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Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership

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Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership

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The Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP), hosted by the Catskill Center CRISP is hosted by the Catskill Center.

Our mission is to promote education, prevention, early detection and control of invasive species to limit their impact on the ecosystems and economies of the Catskills. We are one of eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) in New York State. For more information about the Catskill Center and the work that the organization does throughout the Catskill region in stewardship, collaboration and inspiration, please visit www.catskillcenter.org

10/15/2026

🌳 Help Protect Ash Trees in the Catskills!

Join the Catskill Center for an educational and hands-on volunteer day focused on the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) and efforts to protect ash trees in our region!

We'll be joined by Johnathan Rosenthal and Radka Wildova, scientists from the Ecological Research Institute and Sustaining Ash Partners of the Northeast, who will share their expertise on emerald ash borer and its impacts on ash trees.
Participants will take a short walk to see a lingering ash tree on the Catskills Visitor Center property and learn why these surviving trees are important to ash conservation efforts.

Afterward, volunteers will help install sign pedestals for educational signage about emerald ash borer and lingering ash. This hands-on work will involve digging, working with concrete, and moving heavy materials.

🌿 Emerald Ash Borer Education & Sign Installation Volunteer Day
📅 Friday, October 23, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 Catskills Visitor Center, Mount Tremper, NY
🥾 Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous

Come learn about this invasive forest pest while helping support education and conservation efforts in the Catskills!

🌳 Learn more and register through our website link in our bio or visit: https://givebutter.com/Emerald-Ash-Borer-Education-Sign-Installation-Volunteer-Day

Photo Credit: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry , Bugwood.org

10/14/2026

🏕️ Heading out for a fall camping trip? Leave the firewood at home.

Bringing firewood from home might seem convenient, but it can give invasive forest pests a ride to a new location. Insects such as emerald ash borer and spongy moth can be transported on firewood, potentially introducing them to forests that weren't previously affected.

Instead:
🪵 Gather firewood at your destination where permitted.
🌳 Buy firewood near where you’ll burn it.
🔥 Look for certified, heat-treated firewood.

Whether you’re camping, hunting, fishing, or taking the RV out for one more fall adventure, making responsible firewood choices is an easy way to help protect the places you enjoy.

Don’t move firewood. Protect forests instead.

Learn more at dontmovefirewood.org.

Supported by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, Catskill Park Community Smart Growth Program.

10/12/2026

🌿 Forest Health Spotlight: Laurel Wilt

Laurel wilt has officially reached New York.

First confirmed on Long Island in August 2025, laurel wilt is a deadly fungal disease spread by the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle. It affects plants in the laurel family, including native sassafras and spicebush.

🔎 Signs to look for include:
• Leaves that suddenly wilt and turn brown
• Dark streaking beneath the bark
• Tiny entry holes
• Toothpick-thin strands of sawdust-like material from beetle activity

🍂 With fall color underway, keep an eye out for wilting, browning, or dieback that appears sudden or unusual compared with normal seasonal changes.

There is currently no known treatment for laurel wilt, making early detection and prevention especially important. Use locally grown firewood and follow New York State firewood regulations to help prevent the spread of forest pests and diseases.

If you see suspicious symptoms on sassafras or spicebush, report them through iMapInvasives or to NYS DEC Forest Health.

🔗 Learn more about identification and reporting from NYS DEC:
https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/forest-health/laurel-wilt

Early detection can help protect our Catskills forests. 🌿💚

Photo Credits
1- Ronald F. Billings, Texas A&M Forest Service, Bugwood.org
2- Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Supported by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, Catskill Park Community Smart Growth Program.

10/05/2026

🌿 Learn to spot invasive plants—and what to do when you find them!

Join CRISP for a hands-on walk focused on identifying, reporting, and managing some of the common invasive plants found throughout the Catskills region.

📅 Saturday, October 10
⏰ 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 Callicoon Riverside Park, Callicoon, NY

We’ll explore the park while getting hands-on experience identifying invasive plants, discussing different management options, and learning how to report and track what you find using the free iMapInvasives app.

Whether you’re new to invasive species or want to sharpen your identification skills, come learn how you can help protect the Catskills from invasive plants.

➡️ Register at: https://givebutter.com/Common-Invasive-Plant-ID-Reporting-and-Management

Supported by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, Catskill Park Community Smart Growth Program.

10/02/2026

🪵 October is Firewood Month!

As temperatures cool and campfires and woodstoves become part of the season, remember: your firewood choices matter.

Moving firewood can also move invasive insects and diseases hiding beneath the bark or inside the wood. Pests such as emerald ash borer, spongy moth, asian longhorned beetle and spotted lanternfly can hitch a ride on firewood and other wood materials, potentially introducing them to new areas.

You can help protect the Catskills and forests wherever you travel:

🌳 Buy firewood near where you’ll burn it.
🔥 Choose certified, heat-treated firewood.
🪵 Gather firewood on site when and where permitted.

Even firewood that looks healthy can harbor unwanted hitchhikers. A simple change in where you get your firewood can help slow the spread of invasive species and protect the forests we love.

Learn more from Don’t Move Firewood: dontmovefirewood.org

Supported by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, Catskill Park Community Smart Growth Program.

09/29/2026

🔎 Spot it. Identify it. Help manage it.

Join the CRISP team for a hands-on program focused on Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive insect that continues to be a concern in New York.

📅 Saturday, October 3
⏰ 9:00 AM
📍 Callicoon, NY

Learn how to identify Spotted Lanternfly, survey for its presence, and explore methods used to help manage this invasive species.

Whether you’re new to invasive species or looking to build your identification and monitoring skills, come learn how you can help keep an eye out for Spotted Lanternfly in our region.

➡️ Register at the link in our bio or visit:https://givebutter.com/Spotted-Lanternfly-ID-and-Trapping

09/28/2026

🌳 Forest Health Spotlight: Oak Wilt

Oak wilt is a serious fungal disease that can kill oak trees in just a matter of weeks or months. It spreads both through interconnected root systems and by beetles that are attracted to fresh wounds on infected trees.

Early symptoms may include leaves turning brown from the edges inward, premature leaf drop, and rapid dieback of the canopy.

🍂 As fall color begins across the region, keep an eye out for browning or leaf drop that seems unusually early or progresses rapidly through an oak’s canopy.

One of the best ways to help prevent oak wilt is to avoid pruning or damaging oak trees during the growing season, particularly during periods when beetles that can spread the disease are most active.

🔎 Learn more about oak wilt, what to look for, and how to report suspected cases through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation: [DEC Oak Wilt information](https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/forest-health/oak-wilt?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Healthy forests start with early detection and prevention. 💚

Photo Credit: Paul A. Mistretta, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

09/21/2026

🌿 Invasive Species 101: Catskills Edition!

What makes a species invasive? How are invasive plants and insects managed? And what can you do to help?

Join CRISP Terrestrial Invasive Species Manager Dan Snider-Nerp for a virtual introduction to invasive species in the Catskills.

📅 Tuesday, September 22
⏰ 7:00–8:00 PM
💻 Virtual
We’ll cover the basics of invasive species, management strategies you can use at home, and some of the common invasive plants and insects found throughout the Catskills. There will also be time for Q&A, so bring your questions!

➡️ Register at :https://givebutter.com/Introduction-to-the-Catskill-Center-and-Invasive-Species

09/15/2026

How well do you know the plants growing right in your own backyard?

Take a closer look at the native plants of the Catskills with the Catskill Center’s Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP)!

Join CRISP Director John Thompson for a guided walk through Callicoon Riverside Park as we explore the native plants growing along the way, learn how to identify them, and discover the important roles they play in our local ecosystems.

📅 Saturday, September 26
⏰ 2:00 PM
📍 Callicoon Riverside Park

Come curious, leave knowing a little more about the plants all around you. 🌱

➡️ Register:https://givebutter.com/Native-Plants-of-Callicoon-Riverside-Park

09/14/2026

🌱 What's next after managing Japanese knotweed? Plant native species.

Removing Japanese knotweed is an important first step, but restoring the area afterward is just as critical. If left bare, disturbed ground can quickly become reinfested with knotweed or other invasive plants.

Planting native trees and shrubs, such as American sycamore, native dogwoods, and other locally appropriate shrubs, helps stabilize the soil, provide shade, support wildlife, and give native plants a chance to reclaim the site. As these plants become established, they can also help reduce opportunities for knotweed to return.

Restoration doesn't end when the knotweed is gone. Replanting with native species helps build healthier, more resilient ecosystems for the future. 🌿💚

Learn more about Japanese knotweed and its management:
https://www.catskillinvasives.com/japanese-knotweed

Supported by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund, Catskill Park Community Smart Growth Program.

Address

43355 State Highway 28
Arkville, NY
12406

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18455862611

Website

http://www.catskillinvasives.com/

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