WHAT IS THE VERMONT INVASIVE PATROLLERS (VIPs) PROGRAM?

The VIP program was established by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 2007 to focus on early detection of all known and potential aquatic invasive species (AIS) before they can become established in a waterbody. Early detection is vital to protecting Lake St. Catherine from harmful invasive plants and animals. Volunteers participating in the VIP Program will monitor Lake St. Catherine for new introductions of invasive species and report their findings to the DEC. If a new invasive is discovered, the DEC will dispatch a team and work with the LSCA to organize an effort to remove it from the lake.

This is a GREAT addition to our invasive species control and prevention initiatives which includes our Greeter Program. Our Greeters work at the Wells boat launch and at the State Park to inspect vessels before (and after) they enter Lake St. Catherine to check for AIS like spiny water flea, asian clams, zebra mussels, and other invasive plants and animals that are only a lake away from LSC.

THE VIP PROGRAM ON LAKE ST. CATHERINE

On August 9th, 2022, Kimberly Jensen and her staff from the DEC came to LSC to perform a VIP Workshop to train Lake St. Catherine Association board members (and other attendees) on how to start a VIP Program. The workshop addressed:

• The fundamentals of lake ecology
• The difference between native, exotic, nuisance and invasive species
• How invasive species are introduced and established
• How to identify common aquatic plants and animals, both native and invasive (the latter will be emphasized)
• How to conduct surveys for invasive species in their natural habitat

We are very excited to implement this program on Lake St. Catherine!

VOLUNTEER!

If you enjoy paddling on Lake St. Catherine and would also like to be part of an early warning system looking for invasive species, we hope you will join us and participate in this program. Using underwater viewers, we'll patrol LSC for invasive species, survey our healthy native plant populations, and reduce the threat for invasive plant species introductions. Email us at info@lakestcatherine.org to let us know you’d like to volunteer for this program!

VIP volunteers will:

• Be trained and learn how to identify and survey for aquatic invasive species
• Participate in paddles in high-risk areas (like the boat launch) to survey for the presence of invasive plants and animals
• Notify DEC staff of their survey(s) and submit suspicious samples for positive identification.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• DEC's Vermont Invasive Patroller Website
• Vermont Invasive Patroller Online Survey Data Sheet
• Vermont Invasive Patrollers Training Manual
• Interactive Aquatic Invasive Species Map
• Survey Data Field Sheet
• Specimen Submission Protocols Webpage
• Key to Common Vermont Aquatic Plant Species
• VIP AIS Introduction Presentation
• VIP AIS Species Presentation
• VIP What’s the Key to Identifying Aquatic Plant Species? Presentation

This Lake St. Catherine Association project is made possible by a grant earned from the Lake Champlain Basin Program & NEIWPCC, and is partially funded by the US EPA.