This summer, the Pennsylvania iMapInvasives Program will be hosting its 6th annual Invasive Species Scavenger Hunt. This year's theme of "Garden Escapees" will have participants searching for ornamental invasive plants that may have escaped from cultivation into natural areas such as parks, forests, game lands, etc.

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To participate in this event, individuals should get outside during the month of August to look for, identify, and report findings of five pre-selected invasive ornamental plants—burning bush, Japanese spiraea, bishop's goutweed, garden loosestrife, and ravenna grass. A recorded webinar training (held July 23) highlighted these species and the habitats they reside in, as well as provided instructions on how to report observation data to iMapInvasives.

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All participants who report at least one presence or absence record to iMapInvasives for each of the five species (based on findings from their field surveys) will be entered into a drawing to win a prize package of outdoor gear and an invasive species field guide. Three lucky people will be randomly chosen as the winners of this year's event.

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All information contributed to iMapInvasives will be expert-reviewed and made available to natural resource professionals and land managers to prioritize areas for invasive species control efforts.

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​Please review the following event guide (StoryMap) which provides important details on how to participate in this event taking place throughout the month of August.