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Community Conservation

Combating Invasive Species in the Sonoran Desert

Invasive species are threatening to alter the Sonoran Desert ecosystems, where nearly 10% of the plant life is now non-native. In response to this crisis, AZA-accredited Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has created a region-wide citizen science program to rapidly detect and report on encroaching invasives.

In 2005, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, working with state agencies and other conservation organizations, used funding from the AZA Conservation Endowment Fund, to launch the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Invaders program. The program trains citizen scientists in plant and insect identification, the use of GPS units and digital cameras, and data collection protocols. These citizen scientists participate in early detection, assessment, and rapid response activities for managing invasive species.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum also built the Arizona Invasive Species Map, a web-based system for mapping invasive species, which was also supported by the Conservation Endowment Fund. The Governor of Arizona has asked that the map be expanded to cover the entire state.