occurs in 2-3 years in younger trees and can take 6-10 years in older and larger trees.

You can easily survey for BLD by walking along a trail with beech trees and looking up into the canopy as you go. The symptoms of BLD (as seen in the gallery) can be visible from May until the leaves fall off (which is very late in beech) and are most easily noticed by looking up into the canopy.

If you think you have seen signs of BLD:

Take photos of symptoms, as well as the tree's leaves, bark, and the entire tree if possible. Photos of leaves held up to the light, or taken through the canopy, make it easier to identify BLD symptoms.
Submit a report through iMapInvasives (leaves website). Beech leaf disease is listed as the nematode Litylenchus crenatae maccannii.

If you have questions about your trees, email photos and location information to foresthealth@dec.ny.gov. Or you may the Forest Health Diagnostic Lab via phone at 1-866-640-0652 For more detailed information from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, including known locations, current control efforts, and look-alikes, click here (leaves website)

What are Invasive Species?

Invasive species are any non-native species (plant, animal, microbe, etc.) that have the ability to cause harm to the environment, economy, and/or human health.

Pathways of Introduction

International Shipping
Vehicles-Cars, Boats, Trains, etc.
Clothing and Shoes
Pet and Wild Animal
Waterways and Storm Events

Role of the PRISM

The Capital Region Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), is hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County. The PRISM is financially supported through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via the Environmental Protection Fund.

We are a not for profit quasi-government agency that is built on partnerships made up of representatives from state and local agencies, not for profit organizations, and citizen scientists. The Capital Region PRISM provides services in eleven counties in the New York State Capital Region: Albany, Columbia, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Washington, and parts of Fulton, Greene, Herkimer, and Warren.

Our functions include, but are not limited to:
Coordination of partner efforts
Recruiting and training citizen volunteers
Delivering education and outreach programming
Establishing early detection and monitoring networks
Implement eradication and control efforts
Provide funding for invasive species work

If you are interested in partnering with our organization, please contact us.

Photo Gallery

Report an invasive Species

iMapInvasives is an online mapping tool that provides statewide invasive species distribution information to natural resource managers, scientists, and citizens. Learn about the program and start contributing data by attending an iMap training session. To schedule a training for staff, volunteers, or the public, please contact PRISM staff.

Upcoming Events

Events Calendar

Contact a Coordinator

PRISM Coordinator: Kristopher Williams
Email: kbw44@cornell.edu
Office Phone: 518.885.8995 ext. 2218
Work Cell: 518.321.0189

Terrestrial Coordinator: Sam Schultz
Email: ss986@cornell.edu
Phone: 518.885.8995

Outreach Coordinator: Addison Kubik
Email: ask263@cornell.edu
Phone: 518.885.8995 ext. 2219

Aquatics Coordinator: Hannah Coppola
Email: hwe22@cornell.edu
Phone: 518.885.8995 ext. 2215

To Join our ListServ, send an email to:
cce-capitalprism-l-request@cornell.edu

Type "join" in the subject line with no quotes and do not leave a message or signature in the message box.

Join our Network!

Volunteer or Partner with the PRISM!
We welcome the participation of regional organizations, agencies, and individuals that have a common goal of stopping the spread of invasive species. To volunteer please contact a prism coordinator and will will add you to our list.

The PRISM listserv is a great way to stay connected and up to date on all things invasive species. To join the listserv, please email cce-capitalprism-l-request@cornell.edu with 'join' as the subject line (no quotes) and nothing in the body of the email, including signatures. You will receive a confirmation email when your request is processed successfully.

Become an Environmental Steward.
Check out these national campaigns to learn more about how
you can stop the spread of invasive species!

To learn more about the invasive species of New York, click on the guides below.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Saratoga County
50 West High St.
Ballston Spa, NY 12020

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provides financial support to the Capital Region PRISM via the Environmental Protection Fund.