Capital Region PRISM

Capital Region PRISM We take action and collaborate on education, prevention, detection and management of invasive species

Capital Region PRISM, short for Capital Region Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, was formed to help prevent or minimize the harm caused by invasive species on New York's environment, economy and the health and well-being of the State's citizens. PRISMs are intended to coordinate invasive species management functions including coordinating partner efforts, recruiting and trainin

g citizen volunteers, identifying and delivering education and outreach, establishing early detection monitoring networks and implementing direct eradication and control efforts.

06/04/2026

New York Invasive Species Awareness Week is June 8-14! Events are happening across the state and locally here in the Capital Region. Find an activity near you and help spread awareness (not invasive species) at nyis.info!

Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management ( -Network) is a state-wide collaborative approach to invasive species management, prevention, outreach, and restoration in collaboration with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . The PRISM network includes Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program Capital Region PRISM Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership Finger Lakes PRISM Lower Hudson PRISM Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) SLELO Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management WNY PRISM . Visit rebrand.ly/NYIS_PRISMs to connect with your local PRISM.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!Memorial Day Weekend means that our Watercraft Inspection Stewards have started for the seaso...
05/22/2026

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend means that our Watercraft Inspection Stewards have started for the season!

Our stewards are placed at public boat launches throughout the region and spend their days educating boaters and recreationalists on the steps they can take to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into and out of their favorite water bodies.

Before heading out to the water, be sure to follow the 6 steps of Clean, Drain, Dry.

1. Check your boating and fishing equipment for invasive species.
2. Clean any visible mud, plants, fish, or animals before transporting equipment.
3. Drain all water holding compartments including ballast tanks, live wells, and bilge areas.
4. Dry boats, trailers, and all equipment before use in another waterbody.
5. Disinfect anything that came into contact with water if it cannot be dried before reuse.
6. Visit your local boat steward!

To learn more about Clean, Drain, Dry visit https://on.ny.gov/4uX4c5s

A popular ornamental, Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) is native to eastern Asia and frequently found in yards o...
05/19/2026

A popular ornamental, Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) is native to eastern Asia and frequently found in yards or urban areas. It escapes cultivation, invading and dominating natural areas such as riparian corridors and floodplains. It is known to form monocultures that can shade out native understory plants and compete with native tree species. It also produces a large seed bank that can threaten biodiversity and ecological sustainability.

Japanese tree lilac is quite larger than its shrubby relatives, growing from 15 to 40 feet tall and about 20 feet wide, with an oval, rounded canopy. The species may be single or multi-stemmed, thus categorizing it as a small tree or large shrub. Its leaves are simple, opposite facing, pointed, and oval to heart-shaped with smooth margins, and slightly downy undersides. Reddish brown, peeling bark is observed on younger branches, turning closer to gray in the plant’s maturity. The bark is mostly smooth with raised blisters and lenticels.

Small saplings can be hand-pulled or dug out. Larger trees can be more difficult to manage, but you can try using a shovel, spade, truck, or tractor. You can use systemic herbicides such as glyphosate or triclopyr on larger lilac trees by applying them to the cut stem, basal bark, or with a hack and sq**rt method. Always follow the herbicide label and federal, state, and local regulations when selecting and applying herbicide.

Alternate-leaved dogwood (Swida alternifolia) is a strong alternative. Both have similar degrees of plant hardiness and feature clusters of white flowers. Alternate-leaved dogwood also has striking fall foliage.

And remember, if you spot any invasive Japanese tree lilac while you’re at any of your favorite natural areas, be sure to submit a report to NY iMapInvasives!

Photo credit
Slide 1: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org / James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, bugwood.org
Slide 2: Steve Katovich, Bugwood.org / Dow Gardens, Bugwood.org / T. David Sydnor, Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

Native to China, wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) was introduced in 1890 as root stock for cultivated raspberries. The q...
05/12/2026

Native to China, wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) was introduced in 1890 as root stock for cultivated raspberries. The qualities that made it a durable, reliable fruit producer in the garden are precisely what make it such a tenacious invasive. The species is now found in at least 21 states.

Wineberry closely resembles many native raspberry species with leaves that are alternate, light green, deeply divided into three leaflets, and toothed along the margins. The terminal leaflet is the largest and the underside of all leaves are a pale white color. Wineberry has five petaled white flowers that occur in the spring. Bright red, edible berries follow in the summer. It is differentiated from other raspberry species by the fine red hairs that grow densely on its stems (and flowers) causing a reddish hue to the plant.

Differences from native species: Our native black raspberries have a bluish waxy coating on their stems and their fruits turn purple/black when they’re ripe. American red raspberries have glandular hairs, but aren’t covered in red hairs (like wineberry), and their flowers can have some hairs but aren’t densely hairy. Native blackberries have no red hairs on the stem and have green undersides to their leaves and tend to have 5-7 leaflets.

Small infestations can be managed by digging or pulling. Pulling by hand is an effective method of control for seedlings and small plants. For larger plants, disturbance of the root will encourage re-sprouting. Gloves should be worn to prevent injury from the plants numerous spines. Larger infestations can be treated via foliar spray or cut stump using a glyphosate or triclopyr based herbicide.

If you see any wineberry while you’re at any of your favorite places, be sure to report it to NY iMapInvasives!

Photo Credit:
Slide 1: Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org / Leslie J Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Slide 2: Andrew Nelson, Rice Creek Field Station, SUNY Oswego, NYFA / Brian Tarpinian, CC License, inaturalist.org

04/24/2026

🌳Happy Arbor Day! 🌳

To celebrate the day, Kris Williams, Coordinator of the Capital Region PRISM, is here to give you tips on tree planting and care for forest restoration and ecosystem resiliency.

While Planting:
1. Ideally, plant bare root stock the same day you receive it. If that can’t happen, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
2. Dig a hole as deep and wider than the seedlings root system. If you need to trim the root system to accommodate rocky soils, DO NOT TIME MORE THAN 25% of the root system.
3. Refill the hole while holding the seedling upright, ensuring the roots don’t fold up on themselves and keeping the root collar at the soil line.
4. Firmly pack the soil around the seedling, and water until soil is moist.

Protecting Seedlings:
1. Use a barrier (landscape fabric, mulch, leaf litter) of some kind to prevent competing vegetation (native and non-native) from interfering with the tree’s growth.
2. Avoid the mulch volcano! Mulch packed against the trunk can encourage fungal growth.
3. Utilize a tree tube to prevent deer from damaging the tree and limiting it’s ability to grow.

Post-Planting Maintenance:
1. Remove debris from inside of tree tubes.
2. Remove competing vegetation with 1-2 feet of the tree until tree has established.
3. Make sure tubes are still attached to stakes and at least flush with the ground.
4. Remove the tube when the seedlings trunk is more than 2 inches wide at 6 inches from the ground.

Now let’s get out there, touch some grass, and plant some trees!

Stay on marked and/or designated trails to keep invasive species populations localized for easier management and prevent...
04/21/2026

Stay on marked and/or designated trails to keep invasive species populations localized for easier management and prevent introduction to new areas. Staying on trails ensures that even if there are invasive species in your boots they won't invade deeper into uninfested areas.

👉Learn all the ways you can prevent the spread of invasive species by visiting https://playcleango.org/take-action/

are supported by Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management ( )- a statewide collaborative approach to invasive species management, prevention, outreach, and restoration in coordination with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . The PRISM network includes Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program SLELO Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Capital Region PRISM Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) Lower Hudson PRISM Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership WNY PRISM . Visit https://rebrand.ly/NYISinfo to connect with your local PRISM.

Seeds from invasive plants can get stuck in the soles of our shoes and boots, and then we can move them from one place t...
04/20/2026

Seeds from invasive plants can get stuck in the soles of our shoes and boots, and then we can move them from one place to another! Keep your hiking shoes clean to help stop the spread of invasive species.

👉For tips on how to stop the spread of invasive species visit https://rebrand.ly/iPledgeToProtect

are supported by Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management ( )- a statewide collaborative approach to invasive species management, prevention, outreach, and restoration in coordination with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . The PRISM network includes Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program SLELO Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management
Capital Region PRISM Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) Lower Hudson PRISM Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership WNY PRISM . Visit https://rebrand.ly/NYISinfo to connect with your local PRISM.

Japanese and Chinese wisteria are native to Japan and China, respectively. Both species were brought to the US in the ea...
04/14/2026

Japanese and Chinese wisteria are native to Japan and China, respectively. Both species were brought to the US in the early 1800s for use as a horticultural plant. As a vining plant with attractive purple flowers, it was, and still is today, used to decorate porches, gazebos, walls of homes and buildings, gardens, and parks. Vines spread by ground runners, covering the ground and twining around other vegetation to climb into the canopy. Dense foliage can smother, girdle and outcompete other vegetation, even killing sizeable trees. The resulting canopy gaps are excellent colonization sites for new invasive species.

Leaves are pinnately compound with 7 - 13 leaflets or 13 - 19 leaflets, depending on species. Aromatic, purple flowers are in 4-20-inch-long clusters (Spring time) while the fruit is a 2 – 6-inch velvety pod.

The most efficient method of management will depend upon the size and age of the target population. In most cases, an Integrated Pest Management approach, combining hand pulling of young plants with foliar spray and cut stump treatment of larger plants will be necessary.

American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is an excellent alternate and can be differentiated from its invasive counterparts by its hairless seed pods, shorter inflorescences, and later blooming period (June-July). Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) and trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) are other attractive vines that can spruce up your landscapes with beautiful red flowers and bring hummingbirds into your yard!

And remember, if you spot any invasive wisterias while you’re at any of your favorite natural areas, be sure to submit a report to iMapInvasives!

Photo credit
Slide 1: Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org / Franklin Bonner, United States Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Slide 2: Gena Todia, Wetland Resources Environmental Consulting, Bugwood.org/Chris Evans, University of Illinois, bugwood.org /Karan A Rawlins, University of Georgia, bugwood.org

Many non-native plants become invasive and outcompete our native plants altering natural ecosystems. Growing native plan...
04/10/2026

Many non-native plants become invasive and outcompete our native plants altering natural ecosystems. Growing native plants reduces the spread of invasive species, supports our local pollinators and wildlife, and helps build resilient ecosystems.

Grow native plants to protect natural ecosystems!

are supported by Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management ( )- a statewide collaborative approach to invasive species management, prevention, outreach, and restoration in coordination with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . The PRISM network includes Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program SLELO Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Capital Region PRISM Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) Lower Hudson PRISM Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership WNY PRISM . Visit https://rebrand.ly/NYISinfo to connect with your local PRISM.

Terrestrial invasive species negatively impact natural ecosystems. They outcompete and push out native species, and can ...
04/09/2026

Terrestrial invasive species negatively impact natural ecosystems. They outcompete and push out native species, and can significantly alter ecosystems for the worse! Learn how to recognize and manage a variety of invasive terrestrial plants and animals at https://rebrand.ly/NYISinfo

Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM-Network) is a statewide collaborative approach to invasive species management, prevention, outreach and restoration in collaboration with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation . The PRISM network includes: Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program SLELO Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Finger Lakes PRISM Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA) Lower Hudson PRISM Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership WNY PRISM . Visit https://rebrand.ly/NYISinfo to connect with your local PRISM.

Address

50 W High Street
Ballston Spa, NY
12020

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

(518) 885-8995

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