Role of extension in invasive detection and response: Communication

Florida is famous for its sunshine and beaches. e are also becoming notorious for our nonnative and invasive species problems. Burmese pythons are the first that come to mind. UF/IFAS Extension faculty are addressing the expressed educational needs of Floridians as they encounter nonnative and invasive species management issues.  On a grassroots scale, extension agents provide training for Florida Master Naturalists, Master Gardener volunteers, and 4-H youth who can serve as amplifiers of our educational outreach efforts. We also train them to report invasive species through EddMap and Ivegot1.  Finally, we collaborate on these issues on a statewide basis and aid in the dissemination of new innovations discovered by UF/IFAS research faculty and/or partners such as USDA APHIS.  An example would be our highly successful Air Potato Biological Control 5-Year Project.  Researchers with USDA APHIS discovered Lilioceris cheni – a classical biological control agent for invasive air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera).  An outreach program began in 2014 as an initiative by the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center and the UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County in collaboration with Extension offices and partner agencies throughout Florida. The focus of the project involved the introduction of a biological control agent Lilioceris cheni (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and to teach residents how to use the insect to manage the invasive air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera).  This UF/IFAS research and extension program was paired with a mass rearing effort and distribution process that helped citizens throughout Florida. The project reached conclusion in 2019.